Summary

Licensed Master of Social Work (LMSW) provides full range of counseling services within the Community Recovery Programs for the Mental Health Intensive Case Management Team (MHICM) for Canandaigua and Rochester. This includes the provision of high-quality comprehensive therapy - client advocacy - and coordination of linkages to other appropriate VA or community service providers and/or agencies as needed by clientele. In collaboration with the Community Recovery Programs Interdisciplinary Team.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• Education: Have a master's degree in social work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
• Graduates of schools of social work that are in candidacy status do not meet this requirement until the School of Social Work is fully accredited
• A doctoral degree in social work may not be substituted for the master's degree in social work
• Verification of the degree can be made by going to http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of social work
• Licensure: Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-0185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level
• Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/
• May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria)
• Grade Determinations: Social Worker - GS-11Experience and Licensure: Appointment to the GS-11 grade level requires completion of a minimum of one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the field of health care or other social work-related settings - (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level
• OR Education
• In addition to meeting basic requirements - a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required one year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of community resources - how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services - and ability to coordinate services
• Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic - cultural - ethnic - educational and other diversified backgrounds
• Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses - disabilities and treatment procedures (i.e
• acute - chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries - common medications and their effects/side effects - and medical terminology) to formulate a treatment plan
• Skill in independently implementing different treatment modalities in working with individuals - families - and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric - medical - and social problems to achieve treatment goals
• Ability to provide consultation services to new social workers - social work graduate students - and other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-09 to GS-11
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - Employee Occupational Health Services

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Performs assessment - evaluation - and treatment for patients individually - in group and/or in family therapy with problems of personality - emotional adjustment or mental illness
• Uses therapeutic techniques within their clinical privileges or scopes of practice to assess lethality
• Provides crisis intervention - social work case management - education on Advance Directives - grief counseling - guidance - advocacy - supportive counseling - and recovery focused counseling and other treatment approaches that may be necessary
• He/she must have knowledge of family dynamics - developmental theory and interpersonal relationships and system approach to care
• Through clinical interviews and observation - assesses patient's apparent level of intelligence - behavior - and personality variable
• Responsible for selection of a recovery intervention modality - monitoring the patient's safety and assess progress in all indicated treatment modalities and - with the consultation of the treatment team - termination of services
• Conducts interviews or observes the patient to assess emotional - functional - or psychological condition
• Employs professional maturity in using interview - observation - personal histories - and other measurement devise in the assessment of adverse group of clients
• Incumbent uses this data for comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment for setting goals and developing treatment plans
• Based on data gathered during the assessment - plans an appropriate clinical treatment with individual patients
• Develops comprehensive treatment plans specific to the patient
• The patients assigned often have multiple complicating factors (i.e. - physical disabilities - lack of support or resources) or other external or environmental consideration that complicate treatment
• Acts as a liaison with community hospitals and agencies - as well as individuals providing information and access to VA resources
• Coordinating the use pat patient - VA - and community resources to meet the Veteran's needs
• These resources include - but are not limited to referral to respite - hospice - Hoptel - HECC - Prosthetics - benefits - Lifespan - Eldersource - Social Services - Social Security - Medicaid and Medicare - legal - disability - Lifeline and Liftline
• Incumbent judges' effectiveness of techniques and when indicated seeks advice from the clinical treatment team or adjusts practices if therapies seen ineffective Continually monitors patient's progress
• Determines when reassessment is appropriate and adjusts treatment plan accordingly
• When appropriate and has a competency may use newly proven therapies
• Regularly reviews case files of assigned patients to assess treatment progress - adequacy of record keeping - and fulfillment of rehabilitation and recovery guidelines
• Meets with inter-disciplinary treatment team members to discuss proposed adjustment in treatment
• Incumbent(s) hold responsibility to respond quickly and comprehensively to psychiatric emergencies - developing an appropriate action plan - and monitoring for safe outcome
• In the clinic setting Incumbent(s) have the added obligation to assess and manage psychiatric emergencies in the primary care community setting where there are far fewer immediately available resources to respond to psychiatric emergencies
• Functions as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team
• Functions as the point of contact for assigned patients throughout their treatment program
• Meets with patients before each treatment team meeting to ensure that the treatment planning process is ongoing
• Reviews assessments/assists patients with the development of recovery goals/needs/interventions
• Performs other duties as assigned
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)
• Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave - 13 days of sick leave - 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual - based on prior [work experience] or military service experience
• Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment - up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth - adoption - or foster care placement of a child
• Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment - full time employees with a total family income below $144 -000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Functional Statement #: 21Q03A