Social Worker

Duties

VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU

1 Position Senior Social Worker is the substance use disorder (SUD) Specialist for SSVF and the Heath Care for Homeless Programs. This position provides case management and intervention support to SSVF in a team oriented, recovery-based program. The SUD Specialist supports the SSVF Program by providing continuity of care between Homeless Programs through services to Veterans with SUDs. The Senior Social Worker provides on-going substance use case management and early treatment interventions to promote sustained stability and abstinence while receiving SSVF services and post discharge until transitioned to another care manager as needed. These Veterans are frequently homeless due to their SUD activities, so providing SUD treatment support and early intervention promotes recovery, improved quality of life and successful permanent housing. These Veterans are frequently also diagnosed with co-occurring mental health, physical health and social problems that require skill in early intervention and crisis management. The incumbent must be able to develop appropriate professional relationships with the Veterans and meet the Veteran where he or she is ready to engage in treatment. The incumbent also will need to develop liaison relationships with more acute treatment providers/ programs, such as an Intensive Outpatient Program. The incumbent will provide appropriate group and individual case management and treatment.

1 Position in the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program for substance use disorders (BHIP) Social Worker This position performs general psychosocial assessment and treatment and co-occurring substance use disorders assessment and treatment within a multi-disciplinary team that is in the general mental health clinic. The social worker works closely with their colleagues to provide comprehensive, evidence-based treatment in the outpatient setting. The social worker is a key liaison between the outpatient mental health clinic and the Substance Abuse Recovery Program (SARP). 1. SUD step-down care provides treatment for patients with co-occurring SUD and general mental health disorders in the outpatient mental health clinic. 2. The incumbent provides assessment services in consultation with the interdisciplinary team and offers appropriate psychotherapeutic assessment techniques. The incumbent provides assessment services and facilitates the DSM-5 diagnostic clarifications in consultation with other professions in the team and medical center. 3. The incumbent delivers care in a variety of settings to include in-person, telehealth, and telephone care. 4. The incumbent provides education and direct advice regarding symptoms of mental health diagnoses and alcohol and drug misuse to patients. This includes the development of an appropriate treatment plan for patients and the ability to communicate that plan. Provides social work consultation to the patient's caregiver, provider, and other stakeholders. This includes coordinating treatment and communicating with other services to facilitate continuity of care for Veterans. 5. The incumbent develops community resources and coordinates these resources in the interest of the Veteran. The incumbent develops effective and strong relationships with community resources to ensure continuity of care and to promote successful transitions of 6. Provides direct therapeutic interventions including individual evidence-based interventions, couples or family interventions, caregiver supportive interventions, group therapy, group psychoeducation, and case management. They provide recovery-oriented education to patients, family members, and significant others.

Work Schedule: Mon-Fri 08:00 AM to 4:30 PM
Telework: As determined by service/program
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 0000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Contact kendra.broughton@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

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. Exception. VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level.Failure to Obtain License or Certification or Loss of Licensure or Certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment.
• Grandfathering Provision. 1) All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all of the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the Grandfathering Provision may apply.
• Physical Requirements. See below.
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
• Grade Determinations: Senior Social Worker, GS-12Experience/Education. The candidate must have at least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which, one year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Senior social workers are experts in their specialized area of practice. Senior social workers may have certification or other post-masters training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience in a specialty.
• Preferred Experience. At least two years in an area of specialized social work practice such as serious mental health diagnoses of PTSD, TBI, mood disorders, geriatrics or complex unstable medical conditions.
• Licensure/Certification. Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California, which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
• Skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations. This includes individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management.
• Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
• Knowledge in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to design system changes.
• Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients in the service delivery area, as well as role modeling effective social work practice skills.
• Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession, and to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area.
• Assignments. Senior social workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work at an advanced level. Senior social workers typically practice in a major program area such as but not limited to: Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center or Polytrauma Network Site; a Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Center, or a national VHA referral center, such as a national Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or a national Transplant Center, or other program areas of equivalent scope and complexity. The senior social worker may be assigned administrative responsibility for clinical program development and is accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns. Assignments include clinical settings where they have limited access to onsite supervision such as CBOCs or satellite outpatient clinics. The senior social worker collaborates with the other members of the treatment team in the provision of comprehensive health care services to Veterans, ensures equity of access, service, and benefits to this population, ensures the care provided is of the highest quality. The senior social worker provides leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs for assigned social work staff. They serve on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility, VISN and national level, or in the community as deemed appropriate by the supervisor, Social Work Executive or Chief of Social Work Services.
• Example of GS-11 Specialized Experience. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.
• 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.
• References: September 10, 2019 VA HANDBOOK 5005/120 PART II APPENDIX G39 II-G39-5 (The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12.
• Physical Requirements: Light lifting under 15 pounds, Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; Other (specify): Clear Speech; Hearing (aid permitted).

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/ . If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html .

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a VA job announcement includes language requiring applicants to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to Executive Order 14043, that requirement does not currently apply to this Job Announcement. VA may request information regarding your vaccination status, if selected, for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

Due to COVID-19, VA is currently in an expanded telework posture. If selected, you may be expected to temporarily telework, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Once employees are permitted to return to the office, you will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement. Management officials will provide information about returning to the official, pre-pandemic worksite, when applicable. At that time, you may be eligible to request to continue to telework depending upon the terms of your organization's telework policy and the duties of the position.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application .