Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) - a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval - award amount (up to $200 -000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

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/
• English Language Proficiency
• Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates
• Senior Social Worker - GS-12 Experience/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 have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment
• 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
• 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
• 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-12
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Duties

• VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Duties: 1
• The Senior Social Worker assigned to the Rural Mental Health Program functions at the advanced practice level and provides evidence-based treatment as well as intensive case management services for all types of mentally ill Veterans enrolled in VA Pacific Islands Health Care System
• 2
• Performs specialized treatment of complex mental illness and serves as a case manager and therapist at the advanced practice level in a community or Community Based Outpatient Clinic setting
• 3
• Incorporates complex multiple causations in formulating a differential diagnosis and treatment of Veteran patients - including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice
• 4
• Provides clinical services to promote sustained community stability and address issues related to chronic mental illness - homelessness - and other complex/diverse psychological challenges
• 5
• Provides clinical interventions in the CBOC - in the Rural extension sites in the program - via telehealth and Home Telehealth - but at times also in the Veteran's home or in the community through individual psychotherapy - case management - and the mobilization of community resources
• 6
• Utilizes a Veteran-centered approach in an effort to engage Veterans and their family members in order to maximize optimal psychological and social-emotional wellness
• 7
• Engage the Veteran - and - also the family - significant others - community agencies - and other involved staff/providers as appropriate while providing clinical services to the Veterans enrolled
• 8
• Represents the VA in the community by way of developing community partnerships and preparing presentations for community provider groups to support Veteran health and wellness
• 9
• Provides outreach services to Veterans as needed - to include Veterans facing challenges relating to but not limited to homelessness and legal difficulties
• 10
• Develops psychosocial treatment plans using MH Suite in coordination with interdisciplinary team members - including goals for psychosocial clinical treatment
• 11
• Effectively uses professional skills and demonstrates objectivity and insight
• In cases of antagonistic - indifferent or evasive service member/Veterans and/or their significant others - the Senior Social Worker deals constructively with both positive and negative reactions - understands disparate values - and reaches Veterans and families from different social and ethnic groups
• 12
• Offers consultation to colleagues and students on the clinical and psychosocial treatment of patients treated for psychiatric disorders - rendering professional opinions based on experience and expertise - and role-modeling effective social work practice skills
• 13
• Administratively the Senior Social Worker is responsible for development and implementation of methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services - including treatment program monitoring and evaluation - and may include evidence-based practice evaluation - utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services Work Schedule:7:30-4:00pm Monday to Friday Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact Licea - Liz A
• at Liz.Licea@va.gov - the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
• Learn more 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) Telework: Ad hoc: May be authorized at Supervisory discretion
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #:09473F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized