Summary

The incumbent's primary responsibility is to collaborate with the team in diagnosing mental disorders - to treat mental disorders through a variety of modalities - and provide adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders. Among the modalities provided are individual - family - and group psychotherapies - with a focus on providing Evidence-Based Treatments - and other interventions such as behavioral health and community interventions.

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
• Loss of Licensure or Certification: Once licensed or certified - social workers must maintain a full - valid - and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment
• Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment
• 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 for this position
• 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 - the candidate 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/
• ???????Physical Requirements: Involves active listening - reading - observing - and evaluating verbal and nonverbal behavior - walking - speaking - writing reports - writing policies and procedures - writing clinical notes - using office equipment such as computers - telephones - fax machines - photocopy machines and travel throughout the catchment
• Must also be able to perform CPR and remain current in BLS certification.

Duties

• Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Social Work: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Social-Worker-Career-Flyer.pdf Major Duties: Provides quality care including comprehensive psychosocial assessments and a full-range of psychological interventions - in outpatient and inpatient setting - including offering services via video-telemedicine technology as appropriate
• therapeutic interventions include individual - group - couples/family - crisis therapy
• and psycho-educational classes
• Interventions also include Evidence-Based Treatments - Short-term solution-focused treatment - and supportive therapy
• Provides clinical consultation to various disciplines and levels of training - and will be able to provide clinical supervision of SW students or those seeking advanced practice licensure
• Serves as a consultant to other medical center staff and trainees on a wide variety of patient care issues - including assisting in their formulation of the psychological characteristics and appropriate treatment expectations regarding their patients
• May be involved in program evaluation and/or research activities including - development of program monitors and outcome measurements using data-driven quality assurance processes
• Completes all clinical charting and documentation required by the Medical Center or Healthcare System in a timely manner
• May assist in preparation of RFP's and grant proposals - as assigned
• Serves on Medical Center or Healthcare System - VISN - and/or National VA committees or task forces
• Represents SW on decision-making committees at the Medical Center or Healthcare System - and at professional/program community group/events and committees
• May participate in leadership roles on local - state and national professional organizations
• Must be able to provide licensure supervision for social work trainees
• Performs other duties as assigned
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday - 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized
• 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) Virtual: This is not a virtual or remote position
• Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Bargaining Unit: Yes