This position is part of the Mental Health Intensive Case Management (MHICM) program at the North Florida South Georgia Veterans Health System (NFSGVHS), located primary in Jacksonville. The NFSGVHS MHICM program is one of the largest MHICM programs in the nation. The goal of the MHICM is to develop, implement, and assess the benefit of a behaviorally oriented program of psychosocial rehabilitation, intensive case management, and community-based treatment for chronically mentally ill Veterans. Applicants must meet the requirements by the closing date of this announcement. 11/29/2024 Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Must be US Citizen. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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: In addition to meeting the basic requirements stated above, the following qualifications criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates. GS-12 Senior Social Worker candidates must have the following: Experience/Education: Must have at least two (2) years of experience POST advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which, one (1) 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. AND 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. Advanced License must be submitted with application. While we no longer require essay-style responses to our Knowledge's Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics (KSAOs), you must be able to demonstrate that you possess the (below) competencies which are necessary to perform the work of the position. Please ensure your resume/CV/application contains sufficient information to support the level of experience/education/training; otherwise, we will not be able to award you credit for the experience/education/training you claim. If selected, you may be required to submit narrative responses then. These are the KSA's for this position and grade level: 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. References: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39, Senior Social Worker Qualification Standard, dated 9/10/19. For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Able to meet the physical demands of the position, reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The work is community based and involves working with Veterans in their homes and other community settings away from the clinic where the environment cannot be controlled. Must be able to safely operate a government vehicle for community work and transportation of Veteran patients. Must be able to sit, stand, drive, walk short distances, carry light objects. Required to drive and/or travel using personal vehicle or government vehicle to other sites of care within the NF/SG VHS, as well as, to community partners, as necessary. Travel will be for long periods of time, up to three hours each way, so a valid driver's license is required. ["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 Specialized treatment services are provided in various community settings, including the Veterans' home, residential care homes, or other supportive housing, contract nursing homes, and various other community locations. Work is done in the context of an interdisciplinary treatment team, and extensive liaison activities with other VA and community partners are required to provide continuity of care for assigned Veterans in outpatient settings Veterans treated are within a geographical area of approximately 50-mile radius, with an approximate case load of between 10-15 Veterans. Their psychiatric and psychosocial needs are complex and require a high degree of clinical oversight and high level of problem-solving capabilities. The position is separate from the medical center, is community based and approximately 75% of treatment occurs in community or home based settings. The Senior Social Worker practices independently, using professional judgment and expertise to make decisions about services and treatment provided to Veterans and their families. Duties include but are not limited to: Provide intensive case management and treatment services to assigned veterans and significant others, consistent with the goals and methods of MHICM and the VA Mental Health Initiative and with all relevant Medical Center policies and procedures. Intensive case management services are characterized by assertive outreach, individualized treatment planning, multidimensional orientation, and intensive delivery of services. Frequent (at least weekly and sometimes daily) direct contact with Veterans and persons involved in Veterans care to provide therapy and support. Frequency of contacts is increased in times of crisis. Participate in team staffing regarding patient selection, determination of treatment plans and goals, progress evaluation, discharge planning, and after care. Work assertively and consistently with VA staff and inpatient teams to assure continuity of care by providing consultation regarding clinical needs, treatment plans, and case management services for assigned patients. Completes clinical documentation according to MHICM and Medical Center standards; this includes but is not limited to electronic progress notes, clinical progress reports, the Initial Assessments and Multidisciplinary Treatment Plans. Coordination of work with other clinical programs and product lines that share the care of assigned MHICM patients, including but not limited to Substance Abuse, Recovery and Supportive Employment programs. In pursuit of programmatic and treatment goals, maintain effective working relationships and other professional and administrative personnel both within the Medical Center and in the community. Engages in coordination with VA, community agencies, and professional organizations and individuals as needed to carry out assigned developmental and implementation responsibilities. Required to travel on a regular basis to other locations of care within the North Florida / South Georgia Veterans Health System to carry out job duties/assignments, as well as, required to drive and/or travel using personal or government vehicle to other sites of care including veteran's homes and community sites as necessary. Must be able to safely operate a government vehicle for community work and transportation of Veteran patients. Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: Senior Social Worker (MHICM) / FS#52175F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required. Additional Benefits 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) Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases 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) 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."]

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