Senior Social Worker

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 United States Citizenship: 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 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 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: Senior Social Worker - GS-12 (1) 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 (2) 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 (3) Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities In addition to the experience above - candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:(a) 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.(b)Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.(c)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.(d)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.(e)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 Preferred Experience: Experience and interest in treating substance use disorder (SUD) - SUD with challenging co-morbid conditions - and enjoys outpatient - residential care - and case management Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12 Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation - see Duties section for essential job duties of the position May require standing - lifting - carrying - sitting - stooping - bending - puling - and pushing May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions the area is adequately lighted - heated - and ventilated However - the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations Duties Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The duties of the Senior Social Worker - Substance Use Disorder (SUD) include - but are not limited to: Provides specialized evidence-based treatment to Veterans enrolled in the (SUD service) Functions as a licensed independent provider of mental health/SUD services Conduct full psychosocial diagnostic evaluations using the most current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Psychiatric Disorders Provides screening - assessments - treatment plans - clinical care provisions - leads treatment plan reviews for improving outcomes - and discharge planning at an advanced practice level Represents the social work profession and perspective on a multidisciplinary team that may include other social workers - nurses - psychologists - psychiatrists - and other disciplines Provides and maintain expertise regarding VA and community psychosocial resources Participates in program development within their assigned program including community outreach Participates in tracking the care of Veterans as they move through the treatment process The Social Worker will also be involved in measuring treatment outcomes using testing and other measures Utilizes outcome evaluations to further treatment and design system changes based on empirical findings Participates in clinical program development and is accountable to clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns This may include partnering with local universities - community colleges - and other agencies to improve the delivery of mental health services and increase utilization Collaborates with the Veterans Justice Outreach Coordinator - Peer Support Specialist - or any other VA employee for any justice involved Veterans they are treating who are in legal processes or enrolled in Veterans Treatment Court - assuring timely comprehensive assessment - treatment recommendations - reporting - documentation - and thorough treatment planning Demonstrates the ability to teach and mentor staff and students in their special area of practice and to provide supervision for licensure or specialty certifications Identifies high-risk patients and provides safety planning - crisis intervention - coordinates staffing with other team members and/or family conferences when clinically indicated Identifies Veterans in need of additional specialized care outside their immediate service system and work with the admissions personnel of such appropriate other programs or services within or outside the VA or community to secure needed treatment for Veterans Serves as a resource and point of contact throughout the facility for the mental health needs of Veterans Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Noy Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive Contact View email address on click.appcast.io - 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: Available (ad-hoc only) Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #: 564-01181-F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized #J-18808-Ljbffr U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs