Senior Social Worker - Pain Management

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. 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 master’s 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 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‑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: (a) Skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations, including 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 and role modeling effective social work practice skills. (e) Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession and write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area. Preferred experience: Candidate with strong clinical experience in mental health and addiction treatment who can provide comprehensive, evidence‑based interventions for Veterans with chronic pain. The ideal applicant will excel in interdisciplinary collaboration and demonstrate proficiency in crisis management, care coordination, and trauma‑informed practices within a pain clinic setting. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit Physical requirements: Must be in overall good health, able to sit at a desk working at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies. A social worker must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasional moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions with reasonable accommodation if necessary, without endangering health and safety of the social worker or others. This position also requires close visual acuity to perform activities such as preparing and analyzing data and figures, transcribing, viewing a computer terminal, extensive reading, and repetitive motions of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers. Duties Total rewards of an allied health professional: Engages veteran/family/caregiver and significant others in assessments, counseling activities, whole health discussions, and collaborative goal‑setting. Communicates program expectations – processes – and treatment goals clearly to veteran/family/caregiver. Coordinates with interdisciplinary team members – VA providers – and community partners to support continuity of care. Participates as a consultant and provider in the anesthesia pain clinic – collaborating with pain clinic providers to support veteran‑centered pain care. Coordinates continuity of care with pain management, opioid safety, PMOP partners – and community resources to ensure integrated and consistent pain‑care delivery. Supports ongoing interdisciplinary communication to align treatment goals – intervention strategies – and veteran‑centered care plans. Participates in outreach activities to enhance veteran engagement in pain‑management services and increase access to care. Identifies and connects veteran/family/caregiver with appropriate VA, community, and government resources to support chronic pain recovery. Coordinates services with external agencies to address housing, legal, employment, financial, and social support needs. Connects veteran/family/caregiver to whole health wellness programs – and complementary integrative health services supporting pain management. Serves as an expert on medical and psychiatric issues and the unique needs of this veteran population – including common psychiatric diagnoses – relevant medications – and VA/community resources for psychiatric treatment. Documents assessments utilizing the clinical intervention note for brief assessments or – when applicable – completing the comprehensive psychosocial assessments for referred veterans and collaborates with the veteran/family/caregiver – and interdisciplinary team. Engages veteran/family/caregiver and significant others in assessment and goal‑setting whenever possible. Exercises independent clinical judgment when developing – adjusting – and monitoring treatment plans – ensuring clinical decisions reflect interdisciplinary input and veteran preferences. Incorporates complex multiple causation into psychosocial and – within scope of practice – DSM‑based diagnostic formulations. Facilitates family/caregiver/team conferences to ensure communication remains current and aligned with shared goals of care. Documents all contacts and interventions in the EHR using appropriate templates – ensuring compliance with VHA – facility – and accrediting body standards – comprehensive and ongoing assessments – safety plans – and required screenings. Monitors and reviews each veteran’s VA pain management agreement ("pain contract"). Applies a social work person‑in‑situation framework. Educates veteran/family/caregiver regarding VA services – whole health offerings – community supports – entitlements – and health‑related resources. Educates and provides consultation to veteran/family/caregiver regarding benefits and services related to special programs. Serves as a practicum instructor or preceptor for social work trainees – providing supervision and structured learning experiences. Conducts suicide‑risk assessment and safety planning – participates in high‑risk case reviews. Work Schedule Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Benefits and Compensation 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: View email address on click.appcast.io – the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. 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 (five years vesting) and federal 401(k) 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 virtual – this is not a virtual position. Functional statement #: 613500. Permanent change of station: Not authorized. #J-18808-Ljbffr