Summary

Senior Social Workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work at an advanced level. He/She typically practice in a major specialty treatment program area or program areas of equivalent scope and complexity. They are assigned administrative responsibility for clinical program development and is accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns. This position is located within Mental Health Service in will serve in Homeless Program.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• Citizenship
• Be a citizen of the United States
• 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
• 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 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
• Preferred Experience: Leadership ability - effective communication skills - and the ability to work independently - as demonstrated by previous experience preferably in a rehabilitation environment
• Proven excellent interpersonal relationship skills able to articulate and his/her effective communication with all levels of staff and leadership
• Demonstration of collaborative approaches to patient care with the interdisciplinary team and effective communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to lead in a patient centered care-focused environment
• Demonstrated ability to serve as an initiator for a changing program with flexibility and creativeness
• Track record is excellence in planning - implementing and evaluating patient care programs
• Demonstrated ability consistently meeting time-lines such as reports
• References that can validate the above??????? Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The position is above full performance level - 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

• VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU 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 Function or scope of assigned duties: The Social Worker independently performs case finding functions and outreach - identifying and screening patients for psychosocial needs
• The incumbent must possess the knowledge and ability to independently implement treatment modalities - and provide counseling or psychotherapy for individuals - families - and groups
• The Social Worker independently conducts psychosocial assessments
• The Social Worker independently diagnoses Veterans according to the latest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or other recognized diagnostic manuals of mental disorders
• He/ She develops treatment plans in collaboration with the Veteran and/or family and with the interdisciplinary treatment team
• The incumbent possesses the skills to offer psychosocial intervention and utilizes professional judgment in determining the method and techniques to be used
• The Social Worker acts as a subject matter expert and liaison with community agencies
• He/ She coordinates community-based services - including information and referral to or from other VA programs - government programs - and community agency programs
• The Social Worker has knowledge and experience in the use of medical and mental health diagnoses - disabilities - and treatment procedures
• He/ She identifies high-risk patients and provides appropriate intervention case management services Work Schedule: 8:00 - 4:30pm Monday to Friday - subject to change based on the needs of the facility Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not 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) Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 00706-F