Summary

This vacancy will remain open until filled. The first cut-off date is 02/19/2025. Additional applications will be referred as needed.

Qualifications

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
• Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/
• NOTE: Licenses from the state of Alabama no longer meet VA regulatory requirements for independent licensure
• If you are licensed in the State of Alabama - you must also be licensed at the Independent Level in another state
• Physical Requirements
• See VA Directive and Handbook 5019
• English Language Proficiency
• Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• Preferred Experience:GS-12 VA or DOD experience Work experience in community settings Experience incorporating outcome measures into treatment Experience with evidence-based psychotherapies for individuals - groups - couples - and families Experience in case management in complex settings
• Experience in outpatient general mental health clinics
• Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade level
• Senior Social Worker - GS-12 Experience and 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
• Individuals assigned Senior Social Worker must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level and must be able to provide supervision for licensure
• NOTE: Licenses from the state of Alabama no longer meet VA regulatory requirements for independent licensure
• To qualify for the assignment of Senior Social Worker at the GS-12 level - you must have 2 years of experience at the advanced practice level - earned while having an active - unrestricted advanced practice license in a U.S. state or territory other than Alabama
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate 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 Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation and would generally not require a pre-placement examination References: VA Handbook 5005/120 Part II Appendix G39 - September 10 - 2019 The grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Duties

• VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU VA Careers - Licensed Clinical Social Worker: https://youtube.com/embed/U_xC25QsN0w 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 The Senior Social Worker is assigned to the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP)
• The BHIP Senior Social Worker: performs specialized treatment of complex physical or mental illness
• incorporates complex multiple causation in different diagnosis and treatment of Veteran patients - including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice
• provides individual - group - and family psychotherapy and advanced level case management interventions used in the treatment of Veterans with poly-trauma injuries - spinal cord injuries - traumatic brain injuries - visual impairment - posttraumatic stress disorder - addictions - and other serious disorders
• conducts case management for Veterans
• develops and implements methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in specialty areas - utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services
• demonstrates the ability to design changes based on empirical findings
• develops and implements methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in specialty areas - utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services
• consults with colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients treated in specialty areas - rendering professional opinions based on experience and expertise and role modeling effective social work practice skills
• teaches and mentors staff and students in the special area of practice and to provide supervision for licensure or specialty certifications
• uses the social work process (psychosocial assessment - diagnosis - and treatment) to conduct an intake health status assessment or an update assessment for Veterans
• utilizes clinical reminders to evaluate the need for health care - behavioral and mental health services
• makes appropriate referrals for health care - individual - group - marital - or family treatment services
• completes the Suicide Risk Assessment shared template in the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) on all patients with suicidal ideation and on any patient whose record is flagged \"High Risk for Suicide.\" additionally conducts a psychosocial evaluation on all new Veterans assigned to their clinic within performance measure standards
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8 AM - 4:30 PM CST Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized Recruitment Incentives
• Recruitment incentives may be authorized to full-time - part time[ -] or intermittent individuals in their first appointment as a Federal employee or to a newly appointed former Federal employee with at least a 90-day break in service Relocation Incentives
• Relocation incentives may be authorized to full-time Federal employees who must change worksite[s] and physically relocate to a different geographic area when the approving official determines that without the incentive - it would be difficult to fill the position with a high-quality candidate
• 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 existing pay - 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: This is an onsite position
• Telework may be offered when deemed necessary by the department AD-HOC (Employees who telework on an occasional - episodic - or short-term basis - and have completed required telework training and telework agreement.) (Portion of day acceptable) Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required