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

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/
• Drivers License Requirement- Possess a Valid State Issued Driver's License
• Grade Determinations: Supervisory Social Worker - GS-13 Experience/Education
• One year of experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level
• Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills in a specialty area or in administration demonstrating progressively more professional competency and judgment
• Candidate may have certification or other post-master's degree training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship - or equivalent supervised professional experience
• Licensure/Certification
• Individuals assigned as supervisory social workers must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level - and must be able to provide supervision for licensure
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Ability to independently organize work - set priorities - and meet multiple deadlines
• (b) Skill in a range of supervisory duties which includes clinical supervision - consultation - negotiation with other departments and quality improvement
• (c) Ability to ensure provision of clinical social work services by supervised social workers
• (d) Ability to delegate authority - manage priorities - coordinate work - and follow up on pending issues to complete duties in an accurate and timely fashion
• (e) Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems - develop and implement solutions that result in efficient operations - and use data effectively to manage workload - quality - performance - and productivity within the service
• (f) Ability to provide staff training and development
• Preferred Experience: VA Experience Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: Physical Requirements: The person is generally involving activities normally associated office based mental health practices
• No unusual physical demands are placed on incumbent
• The work requires extreme patience and control of emotions in a multi-disciplinary work setting
• Occasional automotive driving may be necessary in meeting one's responsibilities.

Duties

• 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 Suicide Prevention Supervisor (SPS) is a very complex assignment - working in the facility and multiple communities across a large geographic area (18 counties in 3 states) to provide advocacy - training - and clinical consultation for the most vulnerable - high-risk patients
• Supervises the facility Recovery Engagement and Coordination for Health-Veterans Enhanced Treatment (REACH-VET) program - including direct supervision of the REACH-VET Coordinator
• Works with Mental Health Leadership advising providers from diverse disciplines regarding interventions to mitigate risk for Veterans with complex mental health - substance abuse and medical risk factors
• Extensive collaboration with a range of VA and community partners including law enforcement agencies and first responders - county Medical Examiners - VA Central Office - VA Regional Counsel and VISN leadership
• Performs the administrative and personnel management function relative to staff supervised on the Suicide Prevention Program
• Screening/Assessment - The social worker will use advanced knowledge and mastery of theories of mental illness and specialized treatment to develop a diagnosis and treatment plan
• Treatment Planning/Goal Setting - The social worker independently develops the mental health treatment plan and recovery goals with the Veteran
• Crisis Intervention - The social worker is experienced in making rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans for various types of crisis including housing and financial emergencies - psychiatric relapse - potential suicide - violence - and other high risk behaviors and/or situations
• Intensive Case Management/Outreach - he social worker will provide intensive case management services to assigned Veterans and significant others - consistent with the goal of the VA Mental Health Initiative - and with all relevant medical center policies and procedures
• Documentation/Productivity-The social worker will complete documentation in compliance with appropriate documentation standards
• Psychotherapy-The social worker will provide Veterans with expert level psychotherapy
• Advocacy-The social worker understands the challenges of bureaucracy and will act as an advocate when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and/or family
• Referral to Service Providers-Throughout the course of treatment the social worker is the specialist on VA and/or community resources
• Resource Usage/Development-The social worker is responsible for using current social work resources and community social service programs and enhancing the content to the benefit of Veterans
• Education/Consultation-The social worker provides consultation to colleagues and other employees on the psychosocial treatment of Veterans
• Additional Suicide Prevention Supervisor (SPS) duties include - but are not limited to: Leading all Suicide Prevention Program responses to audits of the facility's suicide prevention efforts - to include visits by the Office of the Inspector General - the Joint Commission - and others
• Serving on facility and VISN-level committees and workgroups impacting policies and practice patterns
• Assists the Chief of Mental Health in the execution of ongoing program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement projects to monitor the effectiveness of the clinical program
• Work Schedule: M-F
• 8:00am-4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact Jillana.Martinez@va.gov - 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) 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: Ad-Hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 516220 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized