Senior Social Worker (HCHV Outreach) - EDRP/Recruitment/Relocation Authorized

About the Role

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 a 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 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 http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/.
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - Employee Occupational Health Services.
• 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).
  • They must be able to provide supervision for licensure.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
  • (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.
• Assignments:
  • Senior social workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work at an advanced level.
  • Senior social workers typically practice in a major program area such as but not limited to: Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center or Polytrauma Network Site, Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Center, or a national VHA referral center, such as a national Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or a national Transplant Center, or other program areas of equivalent scope and complexity.
  • The senior social worker may be assigned administrative responsibility for clinical program development and is accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns.
  • Assignments include clinical settings where they have limited access to onsite supervision such as CBOCs or satellite outpatient clinics.
  • The senior social worker collaborates with the other members of the treatment team in the provision of comprehensive health care services to Veterans, ensures equity of access, service, and benefits to this population, and ensures the care provided is of the highest quality.
  • The senior social worker provides leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs for assigned social work staff.
  • They serve on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility, VISN, and national level, or in the community as deemed appropriate by the supervisor, Social Work Executive, or Chief of Social Work Services.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience in crisis intervention, case management, resources, community referrals, and discharge planning.
• Knowledge and understanding of homelessness, shelter utilization, housing rules, and regulations.
• Experience working in a high-stress atmosphere with the ability to adapt and adjust to daily schedule changes with a positive professional attitude.
• Knowledge of addressing and assessing complicated psychosocial problems with those experiencing crisis, to include provision of short-term, solution-focused counseling.
• Advance clinical knowledge with the ability to provide consultation of psychosocial needs and concerns to master's level and advance standing professionals.
• Certification in case management is preferred, not required.

Responsibilities

• Assessing and documenting identified behaviors or symptoms of abuse, neglect, exploitation, and/or intimate partner violence.
• Using clinical social work skills and knowledge to maintain Veteran privacy and confidentiality per policies, handbooks, or directives.
• Acting as an advocate with appropriate VA and community service providers and agencies when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family member/caregiver.
• Independently assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, identifying the Veteran's strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and psychosocial acuity.
• Collaborating with the Veteran, family/caregiver, and interdisciplinary treatment team to facilitate the delivery of health care services.
• Identifying family/caregiver stressors, conducting assessments, and providing specific interventions.
• Providing case management and care coordination to facilitate appropriate delivery of health care services.
• Incorporating complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of Veterans, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
• Linking the Veteran with services, resources, and opportunities to maximize independence, health, and well-being.
• Conducting timely assessments of at-risk Veterans in crisis to identify immediate needs, evaluate risk, and initiate safety plans as appropriate.
• Providing interventions independently with Veterans and their families/caregivers experiencing a wide range of complicated medical, behavioral health, financial, legal, and psychosocial problems.
• Providing a range of interventions and treatment modalities, including individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy.
• Independently formulating and implementing treatment plans with measurable, achievable goals.
• Serving on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility and VISN level or in the community.
• Providing subject matter consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of Veterans.
• Establishing and maintaining ongoing education programs for Veterans, community agencies, students, and staff.
• Overseeing the Wood Group, an emergency shelter placement located in Big Spring, TX.
• Assisting in the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans (NCCHV) calls and CPRS consults.
• Attending local Homeless Coalition meetings that service the West Texas catchment area.

Benefits

• Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized.
• Relocation Incentives: Authorized.

Schedule

Full-time, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.