Senior Social Worker (VA/DoD Liaison)

Summary The primary role of the VA Liaison - through a nationally recognized initiative - is to ensure a seamless transition of the health care of injured and ill Service members and Veterans from the Department of War (DOW) Military Treatment Facility (MTF) to the appropriate VA health care facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system. Qualifications Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA PolicyEnglish 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 accreditedA doctoral degree in social work may not be substituted for the master's degree in social workVerification 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 workLicensure: 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 levelCurrent state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/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)Grandfathering Provision: The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all title 38 hybrid qualification standardsPlease carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/registration requirements that apply to this occupation(1) All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title - series and grade held - including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupationFor employees who do not meet all of the basic requirements in this standard - but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it - the following provisions apply: (2) Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure or certification - may be reassigned - promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level - or changed to lower grade within the occupation - but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions(3) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed - on a temporary or permanent basis - until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard(4) Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation - who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation(5) If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C.7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation - the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupationNOTE: If social workers covered under the grandfathering provision of the 1991 Federal law regarding licensure or certification of VHA social workers leave the GS-0185 social work series - they lose the grandfathering protectionIf they choose to return at a later date to the GS-0185 series - they must be licensed or certified to qualify for employment as a social worker Grade Determinations: Senior Social Worker - GS-12In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met for the grade levelExperience/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 levelSenior social workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgmentSenior social workers are experts in their specialized area of practiceSenior 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 specialtyLicensure/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 licensureDemonstrated 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 populationsThis includes individual - group - and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and/or case managementAbility to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practiceKnowledge 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 changesAbility 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 skillsAbility to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession - and to write policies - procedures - and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery areaKnowledge of current and standard literature in disciplinary field and literature sources - including VA reporting requirements - recurring and non-recurring statistical reports - as well as computer files - forms - and procedures created to support themSkill in the critical review and synthesizing of large amounts of information into cogent presentations - translating management needs and concerns into operational terms that can be subjected to empirical study and analysisKnowledge in preparing research project budgets - using VA guidelines in the management of funds - monitoring and evaluating the appropriateness of research funding requests in coordination with Fiscal Service and the R&D Administrative OfficerPreferred Experience: Post 9/11 M2VA or VA Liaison experienceVeteran or DoD experienceMental Health and medical complex care coordination experienceReference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - Employee Occupational Health Services. Duties VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU The primary role of the VA Liaison is to ensure the transfer of health care - both inpatient and outpatient - from the Military Treatment Facility (MTF) to the appropriate VA health care facilityThe VA Liaisons must work on site at the MTF with staff - service members(s) - families - and Veterans to ensure priority access to needed health care services and education regarding VHA benefitsDuties to include but not limit to: Works closely with the MTF treatment team - as an independent practitioner - using advanced practice skills and expertise to provide ongoing consultation regarding complex discharge planning issues - VA health care benefits - resources - and facilitiesDevelops relationships and collaborating with the MTF social workers - nurses - case managers - managed care staff - and discharge planners to identify patients ready for discharge to a VA health care facility and to obtain clear referral information and authorization for VHA to treat those still on active dutyMeets with the service member and/or family to provide education and an overview of VA health benefits and resources to address current medical and psychosocial issues identified as part of the service member's treatment planCoordinates with the liaison's home VA health care facility Enrollment Coordinator to initially register active duty service members or enroll veterans at their facility utilizing the referral informationRegistering active duty service members in the VA computer system eases transfer of care to the VA health care facilityCollaborates with MTF social workers - nurses and case managers to identify the VA health care facility where care will be transferred and an accepting physician at that facilityTo ensure ease of registration or enrollment procedures - information is transmitted using PDX or Network Health Exchange (NHE) from the liaison's facility to the identified receiving VA health care facilityIdentifies and communicates with the Post 9/11 M2VA Program Manager at the receiving VA health care facility to initiate and process referrals and linkages for transfers of carePrepares reports - briefs - and/or presentations for VA staff at all levels - DoD staff - Congressional Staff - Community Organizations - etcregarding the Seamless Transition process and specific mechanics of their programInterprets guidelines consisting of VHA general administrative and clinical management policies - directives - handbooks - nationwide patient care initiatives - VA and VBA policies and procedures - Public Law - Federal Regulations - the Joint Commission and Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) standards - and other program-specific guidelinesWork Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not AvailableTelework: Ad hoc at the Supervisor's discretionVirtual: This is not a virtual positionFunctional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized