Senior Social Worker (VJO)

01Basic Requirements

United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. 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. Note: 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.

Licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work 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.

02Grade Determinations

In addition to the basic requirements stated above, the following qualification criteria must be met for each grade. The candidate's qualifications must clearly demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade.

03Experience

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 and 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. 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 and Certifications Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), or Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) certification Full independent licensure at the advanced practice level At least two years should be in an area of specialized social work practice.

Experience in conducting visits to impacted areas and emergency shelters, possibly in conjunction with VA Disaster Emergency Medical Personal System (DEMPS) or other Emergency Management response protocols Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

04Physical Requirements

Eligible applicants must be physically and mentally able to perform efficiently the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation, without hazard to themselves or others. Depending on the essential duties of a specific position, usable vision, color vision, hearing or speech may be required. However, in most cases, a specific physical condition or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid.

The clinical social worker assigned to this position will provide outreach and treatment services to a highly complex and high risk population in contact with the justice system, including those in contact with local police, those served by the courts, and those detained in secured, city or county jail facilities.

Duties include but are not limited to: - Collaborating with justice system including police officers, sheriff's deputies, court judges, classification officers, probation officers, reentry staff, public defenders and private attorneys. - Interacting with both Veterans and the attorneys representing Veterans to determine if VA intervention and treatment is viable and appropriate. - Participating as an active member of a court team. - Coordinating outreach services with city and county jail facilities. - Conducting community outreach. - Administering psychosocial and other clinical assessments. - Providing case management, including direct referrals to VA programs and non-VA programs. - Providing clinical treatment using evidence-based models such as: Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT), Seeking Safety, and Motivational Interviewing. - Maintaining patient database and program statistics. - Tracking population trends and program performance measures. - Conducting expert consults with facility staff. - Coordinating care with VA and community providers.

The justice-involved population presents with health care and psychosocial problems that are complex and require a high degree of clinical oversight and creative problem-solving.

Professional services include evaluation and assessment, crisis counseling, treatment planning, patient and family education, case management/care coordination involving VA and non-VA community resources, clinical treatment using evidence based practices specific to a justice population, public relations, community education, and documentation of clinical data in Veterans' medical records. Written reports and policies are also included in the duties.

Program Coordination Responsibilities: - Provides training to law enforcement personnel regarding identifying Veterans, eligibility for VHA and VBA benefits, as well as issues regarding TBI, PTSD and other mental health diagnoses. - Establishes formal agreements and partnerships with courts regarding identification of and access to Veterans, and access to use of appropriate assessment information for treatment planning. - Develops Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) when appropriate. - Meets with court administrators and staff on a regular basis to develop and maintain appropriate policies and procedures required to co-managing Veterans' care. - Collaborates with county probation officers, state attorney's office public defenders, hired attorneys, judges and community health and mental health agency staff to develop a treatment plan that offers alternatives to incarceration.

Clinical Service Responsibilities: - Establishes respectful, effective relationships with Veterans, and with the clinical, custodial, and administrative staff from a range of institutions and agencies involved in Veterans' treatment. - As appropriate completes release of information, and assists with completion, submission and follow-up regarding VA eligibility (DD214) and enrollment (10- 10EZ) and other VA Forms or application for benefits through VBA. - Identifies and interviews Veterans involved in the justice system to conduct a clinical assessment and determine appropriate referrals, linkage and coordination for VA and non-VA services to enhance the success in the community. - Provides Veterans information on VA services and community resources.

Coordinates Veteran care with all VA programs as well as non-VA community programs and resources. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8am to 4:30pm, May vary depending on deployment and/or assigned facility needs Telework: Not Available Travel: Up to 50% may be required. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized