Senior Social Worker

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 Master 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.

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). 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).

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. 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) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure. 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: Experience working with clients with serious mental illness and preferably also substance use disorders Experience with clients that have become suicidal Experience providing therapy and case management care/services Experience working with clients in non-traditional mental health settings such as community environments and home care Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

03Physical Requirements

The work is generally sedentary. The work requires intermittent standing and walking, with periods of bending and sitting. The work requires light lifting and carrying of light items (under 15 lbs.) such as charts, notes, reports and binders. Simple grasping and fine manipulation is required when using a keyboard to access a computer.

VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Duties for this position in include but are not limited to: Skilled in making sound assessments and diagnostic determination, with the capacity to convey these to other staff involved. Skilled in working with individual, family, couple, and group therapy theory and methods, in order to provide and coordinate effective treatment to those participants needing these services.

Experienced working within, the dynamics and processes of a community based intensive case management model of service delivery to the most severely and persistently ill Veterans in the Mental Health Care Line. Experienced in understanding the causes and effects of substance dependence sufficient to ensure the diagnosis and assessment of the need for, and appropriateness of medical, interpersonal, social, psychological and other interventions designed to effectively assist Veterans manifesting these behaviors.

Advanced knowledge of psychiatric diagnosis and treatment options to allow development of effective treatment planning and interventions for individuals manifesting symptoms of acute and chronic mental illness, suicidality, organic disturbances, substance use, and personality disorder. Advanced knowledge and skill in assessing high risk for suicide of Veterans and ability to follow up with appropriate interventions and documentation.

Skilled in the strategies and resources required in developing effective aftercare and discharge planning as clinically indicated, including the ability to assess and match Veterans with the appropriate resources. Advanced knowledge of VA policies and procedures in the areas of eligibility and suitability for admissions, patient care, maintenance of medical records, and confidentiality. Advanced knowledge of Clinical Case Management and Social Work Interventions.

Basic knowledge of psychopharmacology within appropriate approved Scope of Care, in order to provide assistance with medication management as deemed appropriate. Skilled in the ability to negotiate, assess and deal with crisis situations in an effective manner, insuring safety of all involved (Veterans, family members, other staff, and community partners) involved.

Master of knowledge of documentation requirements, reporting requirements and research protocols when and where appropriate including an understanding of the impact on local Performance Monitors & Measures. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Telework: Authorized (Ad-Hoc) Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 689-F02866 EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.

Contact [email protected], 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)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)