Social Worker

Summary

This position is NOT eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP). Domiciliary Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (RRTP) provides cognitive-behavioral treatment for substance abuse - housing instability - and related factors in a therapeutic community model context. The incumbent will be a part of the multidisciplinary team and provide clinical and administrative support to the programs' supervisory social workers and program managers.

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:

• The basic requirements for employment as a VHA social worker are prescribed by statute in 38 U.S.C. § 7402(b)(9) - as amended by section 205 of Public Law 106-419 - enacted November 1 - 2000
• To qualify for appointment as a social worker in VHA - all applicants must meet the following: 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 a 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/
• Failure to Obtain License or Certification: In all cases - social workers must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure or certification starting from the date of their appointment
• Failure to become licensed or certified within the prescribed amount of time will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment
• Loss of Licensure or Certification: Once licensed or certified - social workers must maintain a full - valid - and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment
• Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment 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)
• 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)
• Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates
• 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-master's 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 includes 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 the 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
• Assignments: For all assignments above the full performance level - the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope - complexity (difficulty) - and variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time
• 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 - the Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center or Polytrauma Network Site
• a 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 on-site 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
• This assignment is to be relatively few in number based on the size of the facility/service and applying sound position management
• This assignment must represent substantial additional responsibility over and above that required at the full performance grade level and cannot be used as the full performance level of this occupation
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is the GS-12.

Duties

• Domiciliary Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (RRTP) - The incumbent independently provides clinical psychosocial and case management services at an advanced practice level for eligible Veterans and their family members in the program
• Case management is designed to improve independent living skills and address issues and conditions that interfere with effective community integration
• Incumbent takes steps necessary to ensure that Veteran care is coordinated with the VA medical center - community health or mental health providers - and agencies that serve this population
• GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNED DUTIES INCLUDES BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO: May facilitate staff meetings - oversee the treatment planning and discharge planning of patients in the residential program - and oversee patient transfers to and from other VA Programs
• Works closely with the VA Health Care System's (HCS) substance abuse and mental health treatment programs - residential and community care programs - as well as other VAPAHCS housing and justice programs to ensure that coordination between these entities is facilitated and Veterans' direct care - referral - and follow-up is contiguous and based on a continuum of services
• Will be expected to assist Domiciliary leadership with conducting program evaluation - support research - support leadership in meeting hospital performance measures - and oversee implementation of all changes necessary to comply with the Joint Commission and other national mandates
• Direct Services - Residential Clinical Work: The incumbent provides direct mental health - rehabilitation - and substance abuse services for Veterans and family members or significant others in support of the Veteran's treatment
• Screening/Assessment: In coordination with the Admissions Coordinator - the incumbent may be responsible for the screening process and is an integral part of the initial assessment and admission processes for Domiciliary RRTP
• Treatment Planning/Goal Setting: The incumbent maintains treatment plans based on clinical assessment for each Veteran - which are reviewed monthly with updates as needed
• Referral to Service Providers: Throughout the course of treatment - the incumbent is the subject matter expert on VA and/or community resources
• Resource Usage/Development: Incumbent is responsible for using the current SharePoint resource guide of VA and community social service programs and enhancing the content to the benefit of Veterans
• Advocacy: Incumbent understands the intimidation of bureaucracy and will act as an advocate when it serves the best interest of the Veteran/family
• Crisis Intervention: Incumbent is experienced in making rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans for admission to mental health inpatient programs and has access to multiple resource directories in addition to previously developed resources to meet the demands of a crisis
• Education/Health Promotion and Prevention: Provides education related to VA and community resources - entitlements - and Advance Directives/Living Will - and will refer Veterans to the appropriate interdisciplinary team members for identified health education needs
• Coordination of Non-institutional and Institutional Services: Incumbent has an in-depth knowledge of VA and community-based resources - housing - and treatment options
• Administrative Responsibilities: Incumbent takes a leadership role in collaborating with the Program Coordinator and Dom Leadership staff in planning - designing - and implementing new and innovative approaches to providing evidence-based practices to Veterans with SMI and/or addictive disorders
• Other Duties as assigned
• Work Schedule: M-F 8:00 am - 4:30 pm or as determined by the supervisor
• Compressed/Flexible: This may be authorized at the supervisor's discretion
• Telework: This may be authorized at the supervisor's discretion
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 02469-F