Summary 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. 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 complete review of the EDRP application. Responsibilities VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU The incumbent must practice independently at an advanced level in providing assessment and treatment of complicated psychological and psychosocial problems of identified high-risk Veterans who are experiencing a wide range of complicated mental, emotional, behavioral, physical, psychosocial, and environmental problems. List of major duties and responsibilities are, but not limited to: Case Management Weekly clinical contact (by phone or in-person) for high-risk Veterans discharged from inpatient status for the first thirty days post discharge. Minimum of monthly contact for Veterans deemed at high-risk for suicide following national guidelines, and those Veterans placed on the high-risk list. Preparation and updates in conjunction with primary mental health team of the suicide specific assessment, treatment plan, safety plan and follow-up notes including treatment plan updates. Assessment The incumbent evaluates the Veteran's situation, abilities, and capabilities, and arrives at a reasoned conclusion including an assessment of vulnerability and prioritization for emergency intervention. The incumbent assesses at-risk factors and develops a preliminary plan, involving the Veteran and family or significant others, if possible, and performs an insightful assessment of serious and complicated cases involving psychiatric illness which also may include, catastrophic medical condition, dementia, traumatic brain injuries, and other high risks diagnoses. The incumbent reviews all data subjective and objective and makes a clinical assessment, identifying emergent needs. Counseling and Psychotherapy The incumbent provides direct mental health and substance abuse services for Veterans and family members or significant others in support of the Veteran's treatment. Provides guidance, emotional support, coordination of expert case management and provides individual, group therapy, psychoeducational interventions, crisis management services as needed to maintain the Veteran safely in his/her residence. Assists and encourages Veteran and significant others in facing problems, thinking them through, evaluating the situation, considering alternative courses of action and arriving at plans for using resources to resolve problems. Crisis Intervention Incumbent is experienced in making rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans in conjunction with the psychiatrist for admission to mental health inpatient programs. Incumbent has access to multiple resource directories in addition to previously developed resources to meet the demands of a crisis. In the event of a medical or psychiatric emergency, staff will follow the protocol of the VA Healthcare System. Receives and completes consults requesting services from interdisciplinary team members and from other mental health professionals on complex, difficult cases, using advanced practice skills and expertise. Referral to Service Providers The incumbent is the subject matter expert on VA and/or community resources. The social worker collaborates with other service providers concerning available resources and services both within and outside the VA. Refers Veterans to appropriate VA and other government/community services-including local shelters, food banks, employment services, Veteran's benefits, and Social Security Administration. The incumbent assist Veterans who encounter problems obtaining services from the VA and other service delivery agencies through advocacy, linking, a/or by assisting with their problem solving/social interaction skills. Advocacy Incumbent understands the intimidation of bureaucracy and will act as an advocate when it serves the best interest of the veteran. When appropriate and feasible, incumbent educates and encourages the veteran/family to advocate on his/her own behalf, thus fostering a sense of independence and empowerment. The incumbent understands disparate values and reaches Veterans and their families from different social and ethnic groups while communicating confidence in the Veteran's ability and worth, helping the Veteran address problems utilizing larger support systems as appropriate. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm; Irregular tours and/or Saturday work may be required. Compressed/Flexible: May be authorized Telework: May be authorized (Ad-Hoc) Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 54643-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact Shelly Murdock at [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications BASIC REQUIREMENTS. Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. 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 masters of social work. 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. Grandfathering Provision. The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all title 38 hybrid qualification standards. Please 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 occupation. For 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 occupation. NOTE: 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 protection. If 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. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English 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-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: Experience working with suicidal persons and prevention of suicide. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/120 PART II APPENDIX G39 This vacancy is for a GS-12 position, which is above the full performance level. Physical Requirements: The work is moderately active. Typically, the employee is driving a vehicle, walking around various facilities/settings, visiting with patients or community partners standing up, and at times sits comfortably while working. There will also be some light exertion required when walking; standing, bending or climbing stairs, carrying of light items such as papers, books, laptop, small objects, or driving an automobile. Must be able to sit/stand for long periods of time and lift 20 lbs. Ability to complete a Basic Life Support (BLS) course is a position requirement. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.