Summary

The Phoenix VA Mental Health Department is recruiting for 1 Senior Social Worker to join their Substance Use Disorder (SUD) program. The incumbent will work with special patient populations with highly complex health or mental health problems - and provides clinical supervision to social work staff on similarly complex cases.

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 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 the master's degree in 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
• 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: Senior Social Worker GS-0185-12:Experience: 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
• In addition to the experience above - candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:(a) 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.(b) Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.(c) 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.(d) 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(e) 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
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: Traveling throughout the medical center and the community is required - as is performing activities involving sitting - walking - and standing - bending and carrying such items as books - papers - and files
• In carrying out responsibilities it will be necessary for the incumbent to travel into the community where he/she conducts interviews with the veterans - their families representatives of community health and welfare agencies and law enforcement agencies.

Duties

• VA Careers - Licensed Clinical Social Worker: https://youtube.com/embed/U_xC25QsN0w Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Nearly perfect year-round weather and several impeccably designed championship courses have made Phoenix one of the top golf destinations in the world
• But there's more to this mild-mannered metropolis than pristine greens and tee times
• The greater Phoenix area also offers visitors an array of impressive cultural attractions
• Visit the internationally renowned Heard Museum for an in-depth look at Native American history or peruse the fine collection at the Phoenix Museum of Art
• Enjoy a ballet performance at the ornate Orpheum Theater or catch a concert at the state-of-the-art Comerica Theatre
• In addition to golf - the city offers access to numerous outdoor endeavors including rock climbing - hot-air ballooning - desert jeep tours and more
• Family-friendly attractions - first-rate shopping - dining and entertainment - and spectacular recreational activities
• Our medical center provides primary care and specialty health services - including mental health care - audiology and speech - dentistry and oral surgery - low vision and blind rehabilitation - physical therapy - vision care - women's health services - and more
• Major duties include - but are not limited to: Interviews Veterans to establish facts about the Veteran's situation - presenting problems and the impact of such problems on the Veteran's functioning and health
• Reviews all referral data from Social Workers - case managers - managed care staff - and discharge planners to identify patients' needs
• Serves Veterans who may be experiencing severe crises - lack family or an adequate community support - frequently fail to comply with instructions and treatment - or have significant deficits in coping skills and require continuing professional psychosocial support
• Provides independent consultation and makes recommendations to interdisciplinary team on course of treatment
• Initiates and effects changes in methods and interventions to promote efficient practice and improve patient outcomes
• Provides individual and group counseling services - including psychotherapy in some settings
• Provides training to students - residents - interns - and fellows from other disciplines
• Work Schedule: Monday to Friday 7:30 am to 4:00 pm Compressed/Flexible: May be available with supervisory approval
• 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 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) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 0000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized