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. Program 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.

Qualifications

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: 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
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• GS-12 Senior Social Worker Grade Determinations: 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: (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: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation and would generally not require a pre-placement examination
• Exceptions: A pre-placement examination is required for any occupation or assignment that requires the operation of a government-owned or -leased motor vehicle in order to properly carry out assigned duties
• Examinations may also be required for any occupation or assignment that requires a pre-placement examination by virtue of another policy - regulation - or statute.

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The incumbent provides direct patient care to the Veteran patients as a member of the PCT - while also frequently collaborating and consulting with the O/P SUD Program - with the amount of time dedicated to each program depending on the program needs
• In the PCT - the incumbent will focus on the outpatient treatment of Veterans with PTSD and related diagnosis - providing evaluation - individual and group psychotherapy - and interdisciplinary consultation - with evidence-based treatments emphasized (e.g
• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
• Cognitive Processing Therapy
• Prolonged Exposure - etc.) In the O/P SUD program - the incumbent will provide treatment to Veterans with c-morbid PTSD spectrum and SUD related diagnosis - also including psychological evaluation - individual and group psychotherapy - and interdisciplinary consultation - with evidence-based treatments emphasized (e.g
• motivational interviewing - stages of change - cognitive behavioral approaches)
• Duties include but are not limited to the following: Must demonstrate a skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs with specialized populations
• Must have a high level of skill and expertise to establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans and/or their families
• Must independently complete thorough psychosocial assessments to determine the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and/or their families
• Must actively participate as a member of an interdisciplinary treatment team and actively participate through collaboration with Veterans and family as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members in the development and implementation of a treatment plan
• Must possess a working knowledge and experience in use of mental health and substance abuse diagnoses and treatment procedures - including acute - chronic and traumatic illnesses
• Must facilitate discharge planning through collaboration with Veterans and their families as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members
• Must serve as a liaison between Veterans and/or their families and VA and community resources in order to ensure thorough delivery of services Must possess knowledge and ability to independently implement treatment modalities - provide counseling and/or supportive groups for Veterans and families
• Must provide consultation and education to Veterans and their families regarding community resources - VA benefits - specialty programs - and advance directives
• Must be available to provide consultation to other treatment team and staff members regarding psychosocial needs of Veterans and/or their families and the impact of the identified psychosocial problems on the Veteran's health care planning
• Is assigned administrative responsibility for clinical program development and is accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns as directed by the immediate supervisor
• Is able to provide leadership - direction - orientation - coaching - in-service training - staff development - and continuing education programs for assigned social work staff and serve as a preceptor for social work students when appropriate
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday - 8:00am to 4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov - 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) Ad-hoc Telework: As determined by agency policy Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.