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. 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. 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/. 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). 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. 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: 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. 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. 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. 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. Grade Determinations: 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. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G39 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: Must be in overall good health, able to sit at a desk working at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies. Applicants must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions, with reasonable accommodation, if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the applicant or others. Operation of a motor vehicle is required. Hearing (aids permitted) required. ["Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Telework: Available - Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact V21CCOEEDRP@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required The Mental Health Product Line (MHPL) comprises over 260 interdisciplinary MH employees organized around six major clinical program lines. All programs support the integration of clinical service delivery and training. The services or components of the MH program at VA NCHCS are geographically dispersed with complex operations and large numbers of employees disseminated throughout the CBOCs. The VA NCHCS Intensive Community Mental Health Recovery Services (ICMHRS) program is located in the MHPL, and is comprised of ICMHRS and ICMHRS Rural Access Network for Growth Enhancement (RANGE) teams. The teams mirror each other, with ICMHRS staff located at Fairfield and Sacramento, and ICMHRS RANGE staff located at Redding and Chico. ICMHRS is a community based case management program based on the Assertive Community Treatment model, primarily serving Veterans diagnosed with serious mental health illnesses who have been identified as high utilizers of psychiatric inpatient hospital and other resources. Treatment interventions are innovative and highly individualized, including providing intensive case management services, continuous quality improvement activities, evaluation/consultation, psychosocial assessments, individual and group therapy, placement services, and referrals to various community agencies and hospital services. Veterans are referred to ICMHRS programs from the outpatient mental health clinics and inpatient psychiatric units. Duties of the position include, but are not limited to: Respond to consults sent to the ICMHRS program by interviewing the Veteran utilizing questionnaires and other measurement devices while assessing the veteran's emotional, functional, and psychological condition. Presents the findings to the ICMHRS team to determine rejection or acceptance into the ICMHRS program. Function as case manager for Veterans in the ICMHRS program to facilitate independent community living by coordinating mental health and community care. Participate in development of a recovery plan for each ICMHRS Veteran with measurable goals outlined based on relevant psychological, medical, and psychiatric information with the principles of treatment matching. Assist ICMHRS Veterans in the preparation of materials needed for applications to various agencies for entitlements, then, follow the process of the application until a determination has been made. Serve as the major consultant for information on negotiating the complex processes Veteran's encounter when interacting with government and community agencies. Collaborate with members of the ICMHRS team and other professional specialty clinics to provide comprehensive care to ICMHRS vets. Conduct individual and family clinical interventions to facilitate the identification of substance abuse, psychiatric illness, and social needs as treatment issues. Serve as therapist in treatment groups, individual psychotherapy, and family therapy as needed. Best practices, practice guidelines and evidence-based treatment protocols are utilized to the extent feasible in all therapeutic interventions. Assess learning needs regarding substance abuse, psychiatric and medical disorders. Provides psychoeducation when needed. Provide assistance with ensuring ICMHRS Veterans have access to medication management. Conduct home visits and community visits to ICMHRS Veterans to maintain and encourage community living. Collaborate with Adult Board and Care homes where ICMHRS Veterans reside to facilitate community living in the least restrictive environment and to provide support services for the homes. Prepare and submit legal documentation for the petition of various legal orders such as guardianship, conservatorship, protective orders, commitment and alternative treatment orders. Provide expert testimony in court settings as needed. Provide direct teaching services to staff and others as appropriate. Document the Veteran's progress in progress notes. Documents significant events as needed. Information is to be entered into the CPRS system. Be responsible to stay abreast of current theory and treatment modalities by reading professional journals, attending conferences, clinic seminars and teleconferences, and materials given out by staff and Mental Health Service. May supervise and participate in the training of Social Workers, Social Work Associates, volunteers, and students; participates as required and requested in orientation, training and staff development programs. Must have and maintain a valid unrestricted driver's license. Other duties as assigned by management."]

Return to Search Results