The Substance Abuse Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (SARRTP) is an integral part of the VA Salt Lake City HCS and is aligned within the Mental Health Service Line. SARRTP provides patient-centered, recovery oriented psychosocial treatment, nursing, and psychiatric care to Veterans with severe Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) and cooccurring mental illness. The SARRTP has a special emphasis on treating Veterans with substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health disorders. 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/. Exception: VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level. For the GS-11 grade level and above, the candidate must be licensed or certified. At the time of appointment, the supervisor, chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification, including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline.] For appointments at the GS-9 grade level, VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent, master's level within three years of their appointment as a social worker. Most states require two years of post-MSW experience as a prerequisite to taking the licensure/certification exam, and VHA gives social workers one additional year to pass the licensure/certification exam. In states such as California, Washington, and others where the prerequisites for licensure exceed two years, social workers must become licensed at the independent, master's level within one year of meeting the full state prerequisites for licensure. A social worker who does not yet have a license that allows independent practice must be supervised by a licensed independent practitioner of the same discipline who is a VA staff member and who has access to the electronic health record. See VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39 for more information on different states and different levels of licensure or certification, English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Grade Determinations: Social Worker, GS-9 Experience, Education, and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities - In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills. Ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the Veterans problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed. Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals. This requires judgment and skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving, or crisis intervention techniques Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures. This includes acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses/injuries; common medications and their effects/side effects; and medical terminology. Social Worker, GS-11 Experience and Licensure: Appointment to the GS-11 grade level requires completion of a minimum of one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the field of health care or other social work-related settings, (VA or non- VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level OR Education: In addition to meeting basic requirements, a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required one year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities - In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services. Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational and other diversified backgrounds. Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities and treatment procedures (i.e. acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology) to formulate a treatment plan. Skill in independently implementing different treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems to achieve treatment goals. Ability to provide consultation services to new social workers, social work graduate students, and other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment. Preferred Experience: Experience working with persons with Substance Abuse Disorders and co-occurring mental health disorders is strongly preferred. Also, experience working in residential substance use disorder treatment settings is strongly preferred. References: VA Handbook 5005/12, Part II, Appendix G39 The full performance level of this vacancy is 11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 9 to 11. 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. Social Worker 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 Social Worker or others. Position requires walking throughout the clinic and/or Medical Center, standing for extended periods of time, and involves sitting at a computer and in counsel and consultation with Veterans and interdisciplinary teams. Position may require travel into the community to provide clinical services to Veterans in the community, clinics, medical centers, VA Community Clinics, etc. This position also requires close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; and repetitive motions of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers. ["This Social Worker functions as a full-time Clinical Social Worker on the Substance Abuse Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (SARRTP). Social Worker has knowledge of resources and services in both the community and within the VA System, understands how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and has ability to coordinate services in respect to all services needed, including, but not limited to Substance Use Disorders. The Social Worker has experience working with veterans and is familiar with the VA health care delivery system. Social Worker has the ability to independently conduct psychosocial assessments and provide psychosocial treatment to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational and other diversified backgrounds. Social Worker is able to work with many different ethnicities from a variety of regional settings, including Native Americans from reservations or other communities, African American men and women, those of Hispanic descent, Asian descent, a number of other ethnicities, as well as Caucasian men and women. Social Worker has a knowledge of human development and behavior (physical and psychological) and the differential influences of the environment, society and culture. They possess a working knowledge of the assessments used in accordance with ASAM requirements. Social Worker has the ability to independently assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members and to formulate mental health diagnoses and implement a treatment plan which includes the patient's problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills and assistance needed, and is done in collaboration with the patient, family and interdisciplinary treatment team. Social Worker has a knowledge of psychosocial treatment available within the VA System and local community and possesses ability to independently implement treatment modalities including evidence based psychotherapy, in working with individuals, families and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical and social problems to achieve treatment goals. Social Worker employs independent judgment and skill in utilizing psychotherapy, care coordination, and problem solving or crisis intervention techniques. Social Worker has knowledge and experience in the use of mental health diagnoses, disabilities and treatment procedures. They have the ability to independently provide counseling and/or psychotherapy services to individuals, groups and families. Social Worker practices within the bounds of clinical level of licensure or certification and holds a current license for independent social work practice. Social Worker has the ability to provide consultation services to other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment. Incumbent has the ability to self-evaluate their practice and has participated in professional peer review case conferences. Social Worker possesses good case management skills. Case management skills are utilized to screen new referrals, monitor and assist veterans awaiting admission to SARRTP, and assist with effective discharge planning to maximize successful transition out of SARRTP back to the community. Social Worker has the knowledge and skill in the use of computer software applications for drafting documents, data management, and tracking, especially those programs in use by VHA. Social Worker has independently acquired knowledge in respect to pulling information as needed through systems when needed by utilizing VA Computer Experts to assist in tasks. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. On-Call Weeknights/Weekends based on program needs. Compressed/Flexible Scheduling: Dependent upon needs of program or agency. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 51524-O, 51525,O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]

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