This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS announcement. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis and qualified candidates will be considered as vacancies become available. 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. United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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 Master of Social Work. Licensure/Certification. Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the independent 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. 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: 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: September 10, 2019 VA HANDBOOK 5005/120 PART II APPENDIX G39 II-G39-9 (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. Assignments. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Senior social workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work at an advanced level. Senior social workers typically practice in a major program area such as but not limited to: Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center or Polytrauma Network Site; a Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Center, or a national VHA referral center, such as a national Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or a national Transplant Center, or other program areas of equivalent scope and complexity. The senior social worker may be assigned administrative responsibility for clinical program development and is accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns. Assignments include clinical settings where they have limited access to onsite supervision such as CBOCs or satellite outpatient clinics. The senior social worker collaborates with the other members of the treatment team in the provision of comprehensive health care services to Veterans, ensures equity of access, service, and benefits to this population, ensures the care provided is of the highest quality. The senior social worker provides leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs for assigned social work staff. They serve on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility, VISN and national level, or in the community as deemed appropriate by the supervisor, Social Work Executive or Chief of Social Work Services. This assignment is to be relatively few in number based on the size of the facility/service and applying sound position management. This assignment must represent substantial additional responsibility over and above that required at the full performance grade level and cannot be used as the full performance level of this occupation. References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II Appendix G39. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: Work is mostly sedentary and primarily performed in an office setting. Typical office work involves active listening, reading, observing, and evaluating verbal and nonverbal behavior, writing reports and clinical notes. The position requires the use of office equipment such as computers, keyboards, telephones, fax machines, and photocopy machines. Visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity are required. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. This position requires significant travel in a government vehicle and transporting Veterans in a government vehicle. The incumbent will be required to perform most (75%) of their job duties in the community and will be required to utilize a GSA vehicle while performing such duties. The incumbent will successfully complete all facility requirements to drive a GSA Vehicle and transport Veterans. This includes all required physicals, including a pre-employment physical. In addition, the incumbent will successfully complete all facility required TMS and other trainings to drive a GSA Vehicle and transport Veterans. ["The Senior Social Worker assigned to the Housing and Urban Development/VA Supportive Housing program (HUD-VASH) provides outreach, case management and supportive housing services for homeless Veterans.Provides clinical psychosocial and case management services to eligible Veterans and their family members to meet biological, psychological, social, and environmental needs. Veterans eligible for HUD-VASH come from a wide geographic area. Their health and mental health needs may be complex and require a degree of clinical oversight and creative problem solving. Services are provided in healthcare settings and in the community. The HUD-VASH Program requires continuous coordination with the community's homeless providers and coalitions as well as with other local, state, and federal agencies. In 1992 the Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) established the Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program. The program is a collaborative effort, supported through HUD Section 8 rental assistance vouchers. The incumbent in the Dayton VA HUD-VASH position has primary responsibility for the provision of or coordination of the VA's intensive case management services to those Veterans and their families out of chronic homelessness. A primary component of the program is VA case management services which are designed to improve Veteran's health and mental health, and to enhance their ability to remain stable, housed, and community integrated.Major duties include, but are not limited to: Provides outreach, case management, and supportive housing services for homeless Veterans. Provides clinical psychosocial and case management services to eligible Veterans and their family members to meet biological, psychological, social, and environmental needs. Interviews Clients and Conducts Psychosocial Assessments for Referral and Treatment Planning. Incumbent is responsible for the assessment, identification, facilitation, and referral to appropriate medical and mental health services. Incumbent assesses at-risk factors and develops a preliminary plan, involving the Veteran and family or significant others and performs an insightful assessment of serious and complicated cases involving mental illness which may also include, catastrophic medical condition, dementia, traumatic brain injuries, and other high risks diagnoses. Incumbent has working knowledge and provides referral to all levels of medical and mental health treatment based on an individual's unique needs. Incumbent effectively uses professional skill, objectivity, and insight. Incumbent develops psychosocial treatment plans, actively involving the Veteran and their family or significant others, in coordination with interdisciplinary team members, based on the psychosocial assessments, including goals for clinical treatment. Incumbent makes necessary adjustments in the psychosocial treatment plan and interventions based on changing needs and response to interventions. Incumbent establishes a continuing relationship with the Veteran, evaluating progress towards goals and adjusting the treatment plan as appropriate. Work Schedule: Full time, Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 91334-0 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]
About Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration
Providing Health Care for Veterans: The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,255 health care facilities, including 170 medical centers and 1,074 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.