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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) Grade Determinations. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. 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. Examples of experience, but not limited to; assessing and documenting identified behaviors or symptoms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and/or intimate partner violence; use of clinical social work skills and knowledge to maintain Veteran privacy and confidentiality per policies, handbooks or directives; and acts as an advocate with appropriate VA and community service providers and agencies when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver. Incumbent independently assesses the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, identifying the Veteran's strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and psychosocial acuity. 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. 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. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Reference: VA HANDBOOK 5005/120 PART II APPENDIX G39, SOCIAL WORKER QUALIFICATION STANDARD Physical Requirements: The position is a combination of activity and sitting for periods up to an hour with movement in between. Bending, walking and stooping are required. The position requires the employee to work at the Health Care Clinic with occasional assignment to the medical center to assist with consultation. The position requires the ability to read printed material and distinguish colors such as reading and computer screens, the ability to accurately perceive depth so as to move around work space safely and to appropriately make contact with patients and staff, and the ability to meet visual requirements to work up close to a computer screen, and talk on the telephone. ["Duties included but not limited to; The experienced BHIP Social Worker provides mental health treatment, psychosocial assessment, case management, and advocacy services at an advanced practice level to eligible veterans who may or may not have a severe and persistent mental illness, many of whom also have a high percentage of co-morbid substance issues and have been identified as high utilizers of VA resources with limited follow up in outpatient services. Activities include: evaluation/consultation, psychosocial assessments, individual therapy, placement services, and referrals to various community agencies and hospital services as needed. Veteran health care and psychosocial problems and needs are complex based on the severity of mental illness, co-morbidities, and resistance to standard treatment and require a high degree of clinical oversight and creative problem solving. The incumbent is required to interact not only with the patient but also family, significant others, community agencies, and other staff. The position requires that the incumbent has the ability to serve veterans who may have frequent and severe crisis, lack family or an adequate community support network, be poor at self-monitoring, may fail to comply with instructions and treatment, or have significant deficits in coping skills and require continuing professional psychosocial support. The incumbent may be required to assist with transferring the patient to an inpatient or residential setting. Knowledge at an advance practice level of the principles and theoretical concepts of clinical Social Work as well the ability to develop a treatment plan utilizing measurement based tools to evaluate Veteran progress. Reviews and makes recommendations on BHIP consults ensuring Veteran needs are met. The incumbent is responsible for the development and maintenance of professional requirements for continuing education and standards of practice and serves as a role model for the interdisciplinary BHIP team. Regularly treats veterans with serious medical and psychiatric problems by providing individual interventions, counseling or group therapy. Interviews Veterans and Conducts Psychosocial Assessments. Determines Psychosocial Diagnoses. Plans Effective Treatment. Implements Treatment. Evaluation, documentation and discharge planning. Supervisory Controls Practices independently, using professional judgment and expertise to make decisions about services and treatment provided to veterans and their significant others/family members. The Senior Social Worker is accountable to the Program Manager of Mental Health for administrative matters, professional activities, progress of work, and for meeting an acceptable level of performance of duties. The position reports directly to a supervisory social worker for day-to-day management, oversight of professional practice, and performance review/evaluation. The incumbent consults with the supervisors as needed when faced with challenging clinical situations or when guidance is needed regarding policy and procedure. His/her work is reviewed for technical adequacy and conformance with procedures and practices applicable to the subject. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 08:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 91935-0 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. EDRP Authorized: Contact VISN10HREDRPSLRP@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required."]

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