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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). 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: The physical demands of this position involve primarily walking, sitting, talking, use of fingers, both hands required, Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other, Hearing (aid permitted). ["This is an announcement is open until filled. Applicants will be referred to the hiring managers at least on a bi-weekly basis. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, hours to be determined upon selection Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 00107F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized for highly qualified candidates 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 Senior Social Worker will serve as an interdisciplinary team member on the Addictive Disorder Treatment Program (ADTP), located within the Behavioral Health Service and station at the VA Medical Center. ADTP is a specialty clinic designated to provide evidence-based treatments and health maintenance services to Veterans diagnosed with a Substance Use Disorder (SUD). The Senior Social Worker diagnoses mental health disorders, conducts psychological assessments; treats mental health disorders through a variety of approved and evidence-based modalities; and provides adjunctive interventions for treatment of mental health disorders. Among the modalities that may be provided are individual, family, and/or group psychotherapies and others as approved by VASNHS. Duties of the position include, but are not limited to: Responsible for treating Veterans with substance use disorders. Provides immediate, direct, and on-site access for social work consultation, assessment, and mental health treatment as clinically indicated. Operates within a multidisciplinary team matrix, actively collaborates, and coordinates Veteran care with other clinical and administrative supporting services. Provides evidence-based therapeutic interventions supported by the standards of care within the social work community; implements and meets performance requirements for quality and timeliness of clinical care; employs recover-oriented interventions; and successfully completes other clinical duties as assigned. Participates in interview for positions in the Behavioral Health/Mental Health Clinics. Diagnoses mental health disorders utilizing DSM-5 criteria. Conductions psychological assessments. Responsible for oversight of required clinical records. Provides clinical case management in person and over the telephone including monitoring appointment attendance, following-up on cancelled appointments, providing resources, monitoring response, and compliance to care. May provide case management services to Veterans within the ADTP Suboxone Clinic. Participates fully in peer review, assessing the quality of professional social work practice standards provided in the organization. Fully accountable for practice, including Veteran visits, measuring outcomes to interventions, and meeting productivity standards. Participates in education/CME lectures, research, specialty care programs, and/or clinics as assigned by the Associate Chief of Staff, Behavioral Health Service or the Supervisory Social Worker, Behavioral Health Service. Participates actively in Performance Improvement (PI) activities, including taking lead on ADTP related SAIL measures. Assesses at risk factors and develops a preliminary disposition/safety plan, involving the Veteran and the family/significate other. Performs insightful assessment of serious and complicated cases involving psychiatric illness, catastrophic medical conditions, dementia, and other high-risk diagnoses. Promotes Veteran independence and achievement of optimal health through appropriate psychosocial education, care coordination, and community referrals. May provide clinical supervision for social work licensure; may serve as Agency Field Instructor for social work graduate students enrolled in CSWE-accredited education programs as part of the VHA Associated Health Trainee Program. May be involved in the training of social work interns, psychiatric residents, medical students, and nursing students, as appropriate. Other duties as assigned by management."]

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