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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. Learn more 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. This is an open until filled announcement. Qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring managers until the position is filled. 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). ["Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Telework: Occasional Available 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 incumbent serves as a Senior Social Worker in the Mental Health Clinic (MHC), a multi-disciplinary team within Mental Health Service providing outpatient mental health care to the veteran population. Services include provision of high quality clinical mental health assessment and treatment, case management, crisis intervention and advocacy services and the coordination of linkages to other appropriate VA or community service providers/agencies as needed by the veteran. The incumbent will have skills and expertise in the current treatment of mental health disorders. This includes providing mental health assessments and comprehensive, evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions for acute and chronic problems, including individual and group psychotherapy. The incumbent is required to exercise independent judgment and decision making in the formulation of the treatment plan with the treatment team. Additional responsibilities include an ongoing assessment of the patient's progress and treatment, as well as developing discharge plans from MHC when the patient's condition makes this feasible. Duties of the position include, but are not limited to: Screens and accepts cases referred to MHC and provides mental health treatment to appropriate cases, or refers cases to the best treatment site. Makes an independent assessment of the psychosocial, health care, and financial needs of each veteran, diagnoses mental health disorders and co-morbid substance use ranging in severity and longevity. Develops treatment plans in collaboration with the veteran/family and with the interdisciplinary treatment team to address special needs of the veteran population. Identifies gaps in services and develops VA and community resources to meet the needs. Implements evidence-based treatment modalities, providing psychotherapy for individuals, couples/families, and groups in the outpatient setting, and measures outcomes to interventions. Provides intensive mental health services to veterans that requires the exercise of mature professional judgment and the flexible use of a wide range of clinical skills. Carries full professional responsibility for cases presenting with a wide range of psychosocial and environmental problems. Works closely with VA and community health care professionals to provide and support mental health treatment plans for veterans. Provides consultation to health care personnel on the psychosocial components of the veteran's situation. Documents all mental health treatment and social work activity in the veteran's VA Health Care System electronic medical record. Provides psychoeducation and information on referral services to veterans and their families. Investigates community resources and makes information about them available to medical center staff treating veterans with mental health concerns. Provides care and/or services appropriate to the age of the patients being served. Assesses data reflective of the patient's status and interprets the information needed to identify each patient's requirements relative to the age-specific needs and to provide care needed as described in the services' policies and procedures. Provides crisis intervention and is experienced in making rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans. Social worker has access to multiple resource directories in addition to previously developed resources to meet the demands of a crisis. In the event of a medical or psychiatric emergency, staff will follow the protocol of the MHC at the VA Medical Center. Participates in MHC program planning, as well as in the development and maintenance of public understanding and sound working relationships with veterans, community agencies, community health care personnel and personnel from other professional disciplines. Attends interdisciplinary team meetings, rounds, conferences for planning and coordination of services to veterans. May supervise social work and other trainees/interns, providing the incumbent has at least two years of post-graduate schoolwork experience. Provides coverage to other areas of Mental Health Service or VASNHCS as needed or required. Participates in program/quality improvement reviews of the Mental Health Service and VASNHCS. Participates in professional peer review. Maintains accurate, timely documentation including progress notes, encounter reports, patient data relating services provided, prepares other reports, as required, within specified deadlines. Other duties as assigned by management."]

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