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Positions located in the Richmond area is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. Individuals must meet specific eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval 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 application. Learn more 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. Licensure. Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. English Language Proficiency. Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Regulations. Grade Determinations (GS-12, Senior Social Worker) 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: (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, Social Worker Qualification Standard. Available in the Human Resources Office. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: Pre-placement and periodic physical examinations are required for hybrid occupations to ensure workers are placed in positions where they can perform the essential functions of their job including their physical, mental and emotional capacities, without endangering their health or the health of their co-workers. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. ["The Senior Social Worker is assigned to positions in Medicine and Surgery, Primary & Specialty Care, Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Extended Care, Homeless Services, Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), Health Care Centers (HCCs) and other community based VA programs and clinics. The following positions are open for hiring as a Senior Social Worker: M2VA; Inpatient Complex Case & Guardianship; PACT CDT and Inpatient CDT. Duties include but are not limited to: Interacts with Veterans, family members, significant others, and VA and non-VA community health care providers, community agencies and resource programs as Veterans move through the health care continuum; Actively participates as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team and collaborates with veterans and family as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members in the development and implementation of a client centered treatment plan; Develops professional relationships with the Veterans and similar-interest groups where he or she is ready to engage in treatment; Implements working knowledge and experience in use of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures, including acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology; Serves as a liaison between Veterans and/or their families and VA and community resources in order to ensure thorough delivery of services, coordinating veteran and family involvement in the development of treatment plans and aftercare; Provides consultation as needed to other treatment team and staff members regarding psychosocial needs of veterans and/or their families and the impact of the identified psychosocial problems on the veteran's health care planning, compliance with treatment, and discharge planning. **There are multiple positions need for this position. More than one applicant may be hired from this announcement. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Subject to change based on the needs of the agency. Telework: Ad Hoc Telework MAY be available in accordance with agency policy. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Title/Functional Statement #: Senior Social Worker/PD000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized"]

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