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: Candidates must 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/ 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: GS 12 Senior Social Worker Experience/Education: Senior Social Workers must posses 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 (1) 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. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: To qualify at the GS-12 grade level, applicants must demonstrate that they possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) listed below. (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. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/120, PART II, APPENDIX G39 Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services. ["VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU The HUDN ASH Case Manager functions are specifically directed toward homeless veterans and their families or veterans at risk for homelessness and require a senior level clinical social worker. The incumbent is responsible for program development, oversight, monitoring, administration and effectiveness, serving as the primary contact with local Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) and providing case management based services (directly or through referral) necessary to ensure that veteran care is coordinated with the VA medical center, community health or mental health providers, and agencies that serve homeless populations. The incumbent works closely with the facility's homeless programs, residential and community care programs, and domiciliary programs to ensure that coordination between these entities is facilitated and veterans direct care, referral, and follow up is continuous and based on a continuum of services. The incumbent independently provides clinical psychosocial and case management services at an advanced practice level for eligible veterans and their family members in the program. The HUDN ASH Case Manager is responsible for the significant program responsibility of developing a systematic program that operates as a unique panel of services in the area of permanent supportive housing. Provides individual, group and family psychotherapy and advanced level case management interventions used in the treatment of veterans with polytrauma injuries, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, visual impairment, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other serious disorders. The incumbent develops and implements methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in specialty areas, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services. The Senior Social Worker often acts as a community and family liaison by initiating and maintaining necessary contact with the patient, his/her family, VAMC service programs and personnel, human resource agencies, mental health agencies, and other related resource agencies. Interviews veterans and their family members/significant others to establish facts about the veteran's situation, presenting problems and their causes, and the impact of such problems on the veteran's functioning and health as part of a comprehensive psychosocial assessment. Reviews all data, subjective and objective, and makes a clinical assessment, identifying needs and strengths. Has the ability to serve veterans who tend to have serious frequent and severe crises, lack family or an adequate community support network, be poor at self-monitoring, frequently fail to comply with instructions and treatment, have significant deficits in coping skills and require continuing professional psychological support. On an inpatient and outpatient basis, finds a suitable means of treatment to help veterans and/or significant others cope with stressful situations. Develops psychosocial treatment plans actively involving the veteran and their family or significant other based on the psychosocial assessment including goals for clinical treatment. Using known available resources and the initial assessment of the veteran's likelihood to accept differing types of assistance, makes initial and continuing decisions regarding use of VA and non-VA services and referrals. Independently concludes the appropriate action, even in instances where actions can have serious impact on the life of the veteran. Makes adjustments to the psychosocial treatment plan and interventions based on changing needs and response to interventions. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 53853-O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact, Kim Romanchak, kim.romanchak@va.gov , the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more"]
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.