Summary

This position is eligible for 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 4 months of appointment. Program Approval - award amount (up to $200 -000) and eligibility period (1 to 5 years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov for questions.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

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: Individuals assigned as senior social worker must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level - and must be able to provide supervision for licensure
• Loss of Licensure or Certification: Once licensed or certified - social workers must maintain a full - valid - and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment
• Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• Grade Determinations: Senior Social Worker - GS-12 Experience/Education: Senior social worker 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
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate 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
• Assignment: 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
• Former VA Handbook References: Part II Appendix G39 Effective date: September 10 -2019 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12
• Physical Requirements: This work requires moderate lifting and carrying -15-44 pounds - pushing - operation of motor vehicle - ability to distinguish shades of colors - and hearing (aid may be permitted)
• Environmental factors are working outside and inside - working closely with others and working alone.

Duties

• vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Social-Worker-Career-Flyer.pdf Functions and duties include - but are not limited to: Serve as a direct link between community services in the Kitsap and Mason counties and CHOS homeless services through regular and consistent outreach and communication with community providers
• Participate in the case conferencing process as a representative of CHOS with the CoC's coordinated entry system to help inform and facilitate referrals to VA programs
• Provide support to CHOS teams - to include participation in outreach activities and provide SME consultation on interventions for Veterans
• Serve as a member of a multidisciplinary homeless program treatment team to link team discussions with the community's case conferencing discussions - ensuring continuity of care for Veterans and other complex physical and mental illnesses - including risk for suicide
• Provide assessment functions in the service provision for Veterans in an outreach and permanent supported housing capacity via HUD-VASH
• Provide appropriate clinical documentation for all contacts with or about Veterans who are engaged in VA Homeless Programs
• Provide clinical services - case management - and appropriate clinical documentation for Veterans encountered through the community's coordinated entry system or other service access points
• Work with staff members within CHOS to identify Veterans and make appropriate referrals and warm hand-offs to internal and external housing interventions
• Ensure timely and accurate data entry into VA data systems and review the data to improve performance and delivery of services to Veterans
• Ensure compliance with standards and expectations of Joint Commission - CARF - and other accrediting bodies
• Assist program leadership in accreditation preparation and continuous readiness activities
• Participate in program planning and development - advising the CHOS supervisor of shifting Veteran care needs and identifying the need for SOP or policy changes
• Provide supervision to students - interns - or unlicensed Social Workers
• Maintain familiarity and responsibility for all HUD-VASH performance measures
• Take responsibility for improving professional competencies
• Provide recovery-oriented and Housing First services - with the goal of establishing the Veteran independently in the community - at the Veteran's highest level of functioning
• Accept referrals for screening and admission to HUD-VASH
• Assess Veterans through comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments and regular reassessments to determine clinical needs and acuity status
• Collaboratively develop a treatment plan with each Veteran served and in consultation with the Multidisciplinary Team
• Monitor progress and review and update the EHR regularly for each episode of care
• Provide consultation and psychoeducation to Veterans and Veteran families on topics including community resources - Advance Directives - VA benefits - budgeting - activities of daily living - and recovery goals
• Monitor Memorandums of Understanding and other formal and informal agreements between property owners - service providers - Public Housing Authorities - and the VA to establish appropriate referral sites for HUD-VASH placements
• Provides leadership and collaboration in developing and planning clinical/mental health education and training
• Is expected to maintain a valid driver's license and have clearance to drive a government owned vehicle - as well as transport Veterans when clinically indicated - in accordance with VA Policy
• Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday 8:00am-4:30pm
• Recruitment Incentive: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov - the EDRP Coordinator for questions
• Learn more Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA
• Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave - 13 days of sick leave - 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual - based on prior work experience or military service experience
• Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment - up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth - adoption - or foster care placement of a child
• Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment - full time employees with a total family income below $144 -000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care
• Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 000000