Summary

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. Program 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.

Qualifications

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
• 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
• English Language Proficiency: Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005 - Part II - chapter 3 - section A - paragraph 3j - this part
• 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: 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: (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
• 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)
• Preferred Experience: General knowledge of veterans' benefits and services relating to special programs
• Facilitates referrals based upon veterans needs and eligibility
• Must be able to drive a Government Owned Vehicle to transport patients
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12
• Physical Requirements: The social work duties include sedentary and ambulation (walking) throughout the medical center and in the community according to the demands of daily tasks
• Light carrying - less than 15 pounds-may be required as part of duties related to storing or moving files
• Working around moving objects or vehicles is required as part of daily ambulating within the medical center around patients who use motorized scooters and wheelchairs
• Walking- required approximately 3-4 hours daily associated with walking from assigned office to outpatient clinics and other medical center departments as needed to complete duties of the position
• Standing required approximately 3-4 hours daily associated with walking from assigned office to outpatient clinics and other departments within the medical center as needed to complete duties of the position and filing patient records as needed
• It is required that this individual be able to operate a motor vehicle as this position and it is expected that the incumbent transport patients off-site as part of their duties
• Work will take place in- and outdoors thus exposing them to the natural elements of the weather.

Duties

• VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Social Work: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Social-Worker-Career-Flyer.pdf The Social Worker Coordinator Lead Transition Coordinator (LTC) is a Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (MH RRTP) Lead whose primary responsibilities are to provide clinical evidence-based services and interventions
• program development
• caregiver - Veteran - and staff education
• community outreach
• resource development
• continuous quality improvement activities
• and evaluation/consultation
• Assigned Duties: The incumbent is administratively responsible for the clinical and daily operations of the MH RRTP - including the screening and admissions process and clinical functions - including discharge planning - care coordination - and daily programming
• The incumbent must be a skilled communicator capable of developing effective partnerships with local - state - and federal agencies as well as nongovernmental organizations
• The incumbent independently provides consultation services to other staff regarding the psychosocial needs of veterans and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and adherence to treatment plan
• Demonstrates the ability to evaluate own practice through professional peer review - case conferences and other organizational means
• The incumbent reports to the Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program Manager and practices independently - exercising initiative and independent judgment in day-to-day activities
• The incumbent is responsible for outreach activities - fostering relationship with community partners - educating the community and potential stakeholders of MH RRTP programming
• The incumbent is responsible for VISN coordination of MH RRTP resources
• The incumbent prepares reports and statistics for facility - VISN - and national use and provides analysis and evaluation of clinical program data and computerized programs to identify system-wide trends and needs to enhance the quality of service as they relate to the referral - admission and transition at discharge processes
• The incumbent keeps the MH RRTP Program Manager apprised of problems and recommended solutions to problems encountered in the incumbent's area of responsibility
• Coordinates and monitors MH RRTP access - including same day and priority access - for Veterans seeking services within the MH RRTP
• This includes maintenance of daily - monthly - and quarterly statistics as required - and maintains a roster of Veterans requesting admission to the MH RRTP system of care - including those pending admission and those for which they are coordinating VISN referrals and admissions
• Other duties as assigned
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday - 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Ad-Hoc Functional Statement #: 93039-0 EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
• 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 (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)
• 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 (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)