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

***This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until May 11th - 2026 The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be December 14th - 20205 with subsequent cut-off dates on the 1st of each month. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled. * Cut off date has been updated to 1-4-2026 ***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
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• 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 tohttp://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
• 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
• Preferred Experience: VA experience preferred
• Understanding of Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) within the VA
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: Physical demands of the work are generally minor - as the position requires sitting - standing and walking
• A high level of self awareness is essential
• Work divided between office and clinical settings - is primary sedentary
• May require prolonged standing - moderate walking - and manual dexterity
• Requires carrying light items - such as books - files - or laptop computer.

Duties

• VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional This position will be based at Montrose CBOC and will provide virtual appointments in the other CBOC's The Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) senior social worker provides functional assessment - triage - brief intervention - education - and consultative services upon referral from primary care providers and allied Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) members
• The senior social worker uses population-based practice management strategies and maintains competence in the following core domains: Conducts brief - focused functional assessments (e.g. - 30 minutes or less) to assess substance use concerns and triage/refer to specialty care as appropriate
• Apply principals of population-based care (defines role and identifies problems rapidly)
• Uses brief measurement-based care assessments routinely (e.g. - BAM-IOP - PHQ-9 - PCL-5 - AUDIT C etc.)
• Bases initial consultation appointments on the PCMHI Functional Assessment model and develops recovery-oriented treatment goals based on functional outcomes
• Maintains daily same day access slots
• Coordinates daily with PACT teams to coordinate population level based care Regularly reviews schedule/grid and works to maintain next available \"scheduled\" appointment within two weeks
• Provides brief - time-limited - evidence based mental and behavioral health interventions (e.g. - 1-6 sessions) in both individual and group therapy formats
• Frequently screens for safety concerns and assists in safety planning with veteran while also determining Completes all clinical charting and documentation required by the Medical Center or healthcare system - as appropriate
• Coordinates care with PACT teams around safety concerns in clinic
• Completes all clinical charting and documentation required by the Medical Center or healthcare system - as appropriate
• Academic/Teaching/Training: Provides clinical supervision to social work interns and unlicensed social workers
• Supports activities of training programs and participates in relevant educational seminars
• When opportunities are available and it is deemed clinically appropriate - participates in improvement of clinical supervision skills
• When opportunities are available and it is deemed clinically appropriate - provides training and guidance to other behavioral health staff in primary care setting
• Engages in thoughtful level-of-care decision-making and triages appropriately and efficiently to specialty mental health services
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8am- 430pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov for questions/assistance
• Learn more Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases 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) 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) Telework: Yes
• This position is authorized for telework - situational (ad hoc) and has NOT been authorized as virtual or remote
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 60906-O Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized