The incumbent is a professional social worker assigned as a Social Work Case Manager in the Intensive Community Mental Health Recovery (ICMHR) program. The social worker's primary responsibilities are to provide intensive case management services to assigned veterans, consistent with the goals and methods of Mental Health Intensive Case Management (MHICM), Enhanced Rural Access Network for Growth Enhancement (E-RANGE).
BASIC REQUIREMENTS. The basic requirements for employment as a VHA social worker are prescribed by statute in 38 U.S.C. § 7402(b)(9), as amended by section 205 of Public Law 106-419, enacted November 1, 2000. To qualify for appointment as a social worker in VHA, all applicants must meet the following: Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g this part). 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 Master 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/. Exception. VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level. For the GS-11 grade level and above, the candidate must be licensed or certified. At the time of appointment, the supervisor, chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification, including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline.] (a) For appointments at the GS-9 grade level, VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent, master's level within three years of their appointment as asocial worker. Most states require two years of post-MSW experience as a prerequisite to taking the licensure/certification exam, and VHA gives social workers one additional year to pass the licensure/certification exam. (b) A social worker who does not yet have a license that allows independent practice must be supervised by a licensed independent practitioner of the same discipline who is a VA staff member and who has access to the electronic health record. (c) Different states have different levels of licensure or certification, making it difficult for VHA staff to determine the independent practice level. Each state, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia completed surveys identifying the level of licensure or certification allowing independent practice. Copies of the surveys are on file in the VHA Office of Care Management and Social Work Services, and a summary spreadsheet of the levels of licensure or certification is available to social work professional standards board members for purposes of determining whether the social worker's level of licensure or certification meets the VHA qualification standards. All states except California use a series of licensure exams administered by the ASWB. Information can be found at https://www.aswb.org/. The ASWB is the association of boards that regulates social work. ASWB develops and maintains the social work licensing examination used across the country and is a central resource for information on the legal regulation of social work. Failure to Obtain License or Certification. In all cases, social workers must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure or certification starting from the date of their appointment. Failure to become licensed or certified within the prescribed amount of time will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services. 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. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Social Worker, GS-9 [] (1) Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. (2) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Ability to utilize counseling skills when working with Veterans and family members. (b) Ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the Veterans problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed. (3) [Entry Level] Assignments. Individuals assigned as GS-9 grade level social workers are considered to be at the entry level and are closely supervised, as they are not yet functioning at the independent practice level conferred by independent licensure or certification. Social workers at the GS-9 entry level are typically assigned to program areas that do not require specialized knowledge or experience. Duties may include but are not limited to identifying behaviors or symptoms of abuse, neglect or exploitation; providing education on advance directives and advanced care planning; providing social work case management; acting as an advocate with appropriate VA and community service providers/agencies when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver; assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans. Social Worker, GS-11 [] (1) Experience and Licensure. Appointment to the GS-11 grade level requires completion of a minimum of one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the field of health care or other social work-related settings, (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level. NOTE: For appointment licensure or certification at this level please refer to paragraph 3c. OR (2) Education. In addition to meeting basic requirements, a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required one year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting. (3) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services. (b) Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, educational, and other backgrounds. (c) Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities and treatment procedures (i.e. acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology) to formulate a treatment plan. (4) [Full Performance Level] Assignments. This is the full performance level. Social workers at this level are licensed or certified to independently practice social work. Incumbents are assigned to all program areas, including but not limited to inpatient or outpatient medicine, surgery, mental health, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, and geriatrics. Employees provide professional, independent social work services in the assigned area.
VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU FUNCTIONS OR SCOPE OF ASSIGNED DUTIES Assertive outreach, individualized treatment planning, multidimensional orientation, and intensive delivery of services characterizes intensive case management services, as follows: - Frequent, direct contacts with patients to provide therapy and support. Frequency of contacts is increased in times of crisis. - Flexibility of veteran contact (veterans are seen in any location and with any MHICM/E-RANGE team clinician who can provide assistance). - A focus on strengthening the patient's ability to address acute and chronic problems. - Use of naturalistic community settings for teaching and modeling problem-solving skills. - Provision of continuity of care within the framework established by MHICM/E[1]RANGE. For example, collaborates and consults with other interdisciplinary treatment teams and programs to promote and enhance the care of patients. - Outreach and assertive provision of services to treatment resistant patients. - Mobilization of environmental and organizational supports, including family members, professionals, and other interested parties. For example, undertakes individual, family and group therapies as well as educational programs for veterans, families, and staff. Also responsible for linking patients to other VA programs and to community resources. Participates in team staffing regarding patient selection, determination of treatment plans and goals, progress evaluation, discharge planning, and after care. Effectively communicates with and utilizes other disciplines (e.g., nursing, medicine) to facilitate treatment planning and implementation. With few exceptions, participates effectively in team meetings, treatment planning conferences, etc. Collaborates with divergent multidisciplinary team members in a manner that enhances coordination of comprehensive patient care. Completes clinical documentation according to MHICM/E-RANGE and Health Care System standards; this includes but is not limited to progress notes, and Treatment Plans. Incumbent will be responsible for completion of required clinical records as well as MHICM/E-RANGE forms for evaluation and monitoring of service delivery and outcome for the MHICM/E-RANGE Project Director and staff at Northeast Program Evaluation Center (NEPEC). Works assertively and consistently with inpatient teams to assure continuity of care by providing consultation regarding clinical needs, treatment plans, and case management services for assigned patients. Works assertively to promote appropriate treatment, rehabilitation, and expeditious discharge of assigned patients, consistent with program goals and with the individual treatment plans. Works with other clinical programs and services that share in the care of assigned MHICM/E-RANGE patients. In pursuit of programmatic and treatment goals, maintains effective working relationships with other professional and administrative personnel both within the Medical Center and in the community. Is actively involved in readmission decisions, using the procedures established for this purpose. Meets with VA, community, and professional organizations and individuals as needed to carry out assigned developmental and implementation responsibilities. This includes but is not limited to representing the program by screening veteran for participation in any aspects of the program. The incumbent may participate in the training and staff development programs related to their discipline. The incumbent assumes responsibility and shows initiative for own learning and professional development. The incumbent must qualify for a Class III U.S. Government driver's license in order to carry out assigned clinical duties. Completes other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: 0800 - 1630 M-F Telework: Ad-hoc