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.
*** This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 26, 2025 or until position is filled. The initial cutoff date for referral of eligible applications will be September 26, 2025. 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. *** 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: 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 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/. Grandfathering Provision: The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all title 38 hybrid qualification standards. Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/registration requirements that apply to this occupation. All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. 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: 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: 2 years of Crisis Experience. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS - 12. Physical Requirements: Must be in overall good health, able to sit at a desk working at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies. Social Worker must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions, with reasonable accommodation, if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the Social Worker or others. Position requires walking throughout the clinic and/or Medical Center, standing for extended periods of time, and involves sitting at a computer and in counsel consultation with Veterans and interdisciplinary teams. Position may require minimal travel, through use of a government vehicle or other individual arrangements, to meet with representatives/stakeholders who aid and support to Veterans in clinics, medical centers, Community Clinics, Vet Centers, etc. This position also requires close visual acuity to perform an activity such as preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; and repetitive motions of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The duties and responsibilities of the CRT Senior Social Worker include but are not limited to: Clinical Responsibilities Applies advanced professional social work knowledge and evidence-based intervention strategies to a full range of complex psychosocial needs in the ED, including psychiatric emergencies, substance abuse treatment, homelessness, abuse, and geriatric psychiatric emergencies. Demonstrates advance practice skills and clinical judgement in acute psychiatric emergencies. Provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including assessment and uses the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care. Performs evaluations for wide array of patients representing diverse diagnostic entities. Evaluates patients in the ED for involuntary psychiatric holds (M-! only) and completes appropriate paperwork. Serves as a resource for VA WCHCS staff regarding the local laws and regulations regarding involuntary psychiatric holds. Facilitates admissions (both voluntary and involuntary) to the Acute Mental Health Unit (5P) and/or collaborates with community facilities for psychiatric resources, to include admission. Determines suicide and homicide risk utilizing current evidence-based research tools. Incumbent will fully assess suicide/homicide risk and protective factors to determine safety of the patients. Completes comprehensive suicide risk evaluations (CSRE), safety planning, and suicide behavior reports, as needed. Ensures adherence to facility and national risk management policies for assessment, management, consultation, and documentation related to suicide/homicide risk. Provides clinical recommendations to ED discharge with referral(s) to outpatient services, prioritizing patient safety, and balancing emergent situations arising simultaneously. Provides assessment, brief psychotherapeutic interventions, and treatment referrals for veterans presenting with substance use disorders. Evaluates options to mitigate potential safety concerns which may include calling police for assistance, providing crisis intervention, mediating conflicts, and/or making referrals to ensure a safe outcome. Facilitates transfer and/or discharge from ED with appropriate continuity of care. Provides education and referrals to veterans for community services, and coordinates these services, as necessary. Acts as a liaison between community and VA programs as needed. Makes appropriate referrals, as indicated, to reporting agencies such as Department of Family Services, Adult Protective Services, police, etc. Provides consultation to colleagues regarding emergent/urgent situations. Provides a full range of therapeutic interventions to veterans on the Psychiatric Inpatient Unit and SARRTP as part of after-hour behavioral health services, including individual, couples/family and group psychotherapy using empirically supported approaches (e.g., Motivational Interviewing, Behavioral Activation, CBT, DBT, ACT, Interpersonal Psychotherapy, Problem Solving Therapy, Integrative Behavioral Couples Therapy). Conducts daily treatment rounds on the inpatient unit during non-business hours (weekends and holidays). Work Schedule: Tour of duty will vary to cover a 24/7 team. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov, 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) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 55547-0 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized