This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (1 to 5 years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.
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. Verification of the degree can be made by going to http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify that the social work degree meets the 4 accreditation standards for a masters of social work. c. 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/. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f) 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: Experience/Education. The candidate must have at least two years of experience 9 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. Preferred Experience: 2 Years VA experience, 2 years Psychotherapy experience, 2 years telehealth experience 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. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12 Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services
This position is eligible for telework and is on a mid-term exception from the return to office requirements. Mid-term exception positions are reviewed every 6 months and do not imply permanent telework status. Selectees may work 100% of the time in a VA or non-VA owned space within 50 drive miles of a VISN 19 facility. The employee's workspace must be suitable for conducting business, teleworking employees are expected to provide a secure, distraction-free home-based worksite with reliable high speed internet connectivity. The employee will be required to travel to the closest VA Medical Center or VA Outpatient Clinic for issuance of equipment and as needed for technical support. Selectees will be required to self-certify their remote workplace meets all safety, privacy, and internet speed requirements. This position may fall under the Presidential Memorandum titled "Return to In-Person Work" which will require you to go into the office if the exception is not approved when it is up for review Duties include, but are not limited to: Establishes and maintains effective working relationships and communicates with Veterans, staff, and other parties as appropriate. Utilizes knowledge of community resources, makes referrals to the community and other government agencies as appropriate, and coordinates services. Independently conducts psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds. Provides consultation, education, and advocacy. Utilizes a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities in treatment or with specialized Veteran populations, including individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy, and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management. Incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnoses and treatment within approved clinical privileges. Develops treatment plan as appropriate. Has knowledge in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and service in VISN 19 Clinical Resource Hub, utilizes outcome evaluations to improve treatment services, and to design system changes. Provides specialized consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of Veteran in the VISN 19 Clinical Resource Hub, as well as role models effective social work practice skills. Expands clinical knowledge in the social work profession, writes policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the VISN 19 Clinical Resource Hub. Other duties as assigned Work Schedule: Mon-Fri 8:00 AM-4:30 PM Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: PD07306A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact michael.campbell6@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Trial Period: The first year of continuous service in the same or similar position of a preference eligible in the excepted service is a trial period. The first 2 years of continuous service in the same or similar position of an individual in the excepted service (other than a preference eligible) is a trial period.