The incumbent serves in a multidisciplinary Outpatient Mental Health Program within the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center and North Eastern Wisconsin Ambulatory Clinics (NEWAC). The duty station is located at the Milo C. Huempfner VA Health Care Center in Green Bay, WI.

Duties

The senior social worker provides advanced social work practice services as a member of the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) team at the Green Bay VA MH Clinic. The social worker in this role demonstrates an advanced degree of knowledge and fidelity to recovery-based care principles, offering a range of specialized and evidence-based interventions and treatment modalities. The incumbent also provides advanced consultation and supervision as appropriate to other staff, other departments, and the community. The social worker in this role develops, utilizes, and monitors methods for measuring effectiveness of clinical and other social work services, using available outcome evaluation and other objective data to improve care and assist in personal and system improvement efforts. The Senior Social Worker provides comprehensive assessment, triage, intervention, education, and consultative services regarding a wide range of mental health and behavioral medicine concerns upon referral. Uses brief assessments routinely to complete clinical reminders and adhere to principles of Measurement Based Care. Conducts suicide screening, safety planning, and all appropriate timely clinical documentation for high-risk veterans. Offers care to Veterans presenting to clinical areas in crisis as directed or upon indication of program need. Completes comprehensive intake assessment at clinic entry or brief functional assessment to initiate episode of psychotherapy and treatment focuses on collaboratively determined goals and attainable outcomes. Uses time-limited, evidence-based interventions that are simple and concrete. Establishes treatment relationships emphasizing Veteran recovery and facilitating eventual discharge from care upon completion of mutually determined goals. Teaches self-management strategies to facilitate further functioning, growth, and goal fulfillment even following treatment discharge. Triages effectively and efficiently to utilize alternate levels of care and corresponding VA programs, to include peer support and Whole Health. Group therapy with 6 - 10 patients for 60 - 90 minutes groups addressing PTSD, anger management, depression, and other mental health conditions Develops collaborative treatment plans utilizing shared decision making with Veteran and incorporating the interdisciplinary treatment team. Establishes and maintains effective therapeutic relationships. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. 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: 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. Education: Must 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: Must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level and must be able to provide supervision for licensure. (COPY OF LICENSE REQUIRED) GS-12 Grade Determination: 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. In addition to the experience above, the candidate 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. References: VA Handbook 5005/120 Part II Appendix G39 Social Worker Qualification Standard The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: There may be some walking, standing, twisting, turning, sitting, pushing, bending, repetitive keyboarding, or carrying of light items.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Clement J Zablocki Veterans Administration Medical Center 5000 West National Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53295 US
• Name: Alicia Prindle
• Phone: 414-384-2000 X42030
• Email: [email protected]