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. 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.

Duties

Major duties include but not limited to: Performs specialized assessment and treatment of mental health disorders and related comorbidities. Treatments will include both individual and group interventions utilizing both traditional psychotherapeutic approaches and evidence-based practices for the treatment such conditions, especially including but not limited to depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety disorders and sleep disturbance. Certification for evidence-based practices, when available, is strongly encouraged. Incumbent incorporates complex thinking and problem-solving in the differential diagnosis and treatment of Veteran patients, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within scope of practice. As appropriate, the senior social worker will refer patients to other teams within the Mental Health Service, for specialty treatment of PTSD, substance use disorders, etc. A significant component of treatment responsibilities lies in the area of services to the seriously and chronically mentally ill. Accordingly, for practice at the Senior Social Worker level, considerable expertise and experience in the assessment and treatment of the seriously and chronically mentally ill, to include services to their family members, is required. Ideally this will also include training in appropriate evidence passed practice, such as Behavioral Family Therapy (BFT) Provides case management for Veterans engaged in VA mental health services including coordinating with VA and community-based services. Administratively responsible for development and implementation of methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in BHIP, including treatment program monitoring and evaluation, and may include evidence-based practice evaluation, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services. Incumbent is able to demonstrate the ability to design changes based upon empirical findings. The Senior Social Worker in BHIP must function with considerable autonomy, without benefit of supervision from more senior social workers. Provides outreach services to Veterans as needed, to include Veterans facing challenges relating to but not limited to homelessness, legal difficulties (including coordination with VA representatives of the Veterans Treatment Court, etc. Develops psychosocial treatment plans in coordination with interdisciplinary team members, including goals for psychosocial clinical treatment. Using known available resources and the initial assessment of the service member/Veteran's likelihood to accept differing types of assistance, makes initial and continuing decisions regarding use of VA and non-VA services and referrals. Arrives at a reasoned conclusion as to the preferred course of agency action. Provides independent consultation and makes recommendations to interdisciplinary team on course of treatment. Provides individual, group and couples psychotherapy/treatment (which may include evidence-based interventions) and advanced level case management interventions used in the treatment of Veterans with psychiatric disorders in general, and those of the seriously and chronically mentally ill in particular, and co-occurring conditions. Makes adjustments to the psychosocial treatment plan based on changing needs and response to interventions. Effectively uses professional skills, objectivity and insight. In cases of antagonistic, indifferent or evasive service member/Veterans and their significant others, the senior social worker deals constructively with both positive and negative reactions, understands disparate values, and reaches Veterans and families from different social and ethnic groups. Communicates confidence in the service member/Veteran's ability and worth, helping the Veteran address problems utilizing larger support systems as appropriate. Consults with other specialists in planning treatment for Veterans with co-morbidities. Will collaborate as appropriate with the Integrated Care Team (mental health in Primary Care) to facilitate optimal treatment for Veterans. Offers consultation to colleagues and students on the clinical and psychosocial treatment of patients treated for psychiatric disorders, rendering professional opinions based on experience and expertise, and role-modeling effective social work practice skills. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30 AM - 4:00 PM. Telework: Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. EDRP Authorized: Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

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 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/. 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). 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. For employees who do not meet all of the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure or certification, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. ? 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. NOTE: If social workers covered under the grandfathering provision of the 1991 Federal law regarding licensure or certification of VHA social workers leave the GS-0185 social work series, they lose the grandfathering protection. If they choose to return at a later date to the GS-0185 series, they must be licensed or certified to qualify for employment as a social worker. 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. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G39The 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: The physical demands of this position involve primarily walking, sitting, talking, use of fingers, both hands required, Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other, Hearing (aid permitted).

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 Spark M Matsunaga Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 459 Patterson Road Honolulu, HI 96819 US
• Name: Kevin Hosfeld
• Phone: 415-815-9040
• Email: [email protected]