The Psychosocial Rehabilitation Recovery Center (PRRC) is an outpatient program within Recovery Services section of the Mental Health Clinical Center serving Veterans with Serious Mental Illness. The Senior Social Worker must practice independently and be licensed at the advanced clinical level.

Duties

VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Major Duties: Utilize sound clinical skills to offer recovery-based interventions and measures outcomes to interventions. Provides individual and group evidence based psychotherapy using modalities specific to individuals with Serious Mental Illness. Provides case management services, which could include assistance with housing, transportation, food resources, and local, State or Federal benefits. Work in collaboration with the PRRC Interdisciplinary Recovery Team to develop and implement recovery-oriented programming for veteran care and treatment. Use the DSM5 for diagnostic clarification. Independently performs outreach, identifying and screening patients for psychosocial needs. Independently provides consultation services to other VA staff members regarding the psychosocial needs of veterans and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and adherence to recovery plans. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00AM - 4:30PM Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 0000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

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. 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. 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 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/T38Hyb - [(1)Exception. VHA may waive licensure/certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. Exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level, GS-11 grade level and above, the candidate must be licensed/certified. At time of appointment, supervisor, chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with written requirements for licensure/certification, including time by which license/certification must be obtained and consequences for not being licensed/certified by the deadline.](a)For appointments at the GS-9 grade level, VHA social workers who are not licensed/certified at time of appointment must become licensed/certified at independent, master's level within three years of appointment. Most states require two years of post-MSW experience as a prerequisite to taking the licensure/certification exam. VHA gives social workers one additional year to pass the licensure/certification exam. In states such as California, Washington, and others where prerequisites for licensure exceed two years, you must become licensed at the independent, master's level within one year of meeting the full state prerequisites for licensure.(b)A if you do 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 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 levels of licensure/certification is available to social work professional standards board members for purpose of determining if the social workers level of license/certification meet 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/. ASWB develops and maintains social work licensing examination used across the country and is a central resource for information on the legal regulation of social work. The ASWB offers three examinations. The master's examination is generally used by states for the independent practice level of licensure or certification, while the advanced generalist and the clinical examinations are used for the advanced practice level of licensure or certification. Differences between the master's and the advanced exams demonstrate the expectation that advanced practice social workers will have a more sophisticated knowledge of practice theory and its application. 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: Senior Social Worker, GS-12- Experience/Education. Must have at least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and 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/judgment, and 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 CA, which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: (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: Possess a valid State driver's license. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/120 PART II APPENDIX G39 September 10, 2019 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: Light lifting and carrying (under 15 lbs.); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; walking (intermittent); standing (intermittent); hearing (aid permitted); clear speech. Work is sedentary. No special physical demands required to perform work.

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 VA Maryland Health Care System 10 North Greene Street Baltimore, MD 21201 US
• Name: Teresa Hammond
• Phone: 410-605-7000
• Email: [email protected]