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

VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU The Senior Social Worker assigned to the Rural Mental Health Program functions at the advanced practice level and provides evidence-based treatment as well as intensive case management services for all types of mentally ill Veterans enrolled in VA Pacific Islands Health Care System. The Senior Social Worker performs specialized treatment of complex mental illness and serves as a case manager and therapist at the advanced practice level in a community or CBOC setting. This position is located in the Leeward CBOC. The incumbent incorporates complex multiple causations in formulating a differential diagnosis and treatment of Veteran patients, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. The incumbent employs a high level of skill and expertise to establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships and provides clinical services to promote sustained community stability and address issues related to chronic mental illness, homelessness, and other complex/diverse psychological challenges. It is the responsibility of the incumbent to engage the Veteran, and, also the family, significant others, community agencies, and other involved staff/providers as appropriate while providing clinical services to the Veterans enrolled. This includes high-quality case management, clinical assessments and treatments, advocacy, and coordination of linkages to other appropriate VA or community-based providers and programs. This is accomplished in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team and the Rural Health extension staff when relevant. The incumbent represents the VA in the community by way of developing community partnerships and preparing presentations for community provider groups to support Veteran health and wellness. The Program serves all genders and ages and utilizes VA approved technology to expand the reach of services. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am - 4::00pm Compressed/Flexible: Not authorized Telework: Not authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Recruitment Incentive may be available for highly qualified applicants EDRP Authorized: EDRP Authorized: Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

Physical Requirements: Physical Demands of the work are generally minor. The work is primarily sedentary, although the stress involved in dealing continually with persons in emotional distress and who may be uncooperative and occasionally violent makes this work notably more demanding than most sedentary jobs." For additional information on Physical Standards please see VA Directive and Handbook 5019. http://www.va.gov/vapubs/ Basic Qualifications: Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. 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. Licensure. Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. English Language Proficiency. Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English. Preferred Experience: Clinical experience (i.e.: psychosocial assessments; treatment planning; individual & group psychotherapy). Grade Determination: GS-12 Senior Social Worker 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 1. Advanced knowledge of and mastery of theories and modalities used in the specialized treatment of complex physical or mental illness. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of veteran patients, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. Ability to determine priority for services and provide specialized treatment services. 2. Advanced and expert 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 interventions used in the treatment of veterans with polytraumatic injuries, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, visual impairment, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc. 3. Advanced knowledge and expert skill 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. Ability to coordinate the delivery of specialized psychosocial services and programs. Ability to design system changes based on empirical findings. 4. Ability to provide subject matter consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients treated in the specialty area, rendering professional opinions based on experience and expertise and role modeling effective social work practice skills. Ability to teach and mentor staff and students in the specialty area of practice and to provide supervision for licensure or for specialty certifications. 5. Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the profession, demonstrating innovation in the creation of new models of psychosocial assessment or intervention to identify and address specialized clinical needs. Ability to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the specialty population or specialty treatment program. References: VA Handbook 5005, Chapter II, Appendix G39. This standard is available in the Human Resources Liaison Office for review The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12.

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]