Job opening: Senior Social Worker
Salary: $95 045 - 123 559 per year
Published at: Sep 22 2023
Employment Type: Full-time
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
The Inpatient Mental Health Coordinator-Social Worker has the experience that demonstrates the possession of advanced practice skills and judgment. At least two years should be in an area of specialized social work practice. The Coordinator must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included a clinical examination.
The Inpatient Mental Health Coordinator-Social Worker ensures the unit is in compliance with Office of Mental Health Operations (OMHO) requirements, including implementation of treatment modalities utilizing the Recovery Model. The Coordinator develops and monitors implementation of evidence based psychotherapy groups as well as family and individual treatment. The Coordinator ensures that weekends and holidays have necessary Social Work coverage, and that recovery-oriented groups are provided on those days as per OMHO requirements. The Coordinator schedules and chairs the monthly All-Staff meeting as well as the Recovery Team meetings, and coordinates the weekly community meeting. The Coordinator assists in implementation of tracking procedures for specific data related to Inpatient Mental Health (e.g., involuntary admissions, restriction of rights, involuntary medication administration, episodes of violence), and facilitates communication between Cook County Courts and Inpatient Mental Health. Additionally, the Coordinator ensures unit compliance with Measurement Based Care initiatives, serves in the role of unit liaison to the Local Recovery Coordinator, and participates in conference calls related to inpatient Recovery Model of Care. The Coordinator develops and monitors volunteer peer initiatives that may include peer-facilitated morning assembly.
The Coordinator responds promptly to new program admissions, insuring that all required documentation is completed within appropriate timeframes.
The Coordinator maintains contact at intervals appropriate to the needs of Veterans in her/his care, insuring that National Mental Health Program performance measures are met, and documents these contacts in the medical record as significant contacts occur.
As needed, the Coordinator provides direct clinical services to Veterans and their families as outlined in the psychosocial assessment and program guidelines, while documenting relevant interventions in the medical record as they occur.
The Coordinator has advanced knowledge of psychosocial treatment modalities (e.g., evidence-based practices) and the ability to implement treatment modalities in line with the Recovery Model in clinical work with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals.
The Coordinator has a high level of skill and expertise to establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans on the unit.
The Coordinator is able to independently work with Veterans and their families who are experiencing a wide range of complicated medical and biopsychosocial problems.
The Coordinator is a key member of the interdisciplinary treatment team and actively participates, through collaboration with Veterans and family as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members, in the development and implementation of an individualized, Veteran-centered treatment plan that focuses on strengthening a Veteran's ability to address acute and chronic problems that have resulted in past history of readmissions to the medical center.
The Coordinator possesses and demonstrates ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds and disciplines.
The Coordinator has broad and in-depth knowledge of the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Department of Veterans Affairs, and community resources needed to meet the psychosocial needs of the patients.
The Coordinator is able to utilize a variety of resources in implementing treatment, discharge and aftercare plans.
The Coordinator documents in the electronic medical records psychosocial assessments and direct patient care in accordance with the guidelines established by the Social Work service.
Required: LCSW
Preferred: LCSW, Inpatient Psychiatry Experience
Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm.
Telework: Yes, as determined by the agency policy
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation Incentives: Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Contact
[email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance.Learn more
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
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.
English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).
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 Master of Social Work. Transcript Reuired
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/. License must be submitted
Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.
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. Transcript Required
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. License must be submitted
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: September 10, 2019 VA HANDBOOK 5005/120 PART II APPENDIX G39
The full performance level of this vacancy is a GS-12.
Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services.
IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application.
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 Jesse Brown Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center
820 South Damen Avenue
Chicago, IL 60612
US
- Name: Valerie Kelly
- Phone: 773-946-3802
- Email: [email protected]
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