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 Performs specialized treatment of complex physical or mental illness. Incumbent incorporates 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. Develops and implements methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in specialty areas, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services. Incumbent is able to demonstrate the ability to design changes based on empirical findings. Uses the social work process (psychosocial assessment, diagnosis, and treatment) to conduct an intake health status assessment or an update assessment for OEF/OIF veterans; utilizes clinical reminders to evaluate the need for health care, behavioral and mental health services; makes appropriate referrals for health care, individual, group, marital and/or family treatment services. Informs the OEF/OIF program support assistant when an intake health status assessment is initially completed for an OEF/OIF veteran. Completes the PHQ-I9, Comprehensive Suicide Risk Assessment, and/or Suicide Behavior and Overdose reports according to VA policy and guidelines in the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) as needed on patients with suicidal ideation and on patients whose record is flagged "High Risk for Suicide." Must be experienced in making rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans for admission to Mental Health inpatient/outpatient programs. The incumbent has access to multiple resource directories in addition to previously developed resources to meet the demands of a crisis. In the event of a medical or psychiatric emergency, staff will follow the protocol of the VA Medical Center. The ED Social Worker will complete suicide risk screening and assessments. This may include assessment of suicidal/homicidal thoughts/behaviors, completion of a suicide safety plan, or consultation with ED mental health providers. Collaboration with Mental Health, is responsible for completing the assessment of Veterans that are determined to be intermediate or high acute risk on the Comprehensive Suicide Risk Evaluation (CSRE) and are safe to be discharged home for the Safety Planning in the Emergency Department (SPED) measure. The documentation that must be completed includes the CSRE and Suicide Prevention Safety Plan note templates in CPRS. Assessment and documentation must be completed on all Veterans admitted to the medicine/surgery units or transferred to a community psychiatric hospital. Serves as a liaison with community agencies, assist Veterans with referrals for services from community and government agencies, and help coordinate these services. Works collaboratively with Homeless Veterans Program to assist the Homeless Veterans find transitional/permanent housing. Assist Homeless Veterans in connecting to resources and providing referrals. Establish and maintain positive and productive working relationships with community partners, Mental Health agencies/programs, shelters, providers and resource agencies for Homeless Services. Consulted regarding allegations of abuse and neglect and will follow the protocol of the VA Medical Center including mandatory reporting to Adult and Child Protective Services as necessary and clinically appropriate. Provides consultation and education to Veterans and their families regarding community resources, VA benefits and specialty programs, and Advance Directives. Knowledge of the process for accessing and/or coordinating community-based services, including information and referral for additional services from other VA programs, other government programs, and community programs. Attends all appropriate meetings (interdisciplinary treatment team meetings, Social Work staff meetings, other committees or workgroups as appropriate, etc.) and perform other duties as required. Collaborates in the performance improvement processes and comply with performance measures as required by the VA for their specific population and/or program. Participate in activities to obtain feedback from Veterans and work to enhance services, making necessary adjustments when needed. Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing with people from varied backgrounds. Willingly accepts additional duties and special assignments that are necessary to meet program goals or Veterans' needs. Work Schedule: 12:30 am - 11:00 pm, Nights/Weekends/Holidays Telework: Not 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 PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): 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. English Language Proficiency Requirement - Per VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, Paragraph 3j: No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C., chapter 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English. 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/. Once licensed or certified, social workers must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment. Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment. APL: 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. Advanced Practice Level: For all assignments above the full performance (journey) level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Advanced Practice Level is defined as the ability to provide independent and expert clinical psychosocial and case management services in a specialized area of practice to Veterans who tend to have serious and severe crises, may lack any familial and community support, may be poor self-monitors, may frequently fail to comply with instructions and treatment, or may have major deficits in coping skills and require continuing professional psychological support. The advanced practice or senior social worker has an increased depth and breadth of practice skills; has expertise in participating in the professional development of colleagues through mentorship and teaching; demonstrates leadership in developing and expanding professional intervention strategies; demonstrates leadership in defining and attending to professional practice issues; and has the ability to expand the conceptual knowledge of the profession. The advanced practice or senior social worker will make independent professional decisions and recommendations for agency action; the consequences to the Veteran of these decisions and actions may be quite serious. Work involves intensive social work services requiring the exercise of mature professional judgment and the flexible use of a wide range of complex social work practice skills not typically required in routine social work interventions. The advanced practice or senior social worker has mastered a range of specialized interventions and provides consultation to colleagues, renders professional opinions based on experience and expertise, develops new models of psychosocial assessment or intervention, and incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment. The advanced practice or senior social worker utilizes outcome evaluations to further treatment and designs system changes based on empirical findings. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements (above) for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: GS-12 Senior Social Worker Experience: 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. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. 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). Preferred Experience: EBP Certification. Prior experience in similar role or with population served. Clinical supervision certification. Quality or utilization management experience. Former VA Trainee. References: VA Handbook 5005/120 Part II Appendix G39 VA Qualification Standards. http://vaww1.va.gov/ohrm/Directives-Handbooks/Direct_Hand.htmThe full performance level of this vacancy is GS12. Physical Requirements: Light lifting and carrying (under 15 pounds); reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Walking/standing (6 hours); Repeat bending (2-4 hours); Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; Far vision 20/30 and to 20/40; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Hearing (aid permitted); Mental and emotional stability; Cognitive stability; Sit for extended periods; Performs independently.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Failure to provide transcripts may result in non-referral of your application if education cannot be verified.

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. 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.

NOTE: If your school was accredited by CSWE at the time of graduation, but is no longer listed on the CSWE website, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet.

NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

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 Audie L Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital 7400 Merton Minter Boulevard San Antonio, TX 78229 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]