The incumbent serves as a Senior Social Worker for VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (MHRRTP) Cherry Street Compensated Work Therapy Transitional Residence (CWT/TR) located in downtown Northampton.

Duties

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. VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Duties include but are not limited to: The incumbent utilizes various treatment modalities of individual and group treatment, care coordination, and community organization. As such, the incumbent possesses knowledge in the principles, practices and techniques of bio-psychosocial evaluation, assessment and treatment including knowledge of human growth and development, aging, group and individual psychodynamics, psychopathology, psychiatric diagnostic criteria, psychotherapy modalities, crisis intervention community organization, advocacy and social systems. The incumbent is able to independently assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of the patients to formulate and implement treatment plans that reflect patient goals. The Senior Social Worker works with each resident to develop individual self-identified and directed treatment goals that reflect the psychosocial rehabilitation and self-empowerment model. The incumbent assists the Program Director in the the management of consults, completion of intake assessments, coordination of admissions and discharges and serves as a liaison with other treatment providers both inside and outside VACWM. The incumbent is responsible for all psychotherapeutic services and programming provided to the residents including group-based skills training designed to enhance skills for independent living and job retention, relapse prevention, individual counseling and crisis intervention. The incumbent will provide direct services to veterans with substance use and psychiatric disorders. When needed referrals to other service providers (medical and psychiatric) will be made to fully meet the needs of the veteran. The incumbent will assist the Program Director to assure that the CWT/TR meets all Joint Commission and CARF requirements and that State licensure standards and VA-OIG expectations are met. The incumbent assists the Program Director for the overall upkeep of the residence and completes ongoing inspections of rooms and grounds. As needed assists in the selecting and training of house managers and ensuring a 24/7 emergency contact plan is in place to include being available to address emergent Veteran needs on nights, weekends, and holidays. The incumbent assists the Program Director for compliance with all fire, and life safety codes The incumbent participates in monthly national conference calls and attends national conferences as directed. The incumbent is responsible for implementing national directives and maintaining an up to date policy and procedure manual and patient handbook that reflect new national mandates. The policy and procedure manual shall comply with all VA and Hospital directives and memorandums and will serve as guiding principles for management of the program. The incumbent provides education related to VA and community resources, entitlements, Advance Directives/Living Will and will refer veterans and family members/caregiver to the appropriate interdisciplinary team members for identified health education needs. When necessary the incumbent will serve as an advocate to assist the veteran in receiving needed service. The incumbent in collaboration with his/her multidisciplinary treatment team and other appropriate hospital clinical staff, will assist veterans in planning for discharge/aftercare by offering appropriate and viable discharge/aftercare options to the veteran. Aftercare planning includes provision of housing options, medical and mental health appointments, and appointments for Substance Use Disorder Aftercare, PTSD Aftercare, or Dual Diagnosis Aftercare. The incumbent will ensure that all documentation standards are conducted according to VA policy and completed within time frames indicated. The incumbent will assist in the completion of all orientations procedures when a new resident enters the program and reviews with them the resident handbook, computer policies and emergency evacuation procedures. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Telework: Available as determined by agency policy Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: F04784 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

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 (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/. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services. 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 Determination: 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. The Central Western Massachusetts VA Medical Center Healthcare for Homeless Program is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment. We demonstrate this commitment in all of our work, not limited to program development and improving the quality of services to our veterans. We are an equal opportunity employer and believe deeply in diversity of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, national origin, and all the other fascinating characteristics that make us different. References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39 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.

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 Northampton VA Medical Center 421 North Main Street Leeds, MA 01053 US
• Name: Joyce Jarrett
• Phone: 413-584-4040 X6703
• Email: [email protected]