The Senior Social Worker in the Opiate Agonist Treatment program provides specialized evidenced-based individual, family, and group psychotherapy and case management services to a medically and psychiatrically complex patient population.

Duties

This is an open continuous announcement until September 30, 2024. Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available. VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Major Duties: Assesses patients referred for possible Opiate Agonist Treatment utilizing DSM 5 criteria for substance use disorders as well as the federal criteria for providing buprenorphine and/or methadone maintenance treatment. Provides appropriate referrals for treatment utilizing information obtained throughout detailed assessments as well as the ASAM criteria for levels of care. Provides a broad range of individual and group psychotherapy utilizing established empirically supported treatment modalities for this population (Motivational Interviewing, Motivational Enhancement Therapy, Harm Reduction, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Relapse Prevention, 12-Step Facilitation). Develops/maintains treatment plans specific to individual patient needs. Provides case-management and coordination of care to each patient to the extent that is appropriate to each patient's need and level of functioning. Responsible for completion of Advance Directives and Psychiatric Advance Directives and indicated. Responsible for maintaining a variety of databases critical to the functioning of the program, including the Methasoft database system, which contains the information needed for daily dosing of the patients, toxicology schedules, and scheduling follow up for PCP, EKGs and vital signs. Responsible for staffing the milieu during certain periods of the week s/he is the only social worker (and Licensed Independent Practitioner) on site. Responsible for coordinating elements of OATP's diversion control plan, which includes monitoring and quickly responding to toxicology screens, collaborating with treatment team staff, and making ongoing behavioral observations of patients. Works directly with the program coordinator as a point of contact for Veterans, VA providers, and Communityproviders who are seeking buprenorphine treatment at the Baltimore VA Medical Center Meets regularly with the OATP medical director, Program Coordinator, and SATP Clinical Manager to discuss plans for program development, improvement, and implementation. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:00AM - 3:30PM 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 (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. 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/. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Grade Determinations: 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 (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: None 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 (under 15 lbs.); light carrying (under 15 lbs.); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; walking (intermittent); standing (intermittent); hearing (aid permitted); clear speech. The work is sedentary. Typically, the employee may sit comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items like papers or books. No special physical demands are required to perform the 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]