The Cincinnati VA Medical Center (CVAMC) is currently seeking a Senior Social Worker to be a part of the Mental Health Intensive Case Management (MHICM) progam.

Duties

Duties and responsibilities include but not limited to: Provide intensive case management services to assigned Veterans and family members autonomously in the community, consistent with the goals and methods of MHICM and the VA Mental Health Initiative and with all relevant Medical Center policies and procedures. Intensive case management services are characterized by assertive outreach, individualized treatment planning, multidimensional approach, and intensive delivery of services. Frequent, flexible, direct contact with Veterans to provide therapy and support, to include but not limited to counseling, social psychotherapy, case management interventions, or other modalities of treatment as needed to maintain stability in the community. Frequency of contacts is increased in times of crisis and as needed. Flexibility of Veteran contact (Veterans are seen in a variety of locations as deemed clinically appropriate). A focus on strengthening the Veteran's ability to address acute and chronic problems. Use of naturalistic community settings for teaching and modeling problem-solving skills. Provision of continuity of care within the framework established by MHICM. For example, collaborates and consults with other interdisciplinary treatment teams and programs to promote and enhance the care of Veterans. Outreach and assertive provision of services to treatment resistant Veterans. Mobilization of environmental and organizational supports, including family members, professional, and other interested parties. For example, may undertake individual, family and group therapies as well as educational programs for Veterans, families and staff based on clinically identified need. Incumbents are also responsible for linking Veterans to other VA programs and to community resources. Collaborate with VA and outside entities as needed in assessing the need for fiduciary and/or guardianship and help facilitate the process for putting these services in place. Participate in multidisciplinary team meetings to include but not limited to Veteran referrals, review of treatment plans, goals and progress evaluation, discharge planning and aftercare, collaboration and support of Veteran challenges, and administrative tasks. Assists program manager with establishing, implementing and maintaining referral and screening procedures for all new referrals. As assigned, manages new referrals when program manager is unavailable to complete process within allotted timeframe. Is actively involved in hospital admission decisions, using the procedures established for this purpose. Works assertively and consistently with inpatient teams to assure continuity of care by providing consultation regarding clinical needs, treatment plans, and case management services for assigned Veterans. Promotes appropriate treatment, rehabilitation, and expeditious discharge of assigned Veterans, consistent with program goals and with the individual treatment plans. The incumbent is assigned administrative responsibility for clinical program development, quality improvement/assurance, and identifying needs and recommendations to the MHICM program manager. Participates and provides feedback to the manager in writing policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the MHICM program. The incumbent completes clinical documentation according to MHICM and Medical Center standards; this includes but is not limited to mental health assessments, clinical progress reports, mental health treatment plans, and Advance Directives. S(he) will be responsible for timely completion of required clinical records as well as MHICM forms for evaluation and monitoring of service delivery and outcome for the MHICM Manager and Northeast Program Evaluation Center (NEPEC). Provide documentation of patient care as prescribed by MHICM and Medical Center Directives. Incumbent will also document any problem areas concerning implementation of the program and own activities within the programs, and make suggestions for resolving any such problems consistent with MHICM and Medical Center policies and procedures. Work with other clinical programs and care lines that share in the care of assigned MHICM Veterans, including but not limited to each care line and Mental Health Care Line. In pursuit of programmatic and treatment goals, maintain effective working relationships with other professional and administrative personnel both within the Medical Center and in the community. Meet with VA, community, professional organizations, and individuals as needed to carry out assigned developmental and implementation responsibilities. Provide referrals to VA and community-based services as appropriate. Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday, 7:30am -4:00pm Telework: Available Functional Statement #: FS# 91552-0 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. Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g this part). 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 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/. Different states have different levels of licensure or certification, making it difficult for VHA staff to determine the independent practice level. Each state, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia completed surveys identifying the level of licensure or certification allowing independent practice. Copies of the surveys are on file in the VHA Office of Care Management and Social Work Services, and a summary spreadsheet of the levels of licensure or certification is available to social work professional standards board members for purposes of determining whether the social worker's level of licensure or certification meets the VHA qualification standards. All states except California use a series of licensure exams administered by the ASWB. Information can be found at https://www.aswb.org/. The ASWB is the association of boards that regulates social work. ASWB develops and maintains the social work licensing examination used across the country and is a central resource for information on the legal regulation of social work. The ASWB offers three examinations. The master's examination is generally used by states for the independent practice level of licensure or certification, while the advanced generalist and the clinical examinations are used for the advanced practice level of licensure or certification. Differences between the master's and the advanced exams demonstrate the expectation that advanced practice social workers will have a more sophisticated knowledge of practice theory and its application. Failure to Obtain License or Certification. In all cases, social workers must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure or certification starting from the date of their appointment. Failure to become licensed or certified within the prescribed amount of time will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment. Loss of Licensure or Certification. 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. Grandfathering Provision. The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all title 38 hybrid qualification standards. Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/registration requirements that apply to this occupation. GRADE DETERMINATIONS. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. 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. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/120 PART II APPENDIX G39 The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is the GS12. Physical Requirements: Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services.

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 Cincinnati VA Medical Center 3200 Vine Street Cincinnati, OH 45220 US
• Name: Rhonda McCubbin
• Email: [email protected]