This position is located in Social Work Service, Boise VA Medical Center, Boise, ID. This position functions as a Senior Social Worker on the Mental Health Intensive Case Management team.

Duties

Duties include but are not limited to the following: Screening/Assessment-The Senior Social Worker will use advanced knowledge and mastery of theories of mental illness and specialized treatment to independently develop a diagnosis and treatment plan. The goal of the diagnosis and treatment plan is to highlight the Veteran's strengths, limitations, and internal/external supports and service needs in order to optimize the Veteran's functional status. The assessment process is conducted from a recovery perspective and the focus of treatment is the Veteran's recovery goals. The Senior Social Worker provides goal planning, evaluation, and intervention with serious and complicated, highly diverse cases involving substance abuse and psychiatric illness. Treatment Planning/Goal Setting-The Senior Social Worker independently develops the mental health treatment plan and recovery goals with the Veteran, including input from family members/caregiver and other involved providers and agencies in this process. The Senior Social Worker uses a body of research, provides evidence based ''best" practice to validate and/or change work group practice. Collaborates with others in research activities to improve care. The Senior Social Worker provides independent consultation and makes recommendations to the interdisciplinary team on course of treatment. Crisis Intervention- The Senior Social Worker is experienced in making rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans for various types of crisis including housing and financial emergencies, psychiatric relapse, potential suicide, violence, and other high risk behaviors/situations. Crisis intervention work often occurs in the community where assistance from other providers and/or supervision is not available. Crisis interventions may include but are not limited to: Safety planning, referral to mental health urgent care, direction and coordination of mental health holds/involuntary commitments as well as coordination with Boise Police Department for transportation of those individuals and placement and care coordination for Veterans placed on mental health holds. The Senior Social Worker develops multiple resource directories in addition to previously developed resources to meet the demands of a crisis. Intensive Case Management/Outreach - The Senior Social Worker will provide intensive case management services to assigned Veterans and significant others 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 orientation and intensive delivery of services. Contact with the Veteran is frequent and direct and is increased in times of crisis. Documentation/Productivity- The Senior Social Worker will complete documentation in compliance with appropriate documentation standards. The Senior Social Worker consistently maintains an acceptable level of productivity per guidelines which may include special assignments. Psychotherapy- The Senior Social Worker will provide Veterans with expert level psychotherapy. The purpose of such counseling is to deal with the psychosocial impact of coping with chronic/disabling psychiatric illness (es), onset of a catastrophic illness, and to promote psychiatric wellness. The Senior Social Worker has the ability to independently provide psychotherapy to individuals and families as well group therapy. The Senior Social Worker is an expert at providing therapeutic interventions and skills building in a varied community setting. Frequently The Senior Social Worker offers in vivo treatment assisting a Veteran with coping in real time. Advocacy -The Senior Social Worker understands the intimidation of mental health stigma and will act as an advocate when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver. When appropriate and feasible, The Senior Social Worker will educate and encourage the Veteran/family to advocate on their own behalf, thus fostering a sense of independence and empowerment. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized. Telework: Yes, on ad-hoc basis. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: 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). 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. 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). GS-12 Senior Social Worker Grade Determinations: 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: (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: Experience working with individuals with Serious Chronic Mental Illness, working on a multidisciplinary team, doing mental health case management, crisis management, suicide risk assessments and safety planning. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/120 PART II APPENDIX G39 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: Traveling community based outreach clinic and the community is required, as is performing activities involving sitting, walking, and standing, bending and carrying such items as books, papers, and files. In carrying out responsibilities it may be necessary for the incumbent to travel into the community where he/she conducts interviews with the veterans, their families, landlords or PHA representatives.

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 Boise VA Medical Center 500 West Fort Street Boise, ID 83702 US
• Name: Shayna Lewis
• Phone: 918-577-3080
• Email: [email protected]