The social worker is assigned to the Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC) of the Mental Health Service Line. The PRRC program provides comprehensive and intensive therapeutic services to seriously mentally ill (SMI) Veteran population and their families. The PRRC is based on the recovery model and is designed around the principles of flexibility, choice and self-determination. The social worker serves as a Recovery Coach for the PRRC.

Duties

VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU FUNCTIONS OR SCOPE OF ASSIGNED DUTIES a. Provide a wide range of psychosocial services to Veterans and their families to implement the recovery model of treatment. b. Provide psychosocial assessment and treatment to a wide variety of individuals from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds. This requires knowledge of human development and behavior (physical and psychological), and the differential influences of the environment, society, and culture. c. Ability to work with Veterans and families who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems utilizing individual, group, and family therapy skills. Knowledge of psychosocial treatment modalities and ability to implement recovery based treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals and measure outcomes to interventions. d. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds. e. Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnosis, disabilities, and treatment procedures. This includes acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses/injuries; common medications and their effects/side effects; and medical terminology. f. Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services. g. Ability to assess the psychosocial and mental health functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members and to formulate and implement a patient-centered treatment plan, identifying the Veteran's problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills and assistance needed, in collaboration with the Veteran, family and interdisciplinary treatment team. h. Ability to provide consultation services to other staff about the psychosocial needs of Veterans and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment. i. Ability to evaluate his/her own practice through participation in professional peer review case conferences, research studies, or other organized means. j. Knowledge and skill in the use of computer software applications for drafting documents, data management, and tracking, especially those programs in use by VHA. k. Provide consultation/education to Veterans and families on community resources, advance directives and VA benefits. I. Complete and document social work interventions and activities, including safety risk assessment planning, biopsychosocial evaluation, treatment plan(s), review plans of care, and discharge plans, in accordance with mandates of program directives, VHA requirements and requirements established by accrediting bodies. m. Ensure appropriate hand off when transferring patient care to ensure continuity of care and patient safety. n. Participate in the diagnostic, evaluative, and dispositional review of Veterans. o. Participate in regular PRRC team meetings, sharing observations and information aimed at enhancing the Veteran's treatment. p. Act as a consultant to other team/staff members regarding the Veteran's psychosocial status as well as available community resources. q. Work in collaboration with the Recovery Team to develop and implement recovery oriented programming for the care and treatment of Veterans. r. Act as liaison between VA and community resources, to include marketing and public relation duties as needed. s. Provide wellness/prevention education and facilitate Veteran/family support groups as appropriate. t. Participate in committee assignments, as deemed necessary by the program manager. u. Rapidly assess crisis situations, facilitating and supportive responses, as indicated by the situation. v. Recognize potential barriers Veterans may face when attempting to access services and will act as an advocate when it serves the best interest of the veteran and/or family. w. Remain apprised of changing and emerging Veteran needs. The social worker will identify service gaps and collaborate with others within the health care system and/or community to encourage development or modification of services necessary to meeting the needs of Veterans. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday-evening and weekends maybe required-tour will be discussed during interview process Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: 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. English Language Proficiency: Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j, this part. Education Requirement: Master of Social Work: Applicants must have a master's degree in social work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Note: 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. COPY OF TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED. OR Grandfathering Provision: All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. Licensure Requirement: Appointment at the GS-11 Full Performance Level: Persons hired or reassigned to full performance 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. OR Appointment at the GS-9 (Entry or Developmental Level): VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level. For appointments at the GS-9 grade level, VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent, master's level within three years of their appointment as a social worker. OR Grandfathering Provision: Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure or certification, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. 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 Determinations GS-9 None beyond the basic requirements. For appointments at the GS-9 grade level, VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent, master's level within three years of their appointment as a social worker. Most states require two years of post-MSW experience as a prerequisite to taking the licensure/certification exam, and VHA gives social workers one additional year to pass the licensure/certification exam. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills. Ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the Veterans problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed. Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals. This requires judgment and skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving, or crisis intervention techniques. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures. This includes acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses/injuries; common medications and their effects/side effects; and medical terminology. GS-11 Experience and Licensure. Appointment to the GS-11 grade level requires completion of a minimum of one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the field of health care or other social work-related settings, (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level. OR Education. In addition to meeting basic requirements, a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required one year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services. Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational and other diversified backgrounds. Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities and treatment procedures (i.e. acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology) to formulate a treatment plan. Skill in independently implementing different treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems to achieve treatment goals. Ability to provide consultation services to new social workers, social work graduate students, and other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment. References: VA Handbook 5005 Part II, Appendix G39 Preferred Experience: Mental Health Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of the evaluation or examination. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to GS-11.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with 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 St Cloud VA Medical Center 4801 Veterans Drive St Cloud, MN 56303 US
• Name: Glenda Abfalter
• Phone: 3202556480 X5201
• Email: [email protected]