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.

Duties

Senior Social Worker functions as the Human Trafficking Prevention and Education Pilot Coordinator and is a member of the VASNHS Behavioral Health Assessment and Triage (BHAT) team. The Human Trafficking Prevention and Education Pilot Coordinator's primary responsibilities are to provide clinical evidence-based services including, assessments and interventions; program development; Veteran, family, Caregiver and staff education on human trafficking; community outreach; resource development; continuous quality improvement activities; and evaluation/consultation. The incumbent is based in the medical center and/or facility to support real time, in person, response to screenings and referrals. The duties include but are not limited to the following: Clinical: Provides clinical services including direct care to Veterans. They review all data, subjective and objective, and makes a clinical assessment, identifying needs and strengths. Effectively uses professional skill, objectivity, and insight. Uses clinical training, insight, and experience to interpret data and to identify viable treatment options. Assesses high risk factors, acuity and need for services. Based on a comprehensive assessment, the incumbent uses professional judgment and advanced practical skills to make a clinical diagnosis and subsequent referrals. Establishes, implements, and maintains referrals and screening procedures. They develop screening procedures that involve a multidisciplinary team approach. They ensure screening criteria are met and procedures are maintained. Assesses at risk factors and develops a preliminary disposition plan, involving the Veteran and the family/significant other. Performs insightful assessment of serious and complicated cases involving psychiatric illness, catastrophic medical conditions, dementia, and other high-risk diagnoses. Administration: The Human Trafficking Prevention and Education Pilot Coordinator develops and implements the Human Trafficking Pilot specific to his/her area of assignment and ensures compliance and collaboration with local facility and the VA Central Office Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Program initiatives. The incumbent will complete the following duties: Minimum of 1 annual awareness campaign per year Train all VA facility staff on human trafficking Conduct targeted human trafficking screening for Veterans Research/Education/Training: Participates in research as appropriate through case finding and referral of Veterans to clinical investigators engaged in research or through participating in research studies. Applies new approaches to Veteran care through integration of approved investigative and research methods, basing interventions on evidence-based effectiveness. May engage in Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved research in compliance with VHA Directives and Handbooks, VASNHS Medical Center Memorandums, BHS Policies and Procedures, and the incumbent's Scope of Practice for conducting such research. Promotes Veteran independence and achievement of optimal health through appropriate psychosocial education, care coordination, and community referrals. Understands the complexities of bureaucracy and acts as an advocate within the VA system when it serves the best interests of the Veteran/family. When appropriate and feasible, educates and encourages Veteran/family to advocate on their own behalf, fostering a sense of independence and empowerment. Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday to Friday Telework: Yes, Ad-hoc Telework - as determined by the agency policy. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000/Senior Social Worker 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

Basic Requirements: 1. United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. 2. English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 3. Education: Candidates must 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. 4. 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/. 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: 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, Part II, Appendix G39 The full performance level of this vacancy is 12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 2019.

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 Las Vegas VA Medical Center 6900 North Pecos Road North Las Vegas, NV 89086 US
• Name: Allison Hoffman
• Phone: 304-350-2062
• Email: [email protected]