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

The Mental Health Intensive Case Management (MHICM) case manager's primary duties involve independently performing expert crisis consultation, assessment, intervention, safety planning, and case management and outreach for Veterans. The Senior Social Worker must possess the knowledge and ability to independently implement treatment modalities, provide counseling or psychotherapy for individuals, families, and groups, and has a working knowledge of the MHICM program to include program entrance criteria, program guidelines, performance measures, and required forms of documentation and reporting. The specific Veteran population targeted for these services include those living with severe and persistent mental illness. The MHICM program provides recovery-oriented case management and psychotherapy that place an emphasis on psychosocial rehabilitation and supporting Veterans with resuming active participation in fulfilling life roles in the community and achieving their recovery goals. The Senior Social Worker has a working knowledge of the Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center and other recovery-oriented models and will implement their clinical practice in accordance with these consumer-oriented philosophies. The Senior Social Worker has an increased depth and breadth of practice skills; has expertise in participating in the professional development of colleagues through mentorship and teaching; demonstrates leadership in developing and expanding professional intervention strategies; demonstrates leadership in defining and attending to professional practice issues; and can expand the conceptual knowledge of the profession. The Senior Social Worker has mastered a range of specialized interventions and provides consultation to colleagues, renders professional opinions based on experience and expertise, develops new models of psychosocial assessment or intervention, and incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnoses and treatment. Outcome evaluations are utilized to further treatment and design system changes based on empirical findings. Major duties and responsibilities of the Senior Social Worker include: Provide a full range of services within the Social Work Scope of Practice based on Veteran needs, acuity level, and preferences for care. Services may include case management; individual, family, and group therapy; discharge planning; resource linkage; and care coordination. Act as a consultant to other team/staff members and take a lead clinical role in case consultation. Fulfill ethical responsibilities to Veterans, colleagues, and VA in accordance with NASW Code of Ethics, VHA Code of Ethics, and local ethics policies. This includes compliance with all laws and regulations related to confidentiality and release of information and protecting Veterans' personal identifying information. Ensure compliance with standards and expectations of Joint Commission, CARF, and other relevant accrediting bodies. Assist program leadership in accreditation preparation and continuous readiness activities as requested. Participate and provide leadership in process improvement, system redesign, and other applicable workgroups and committees. Participate in training programs and continuing education to improve professional competency. Maintain accurate records of training in accordance with VA policies and state licensure requirements. Evaluate own practice through professional peer review, case conferences, and other means. Provide comprehensive mental health and psychosocial assessment and diagnostic services for Veterans with a broad range of mental health issues receiving care within the MHICM Team, including services for patients with complex psychopathology and psychosocial needs requiring advanced diagnostic and intervention skills. Coordinate community-based services, including information and referral for additional services from other VA programs, other government programs, and community agencies. Work with clinically complex Veterans including those on Less Restrictive Orders (LROs) with complex medical and mental health issues which require coordination of care across multiple programs. Provide consultation to colleagues and students regarding case management and crisis intervention for seriously mentally ill patients, rendering professional opinions based on experience and expertise and role modeling effective social work practice. Work autonomously in the community, independently organize work, set priorities, and meet multiple deadlines. Work Schedule: Mon - Fri, 8:00am to 4:30pm Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #: 000000 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

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. 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. 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. 3. 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/. GRADE REQUIREMENTS: GS-12 1. 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. 2. 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. 3. 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. Note: Clearly describe how you meet these KSAs in your resume; we cannot make assumptions regarding your experience. References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39, September 10, 2019. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: The position requires light lifting (under 15 pounds); use of fingers; and mental and emotional stability. You must be able to work alone and work closely with others, and have the ability to work protracted or irregular hours of work,

Education

IMPORTANT: This position has a positive education or training requirement. An unofficial copy of college transcripts showing completion of the required degree or program is required and must include the name of the school, your name, date conferred or completed, and degree or certificate type.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address VA Puget Sound Health Care System 1660 South Columbian Way Seattle, WA 98108 US
• Name: Joe Julkowski
• Phone: 509-434-7382
• Email: [email protected]