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

VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU The incumbent serves as a Social Worker in the Residential Substance Use Disorders treatment program and provides social work services to the Veteran population served by the Kansas City VA Medical Center. The duties of a Residential SUD Clinical Social Worker include the following: Screening/Assessment - Completing screenings and psychosocial assessments including differential diagnosis, development of collaborative treatment plans, providing individual and/or group education, providing individual and/or group therapy, crisis intervention, and discharge planning/care coordination of referrals to community-based and VA services. Treatment Planning/Goal Setting - Formulate collaborative treatment plans, including measurable goals, objectives and treatment methods based upon the patient assessments with the Veteran a full partner in the process. The treatment plan will be used to direct the course of treatment and identify discharge planning needs. The plan must include specific goals; measurable objections, targeted dates for completion and a designated responsible individual to address each goal. This process includes the use of evidenced base measurement tools and the inclusion of a suicide risk safety plan, as appropriate. Individual/Group Counseling and Therapy - Providing individual and group therapy services to Veterans and, as appropriate, their significant others. This will include specialized Evidence-Based Psychotherapy (EBP) for which the social worker has received training. Counseling services will be recovery oriented, goal directed, time limited. The social worker will deliver comprehensive psychoeducation to Veterans and their families including coping strategies for chronic/disabling illnesses. Assessment tools will be used to measure treatment efficacy and indicate necessary adjustments to treatment. Crisis Intervention & Safety Planning - The social worker will be competent in making rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans for admissions to acute programs. In the event of a medical or psychiatric emergency, incumbent will follow the protocol of the Mental Health Service Line and Kansas City VA Medical Center. Referral to Service Providers - Throughout the course of treatment, the social worker will function as the subject matter expert on VA and community resources and refer each Veteran to needed services. Incumbent will collaborate with other service providers in assessing/reassessing the Veteran's needs. Incumbent will be responsible for educating the Veteran and/or surrogate regarding available services and assisting them with service linkage based upon the Veteran's preferences or those of the surrogate decision-maker. Advocacy - The social worker will 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. When appropriate and feasible, the social worker will educate and encourage the Veteran/family to advocate on own behalf, thus fostering a sense of independence and empowerment. Education/Health promotion and prevention - As appropriate, the social worker will provide health care education and/or referral to qualified health care educators to Veterans and their families. The MH RRTP social worker will provide education to Veterans related to Advance Directives/Living Will's and will facilitate completion for Veterans enrolled in MH RRTP. Coordination of non-institutional and institutional services - The Social worker will review the progress notes from the other providers to accurately determine the strengths and limitations of each Veteran being referred for mental health services. Social worker will educate the Veteran, their families and the team of all the options available to them and will collaborate with the Veteran and family on the preferred option. Administrative responsibilities - The social worker will enter all Veteran/family contacts in the electronic record using appropriate formats and templates. It is the responsibility of the social worker to ensure that urgent medical documentation is available for view by other medical staff, therefore, it is required that the social worker ensure timely co-signature (if needed) by directly contacting the clinical mentor/supervisor, the Social Work Executive, or the immediate supervisor to sign off on the medical documentation. Information will be entered in a complete, confidential, and professional manner to insure information on the patient is shared with other VA staff. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. On-Call Weeknights/Weekends based on program needs. Telework: Ad-hoc EDRP Authorized: Contact [email protected] or [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more 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). 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. Exception: 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 the GS-11 grade level and above, the candidate must be licensed or certified. (a) 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. (b) A social worker who does not yet have a license that allows independent practice must be supervised by a licensed independent practitioner of the same discipline who is a VA staff member and who has access to the electronic health record. English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Grandfathering: 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). All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard (September 10, 2019) 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. For employees who do not meet all of the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: 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. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. § 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. Grade Determinations: Social Worker, GS-11 (1) 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 (2) 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. (3) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services. (b) 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. (c) 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. (d) 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. (e) 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 5005/120, PART II, APPENDIX G39, SOCIAL WORKER QUALIFICATION STANDARD GS-0185 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. Physical Requirements: The word is sedentary. Typically, the social worker sits to perform the work. However, there may be some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items such as papers or books, bending, climbing stairs, and reach with hands and arms. The incumbent must have good manual dexterity and keyboarding skills. The incumbent must be able to communicate efficiently by expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. In addition, the incumbent must be able to utilize, view, and read information on computer screens; operate a communications system including the required telephone equipment.

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 Kansas City VA Medical Center 4801 Linwood Boulevard Kansas City, MO 64128 US
• Name: Fallon Bailey
• Phone: (410) 336-5277
• Email: [email protected]