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 Senior Social Worker serves as a clinician within the Mental Health Service and works as the Local Recovery Coordinator (LRC) for the Mental Health Service Line of VA Puget Sound. The LRC is responsible for sustaining the integration of recovery principles and recovery-oriented services into mental health services provided at all points of service throughout the health care system. Duties will include: The LRC promotes the use and availability of recovery-oriented services, such as peer support, Psychosocial and Recovery Centers (PRRC), Intensive Community Mental Health Recovery (ICMHR), VHA Vocational Rehabilitation Services, and skills training. The incumbent provides training and consultation to top management and mental health staff and leadership at the VA medical facility to ensure that services are treating the whole person and that programs are collaborative and integrated. The LRC is responsible for participating in the LRC national email discussion group, and on national LRC calls. The LRC implements a multi-year local plan to direct recovery transformation in collaboration with local mental health leadership. The incumbent conducts outreach to Veterans with serious mental illness identified by the Serious Mental Illness Treatment Resource and Evaluation Center (SMITREC) as being lost to VA care for over 1 year, including facilitation of the Veteran's return to care pursuant to the Veteran's request. The LRC promotes activities and events to eliminate stigma associated with mental illness such as Mental Illness Awareness Week, Mental Health Month, Disability Employment Awareness Month, National CWT Vocational Rehabilitation Recognition Week, and Recovery Month. The major duties and responsibilities of the Senior Social Worker are as follows: 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, but are not limited to, the following: case management; individual, family, and group therapy; discharge planning; resource linkage; and care coordination. Provide consultation and psychoeducation to Veterans and Veteran families on topics including community resources, Advance Directives, VA benefits, budgeting, activities of daily living, and recovery goals. 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 but is not limited to: compliance with all laws and regulations related to confidentiality and release of information; protecting Veterans' personal identifying information. Document all Veteran care in the electronic health record in accordance with facility policy, VHA Directive 1162.05 (and revisions), and program-specific SOPs. 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. Actively participate in program planning and development, advising the supervisor of shifting Veteran care needs and identifying the need for SOP or policy changes. Provide supervision to students, interns, or unlicensed Social Workers as requested. Maintain familiarity and responsibility for all behavioral health performance measures. Assist in development and maintenance of operational plans and strategic goals related to these measures. Responsible for participation and leadership in process improvement, system redesign, and/or other applicable workgroups and committees, to include creation of standard work documents or strategic plan implementation. Take responsibility for improving professional competencies by participating in training programs and continuing education. Maintain accurate records of trainings in accordance with VA policies and state licensure requirements. Evaluate own practice through professional peer review, case conferences, and other means. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00AM-4:30PM Telework: Available, 1-2 days/Pay Period, or to supervisory discretion. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Please contact the VISN 20 EDRP Coordinator @ [email protected] 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: 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: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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. 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: GS-12 Senior Social Worker Experience and 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: Individuals assigned as social worker program coordinator must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level, and must be able to provide supervision for licensure. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of program coordination and administration which includes consultation, negotiation, and monitoring. (b) Knowledge and ability to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program. (c) Ability to supervise multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program. (d) Skill in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating assigned program area(s). (e) Ability to provide training, orientation, and guidance within clinical practice. References: VHA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G39, Qualifications for Social Workers The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: light lifting and carrying (under 15 lbs), working closely with others, working alone, exposure to working with individuals with psychiatric and physical illness.

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 VA Puget Sound Health Care System 1660 South Columbian Way Seattle, WA 98108 US
• Name: Michelle Yahne
• Phone: 503-220-8262 X53055
• Email: [email protected]