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Veterans Health Administration is Hiring a Senior Social Worker (Mental Health) Near Temple, TX

Qualifications:

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. Must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
• Education. 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/Certification: Candidate 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.

• Driver's License: A current, valid state-issued Driver's License is required for this position. NOTE: We cannot accept photographs, therefore; please do not submit a copy of your license with your application package. If an interview is requested, you will be required to provide a copy of your current, valid state-issued Driver's License.

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements stated above, the following qualification criteria must be met for each grade. The candidate's qualifications must clearly demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade.

• Senior Social Worker- GS-12 Experience: Applicants 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.
  • Qualifying GS-11 Social Worker grade level equivalent experience includes, but are not limited to: assesses and documents identified behaviors or symptoms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and/or intimate partner violence; uses of clinical social work skills and knowledge to maintain patients privacy and confidentiality per policies, handbooks or directives; and acts as an advocate with appropriate organization and community service providers and agencies when it serves the best interest of the patient and family members/caregiver; independently assesses the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members, identifies the patient's strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and psychosocial acuity; collaborates with the patients, family/caregiver, and interdisciplinary treatment team, the social worker facilitates the delivery of health care services; identifies family/caregiver stressors, conducts assessment and provides specific interventions; provides case management and care coordination to facilitate appropriate delivery of health care services, incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of patents, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice; links the patients with services, resources, and opportunities, in order to maximize the patient's independence, health, and well-being; provides a range of interventions and treatment modalities which may include individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy; independently formulates and implements a treatment plan including measurable, achievable goals identifying the Veterans' needs, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and psychosocial acuity.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the basic requirements stated 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.

Assignment: For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. At the GS-12 grade level, supervisory social workers typically have significant personnel management responsibilities for a small to moderate sized professional and non-professional staff, including support staff and professional staff at the GS-12 grade level and below. The supervisory social worker is responsible for the professional and administrative management of an area in a social work service, in a care/product line, or multiple facilities. They provide direct clinical services with or without program coordination responsibilities.

Preferred Experience:

• Two years of experience providing individual and group therapy using evidenced based modalities to treat depression and anxiety.

• Two years of experience providing assessment and mental health diagnosing.

• Two years of experience working on a multidisciplinary team.

• Two years of experience conducting suicide risk screens, assessments, and safety plans.

References: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G-39 Social Worker Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office.

This vacancy is above the full performance at the GS-12 level. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is at the GS-12 level.

Physical Requirements: Involves sitting, walking, and standing, bending and carrying such items as books, papers, and files.

Responsibilities:

***ANY External Applicants should apply under CBCT-12260759-24-CP***

Duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Interviews Clients and Conducts Psychosocial Assessments - Interprets and explains VA's treatment and benefit programs. Reviews all data, subjective and objective, and makes a clinical assessment identifying needs and strengths.

• Makes Psychosocial Diagnoses - Performs insightful assessment of serious and complicated cases involving psychiatric illness involving psychiatric, catastrophic medical conditions, dementia and other high-risk diagnoses.

• Plans Effective Treatment - Develops psychosocial treatment plans in coordination with interdisciplinary team members, including goals for psychosocial clinical treatment. Independently concludes the appropriate action, regarding the Veteran's self-care capability, the family support system, the Veteran's health care needs and possible consequences.

• Implements Treatment - Provides clinical services to Veterans and family members/significant others in support of the Veteran's treatment. Organizes community services on behalf of beneficiaries and maintains a current and productive network of referral resources.

• Evaluation, Education, Supervision, Coaching, and Mentoring - Directs/coordinates clinical and psychosocial services and is accountable for the overall effectiveness of the services provided. Provides orientation and on-going training to Social Workers and interdisciplinary team members. Provides training to students, residents, interns, and fellows from other disciplines. Ability to independently evaluate his/her own practice through participation in professional peer review case conferences, research studies, or other organized means.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm or 7:30 am - 4:00 pm
Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #:000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Job Summary