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Veterans Health Administration is Hiring a Senior Social Worker (Intensive Community Mental Health Recovery Services) Near Fairfield, CA

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.
• 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.
• 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.
• English Language Proficiency: Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j, this part.

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 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39, Social Worker Qualification Standard, GS-0185, Veterans Health Administration, dated September 10, 2019.

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

Physical Requirements: Hearing required (Aid permitted).

Responsibilities:

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; Tour of duty Subject to change to meet the needs of the Agency
Telework: Authorized; if approved, would be on a regularly scheduled basis but this is not a remote position.
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

The primary responsibilities of the Senior Social Worker (Intensive Community Mental Health Recovery Services) position are to provide intensive case management services to assigned Veterans and significant others, consistent with the goals and methods of ICMHRS, the VA Mental Health Initiative and with all relevant Medical Center policies and procedures. Treatment interventions are innovative and highly individualized, including providing intensive case management services, continuous quality improvement activities, evaluation/consultation, psychosocial assessments, individual and group therapy, placement services, and referrals to various community agencies and hospital services.

Duties for the position include but are not limited to:

• Respond to consults sent to the ICMHRS program by interviewing the Veteran utilizing questionnaires and other measurement devices while assessing the veteran's emotional, functional, and psychological condition. Presents the findings to the ICMHRS team to determine rejection or acceptance into the ICMHRS program.
• Function as case manager for Veterans in the ICMHRS program to facilitate independent community living by coordinating mental health and community care.
• Participate in development of a recovery plan for each ICMHRS Veteran with measurable goals outlined based on relevant psychological, medical, and psychiatric information with the principles of treatment matching.
• Assist ICMHRS Veterans in the preparation of materials needed for applications to various agencies for entitlements, then, follow the process of the application until a determination has been made.
• Serve as the major consultant for information on negotiating the complex processes Veteran's encounter when interacting with government and community agencies
• Collaborate with members of the ICMHRS team and other professional specialty clinics to provide comprehensive care to ICMHRS vets.
• Conduct individual and family clinical interventions to facilitate the identification of substance abuse, psychiatric illness, and social needs as treatment issues.
• Serve as therapist in treatment groups, individual psychotherapy, and family therapy as needed. Best practices, practice guidelines and evidence-based treatment protocols are utilized to the extent feasible in all therapeutic interventions.
• Assess learning needs regarding substance abuse, psychiatric and medical disorders. Provides psychoeducation when needed.
• Provide assistance with ensuring ICMHRS Veterans have access to medication management.
• Conduct home visits and community visits to ICMHRS Veterans to maintain and encourage community living.
• Collaborate with Adult Board and Care homes where ICMHRS Veterans reside to facilitate community living in the least restrictive environment and to provide support services for the homes.
• Prepare and submit legal documentation for the petition of various legal orders such as guardianship, conservatorship, protective orders, commitment and alternative treatment orders. Provide expert testimony in court settings as needed.
• Provide direct teaching services to staff and others as appropriate.
• Document the Veteran's progress in progress notes. Documents significant events as needed. Information is to be entered into the CPRS system.
• May supervise and participate in the training of Social Workers, Social Work Associates, volunteers, and students; participates as required and requested in orientation, training and staff development programs.
• Maintains a valid driver's license and clean driving record. The incumbent's driving record will be reviewed through the California Department of Motor Vehicle's Employer Pull Notice (EPN) program annually.
• Other related duties as assigned.

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and may be posted up to September 30, 2024. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be December 21, 2023, with subsequent cut-off dates on the 1st and 15th of each month. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled.

Job Summary