Career Center

This announcement will remain open until filled. The first cutoff for consideration is 12/29/2021. Additional Applications will be referred as needed. A Recruitment/Relocation Incentive may be authorized for a highly qualified candidate. The Senior Social Worker is assigned to the Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) of the VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System (VATVCBHCS). To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/31/2022. 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. Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/. Once licensed or certified, social workers must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment. Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment. Preferred Experience: Licensed within discipline Experience providing individual and group psychotherapy for a wide array of diagnoses Experience as a therapist in the VA Experience in PCMHI and/or primary care setting Grade Determinations: GS12 Senior Social Worker 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: a. 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. b. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. c. 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. d. 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. e. 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. Advanced Practice Level: For all assignments above the full performance (journey) 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. Advanced Practice Level is defined as the ability to provide independent and expert clinical psychosocial and case management services in a specialized area of practice to Veterans who tend to have serious and severe crises, may lack any familial and community support, may be poor self-monitors, may frequently fail to comply with instructions and treatment, or may have major deficits in coping skills and require continuing professional psychological support. The advanced practice or 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 has the ability to expand the conceptual knowledge of the profession. The advanced practice or senior social worker will make independent professional decisions and recommendations for agency action; the consequences to the Veteran of these decisions and actions may be quite serious. Work involves intensive social work services requiring the exercise of mature professional judgment and the flexible use of a wide range of complex social work practice skills not typically required in routine social work interventions. The advanced practice or 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 diagnosis and treatment. The advanced practice or senior social worker utilizes outcome evaluations to further treatment and designs system changes based on empirical findings. References: VA Handbook 5005/120 Part II Appendix G39 VA Qualification Standards. http://vaww1.va.gov/ohrm/Directives-Handbooks/Direct_Hand.htm The full performance level of this vacancy is GS12. Physical Requirements: light lifting and carrying (under 15 pounds); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking/standing (up to 1 hour); operation of crane, truck, tractor, or motor vehicle; ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; both eyes required; depth perception; ability to distinguish basic colors; hearing (aid permitted); mental and emotional stability; cognitive stability. ["Responsibilities: Provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including the use of psychological testing for patients within VATVCBHCS in areas of special interest and within scope of expertise, referring to the PCMHI psychologist for guidance and interpretation as appropriate. Performs psychological evaluations for individuals with mental health and medical disorders for purposes of diagnostic clarification and treatment planning recommendations within scope of expertise, referring to the PCMHI psychologist for guidance and interpretation as appropriate. These evaluations employ a comprehensive diagnostic interview, review of available records, collateral contact when available, as well as objective, and cognitive tests when indicated. Provides a range of psychological therapeutic interventions, including group and individual formats, with individuals with mental health and medical disorders utilizing empirically supported modalities when indicated, within scope of expertise, referring to the PCMHI psychologist for guidance and interpretation as appropriate. Services may be delivered in a face-to-face and/or telehealth format. Consults with and serves as a resource for other professional personnel concerning the need for, evaluation of, and development of psychological services in VATVCBHCS, within scope of expertise, referring to the PCMHI psychologist for guidance and interpretation as appropriate. May be asked to serve as a clinical supervisor for unlicensed social worker interns. May be asked to prepare and teach seminars/workshops for VATVCBHCS trainees/staff on topics within interest/competency areas. May choose to conduct approved psychological research that supports the mission of VATVCBHCS in collaboration with other professionals in VATVCBHCS or affiliated academic institutions. May be selected by the Chief of Psychology to serve as the psychology service representative on various Psychology Service, Mental Health Service Line, System, or VISN administrative committees or work groups. May coordinate programming within both various mental health and primary care programs in coordination with managers of such programs as well as with discipline supervisors of affected staff assigned to these programs. May be involved in research activities, especially as related to program evaluation responsibilities. May serve as clinical supervisor for employees in lower grades. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required\nTelework: Not Available\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position\nPosition Title/Functional Statement #: Senior Social Worker PCMHI000000\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: A Recruitment/Relocation Incentive may be authorized for a highly qualified candidate.\nPermanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]