Career Center

**Recruitment Incentive for highly qualified applicant** The incumbent provides clinical case management services to enrolled Veterans with a substance use disorder (SUD) who are also experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of homelessness. Veterans served by the incumbent are frequently homeless due to their SUD activities, so providing SUD treatment support and early intervention promotes recovery, improved quality of life, and successful permanent housing. 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. 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. Grade Determinations: GS- 9 Grade Requirements: (a) Experience, Education, and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements. (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills. Ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the Veterans problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed. Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals. This requires judgment and skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving, or crisis intervention techniques. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures. This includes acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses/injuries; common medications and their effects/side effects; and medical terminology. GS-11 Grade Requirements: (a) 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 (b) 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. (c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services. 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. 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. 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. 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. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services. References: VA Handbook 5005/120 Part II Appendix G39. ["VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Major duties include, but are not limited to: Social Worker will screen all referred Veterans for eligibility for case management services using standardized level of care coordination tools in order to ensure consistency of screening and subsequent services. The social worker will complete an intake assessment with Veterans experiencing homelessness due to substance use disorders which includes veteran's family, economic, community, and psychosocial support systems when clinically indicated; assessments must reflect a high level of skill in gathering, analyzing, interpreting, and documenting data that is pertinent and directly related to patient health care planning, treatment, education and case management; Veterans, family members, significant others and the interdisciplinary treatment team are involved in this process, whenever possible; goal of the communication is to highlight the veteran's strengths, limitations, and internal/external supports and service needs in order to optimize the veteran's functional status and safely maintain the veteran in his/her home. Social Worker demonstrates knowledge of DSM-5 diagnosing and documents diagnostic impressions in psychosocial assessments when appropriate, to include the identification of symptoms contributing to a diagnosis of substance use disorders; determining an appropriate diagnosis and formulate a treatment plan based on that diagnosis may occur independently or within a team. Key concerns, needs and preferences of Veteran, family/ caregiver is identified; Social Worker assigns initial level of care coordination, and further stratifies Veterans receiving complex care coordination into 'tiers' or 'levels' per the type of case management interventions and frequency of contacts. Social Worker initiates problem-solving strategies during which Veteran and family/ caregivers desired or expected goal( s), and outcome( s) are recognized, organized and prioritized through a brokered process between the Veteran, family or caregiver and Social Worker; ensures goals and objectives are formulated using specific, measurable, action-oriented, realistic and timebound (SMART) tenants. Social Worker coordinates, collaborates and communicates with BHIP, SATP, and/ or other VHA and community partners in order to plan and implement interventions; develops comprehensive treatment plans with the Veteran that address factors that contribute to housing instability, including substance use disorders and other co­occurring factors within a recovery model framework; Social Worker considers available natural and community resources wherever possible, and works with Veterans, family caregivers, and community partners to assist in manufacturing these resources for Veterans wherever possible. Social Worker ensures access to appropriate level of care through coordination of effective and timely referrals, facilitating transition to VHA or other Federal, State or local home or community-based services; provide referrals and transitions to various resources along a continuum of care to restore or maintain Veterans independent functioning. Social worker monitors and evaluates the care plan in order to ensure the right care, at the right time, in the right place, at the right cost; conducts reassessment frequently to ensure that interventions and case management services are appropriate, effective, timely, efficient, evidence-based and equitable, promote safety and are agreed upon by the Veteran or his/her surrogate decision maker. Social worker understands the intimidation of bureaucracy and will act as an advocate when it serves the best interest of the Veteran/ family. When appropriate and feasible, social worker will educate and encourage the Veteran/ family to advocate for themselves, thus fostering a sense of independence and empowerment. Work Schedule: 0800-1630, Monday through Friday\nTelework: Not Available\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nRecruitment Incentives: Authorized for highly qualified applicants.\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]