You will serve as the Social Worker for the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Recovery Program (PRRC).  The primary purpose of the position is to provide mental health therapy and clinical case management services to the population of veterans dealing with significant mental health issues.  The health care and psychosocial problems and needs of these veterans are complex and require a high degree of clinical oversight and creative problem solving.  Your duties include but are not limited to:

• Interviews clients and conducts psychosocial assessments.
• Interprets and explains Veteran Affairs treatment and benefit programs.
• Use advanced clinical training, insight, and experience to interpret data and to identify viable treatment options.
• Make psychosocial diagnoses.
• Assess at-risk factors and develop preliminary disposition plan, involving the veteran and family or significant others.
• Develop psychosocial treatment plans for PRRC patients and coordinate with team members.
• Make adjustment to the psychosocial treatment and discharge plan and interventions based on changing needs and response to interventions.
• Work assertively and consistently with the PRRC team and veteran's medical and mental health providers to assure continuity of care by providing consultation regarding clinical needs, treatment plans, and case management services for assigned patients.
• Provide therapeutic and case management services to assigned veterans, consistent with the goals and methods of PRRC and with all relevant Medical Center policies and procedures.
• Establish a continuing relationship with the veteran, evaluating progress toward goals and adjusting the treatment plan as appropriate.
• Serves as a mentor to other social workers, particularly those at entry level.
• Offers patient and family/significant other educational services.
• The incumbent assumes responsibility and shows initiative for own learning and professional development.

Work Schedule: 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
Functional Statement Title: Social Worker - Psychosocial Rehabilitation Recovery Program (PRRC)

Conditions of employment

• Must pass pre-employment examination
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English
• Designated and-or Random Drug Testing required
• Background and-or Security Investigation required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.

Physical Requirements: A pre-employment physical examination is required.  Selected candidates must meet the following: Use of fingers; Walking (4 hours); Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4;   Other (specify): Clear Speech; Standing (4 hours); Both legs required (Prosthesis permitted); Hearing (aid permitted).

Qualifications

U.S. Citizenship - Non-citizens may 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 (MSW) 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.
License – Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-185 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.
Preferred Experience:
The Social Worker position requires completion of 1 year post-MSW degree experience in the field of health care social work.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social).  Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.  You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Creditable Experience:

Knowledge of Current Professional Social Work Practices – To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics associated with current professional social work practice.  The experience or education must be post-MSW degree.  Experience and education satisfying this requirement must be active professional practice, which is paid/non-paid employment as a professional social worker, as defined by the appropriate state licensing board.
Experience is only creditable if it is obtained following graduation with a master's degree in social work and if it includes work as a professional social worker directly related to the position to be filled.  Qualifying experience must also be at a level comparable to social work experience at the next lower level.
Part-time experience as a professional social worker is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time work week.  For example, a social worker employed 20 hours a week, or on a 1/2-time basis, would receive 1 full-time work week of credit for each 2 weeks of service.
Fellowship and post-graduate training programs are typically in a specialized area of clinical practice, i.e., group or family practice.  Training as a fellow or post-graduate may be substituted for creditable experience on a year-for-year basis.
Grade Determinations:
In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.
GS-11 Social Worker:  
Social Workers at the full performance level require completion of a minimum of 1 year of post-MSW degree experience in the field of health care social work and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following professional KSAs.

1. Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services.

2. Ability to independently assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the patient's problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills and assistance needed, in collaboration with the patient, family and interdisciplinary treatment team.

3. Ability to independently conduct psychosocial assessments and provide psychosocial treatment to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational and other diversified backgrounds. This requires knowledge of human development and behavior (physical and psychological) and the differential influences of the environment, society and culture.

4. Knowledge and experience in the use 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.

5. Knowledge of psychosocial treatment and ability to independently implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical and social problems to achieve treatment goals. This requires independent judgment and skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving or crisis intervention techniques.

6. Ability to independently provide counseling and/or psychotherapy services to individuals, groups

and families. Social workers must practice within the bounds of their license or certification. For example, some states may require social workers providing psychotherapy to have a clinical level of licensure.

7. Ability to provide consultation services to other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment. Ability to provide orientation and coaching to new social workers and social work graduate students. Ability to serve as a field instructor for social work graduate students who are completing VHA field placements.

8. Ability to independently evaluate his/her own practice through participation in professional peer review case conferences, research studies, or other organized means.

9. Knowledge and skill in the use of computer software applications for drafting documents, data management, and tracking, especially those programs in use by VHA.

References: VA Handbook 5005 Appendix G-39.  This can be found in the local Human Resources Office.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Your application, résumé and/or supporting documentation will be verified.  Please follow all instructions carefully.  Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

NOTE: The Professional Standards Board (a peer-review group) will review the selected candidate’s education and experience and recommend the grade and salary at which the candidate will be placed.  For internal selectees eligible for promotion, the board will determine grade and HR will determine step in accordance with policy.