This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/464824400. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
For more information on the Department of Veterans Affairs, go to http://www.vacareers.va.gov/.
NOTE: The Professional Standards Board (a peer-review group) will review the selected candidates education and experience and recommend the step at which the candidate will be placed in that specific grade. The salary is based on the grade and step approved for the selected candidate. For internal selectees eligible for promotion, the board will determine grade and HR will determine step in accordance with policy.
02/24/2017 to 03/13/2017
$72,168 - $93,821 per year
GS 12
1 vacancy in the following location:
Occasional travel - Travel require within Service area.
No
Permanent - Excepted Service Permanent
Full-time - Full Time
12
No
VHA-671-17-GC-1919295-BU
464824400
You will serve as Senior Social Worker assigned to the Intensive Community Mental Health Recovery (ICMHR) located at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System in Kerrville, Texas. The goal of ICMHR is to develop, implement, and assess the benefit of a behaviorally-oriented program of psychosocial rehabilitation, intensive case management, and community-based treatment for chronic mentally ill veterans living in urban or rural areas. Specialized treatment services are provided in various community settings, including veterans homes, day programs, residential care homes, contract nursing homes, and various other community locations. The incumbent will provide intensive case management services to assigned veterans and significant others, consistent with the goals and methods of ICMHR and the VA Mental Health Initiative and with all relevant Medical Center policies and procedures. Intensive case management services are characterized by assertive outreach, individualized treatment planning, multidimensional orientation, and intensive delivery of services. The incumbent has frequent, direct contact with consumers to provide therapy and support. Participates in team staffing regarding member selection, determination of treatment plans and goals, progress evaluation, discharge planning, and after care. Works assertively and consistently with inpatient teams to assure continuity of care by providing consultation regarding clinical needs, treatment plans, and case management services for assigned members. Works with other clinical programs and product lines that share in the care of assigned ICMHR members, including but not limited to each product line and Rehabilitation Care Program. The Incumbent is involved in readmission for ongoing care and treatment. Incumbent will be responsible for completion of required clinical records as well as ICMHR forms for evaluation and monitoring of service delivery and outcome for the ICMHR Unit Manager, Outpatient Clinic and staff at Northeast Program Evaluation Center (NEPEC). Work with other clinical programs and product lines that share in the care of assigned ICMHR members, including but not limited to each product line and Rehabilitation Care Program. In pursuit of programmatic and treatment goals, maintain effective working relationships with other professional and administrative personnel both within the Medical Center and in the community. You must also maintain a current State driver's license.
Work Schedule: Work 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm. You may be required to work irregular tour of duty, weekends, or nights depending on mission needs.
Functional Statement Title/#: Senior Social Worker (ICMHR)
PLEASE NOTE: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications (particularly positions with a positive education requirement.) Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.htmlAll education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.
Physical Requirements: Must meet the following physical requirements: Intermittent Lifting (10 lbs and over); Intermittent Sitting (5 hours/day); Standing (up to 2 hours); Intermittent climbing and kneeling (0.50 hours/day); Repeated bending/stooping (up to 2 hours); Intermittent twisting, pulling, and pushing (0.50 hours/day); Simple Grasping & Use of fingers; Both hands required (includes keyboarding) (2.00 Hours/day); Walking (up to 3 hours); Intermittent Reaching above Shoulder (0.50 Hour/day); Daily Driving a Vehicle (+/- 2 Hours); Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; Near vision correctable at 13to 16; Hearing (aid permitted).
Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference on the Occupational Questionnaire in the section provided and provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) and/or documentation related to your active duty service which shows dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), or dates of impending separation.
Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veterans Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. For more information, please review the information for disabled Veterans in the application checklist or visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx.
Citizenship: You must be a citizen of the United States.
Education: You must 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 mater's degree in social work. (Copy of transcripts)
Licensure: 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. Current state requirements may be found on the OHRM website. Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an ASWB advanced generalist or clinical examination. (Copy of current License)
Loss of Licensure or Certification. 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-185 social work series and may result in termination of employment.
English Language Proficiency: Social Workers must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).
Grade Requirements:
a. 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.
Quality of Experience. 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.
Advanced Practice Level. 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. 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. Makes 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. 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. Utilizes outcome evaluations to further treatment and designs system changes based on empirical findings.
Grade Determination: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.
b. GS-12 Senior Social Worker
Experience, Education and Licensure: Senior Social Workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment. At least two years should be in an area of specialized social work practice. Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an ASWB 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). 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. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the professional KSAs in subparagraph below.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (Please provide in written narrative format of the subparagraphs below)
- Advanced knowledge of and mastery of theories and modalities used in the specialized treatment of complex physical or mental illness. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of veteran patients, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. Ability to determine priority for services and provide specialized treatment services.
- Advanced and expert 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 interventions used in the treatment of veterans with polytraumatic injuries, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, visual impairment, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc.
- Advanced knowledge and expert skill 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. Ability to coordinate the delivery of specialized psychosocial services and programs. Ability to design system changes based on empirical findings.
-Ability to provide subject matter consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients treated in the specialty area, rendering professional opinions based on experience and expertise and role modeling effective social work practice skills. Ability to teach and mentor staff and students in the specialty area of practice and to provide supervision for licensure or for specialty Certifications.
-Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the profession, demonstrating innovation in the creation of new models of psychosocial assessment or intervention to identify and address specialized clinical needs. Ability to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the specialty population or specialty treatment program.
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.
Assignments: Senior Social Workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work at an advanced level. Incumbent typically practice in a major specialty treatment program area, such as a Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center or Polytrauma Network Site; a Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Center, or a national VHA referral center, such as a national Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or a national Transplant Center, or other program areas of equivalent scope and complexity. The incumbent is assigned administrative responsibility for clinical program development and is accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns. They are also assigned in settings where they have no access to social work supervision, such as CBOCs or satellite outpatient clinics. They may be assigned to work with special patient populations with highly-complex health or mental health problems requiring expert level psychosocial interventions, such as VA/DOD liaisons assigned to Military Treatment Facilities as part of seamless transition or social worker case managers in Mental Health Intensive Case Management (MHICM) programs.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.
References : VA Handbook 5005/23, Part II, Appendix G39, SOCIAL WORKER, dated February 2012, and OPM Group Coverage Qualification Standard for Professional and Scientific Positions at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/standards/IORs/GS0100/0185.htm
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
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.
You must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
1. CV or Resume.
2. VA Form 10-2850c - Application for Associated Health Occupations (Available at http://www.va.gov/vaforms/medical/pdf/vha-10-2850c-fill.pdf).
3. Occupational Question. View Occupational Questionnaire
4. A copy of your most recent Pertinent Notification of Personnel Action SF-50 FOR CURRENT,PERMANENT VA AND FEDRAL EMPLOYEES showing your tenure, grade and step, and type of position occupied (i.e., Excepted or Competitive). Also, provide a copy of your most recent signed Performance Appraisal.
5. Copy of your transcript.
6. Copy of your Licensure/Certification.
7. Narrative copy of the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA).
Applicants may also submit the following supporting document type(s),which may not be required for all applicants:
·DD-214
·OF-306
·Other Veterans Document
·SF-15
·SF-50
·Transcript
Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference on the Occupational Questionnaire in the section provided and provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) and/or documentation related to your active duty service which shows dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), or dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veterans Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. For more information, please review the information for disabled Veterans in the application checklist or visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx.
Faxing Applications or Supporting Documents:
You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.
NOTE: If you applied online and your application is complete, do not fax the paper application (1203FX) as this will overwrite your prior online responses and may result in you being found ineligible.
If you completed the occupational questionnaire online and are unable to upload supporting document(s):
1. To fax your documents, you must use the following cover page http://staffing.opm.gov/pdf/usascover.pdf and provide the required information. The Vacancy ID is 1919295.
2. Fax your documents to 1-478-757-3144.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
All applicants are encouraged to apply online.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire View Occupational Questionnaireand submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on Monday, March 13, 2017 to receive consideration.
After we receive your complete application package (including any required documents), your qualifications will be reviewed to decide if you meet the basic requirements. You will be notified when this decision is made.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/464824400. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Learn more about
Vacancy Identification Number (VIN) 1919295