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The Harm Reduction Coordinator (HRC) Social Worker is responsible for providing leadership, direction, organization, planning, implementation, and evaluation of harm reduction efforts at the V ARHCS, including but not limited to overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND). This individual has in-depth knowledge and extensive experience in harm reduction, OEND, SSP, and fentanyl test strip program implementation. The HRC Social Worker will function at the highest level of clinical practice and licensure. The HRC Social Worker will participate in quality improvement, process improvement, and/or research activities.

Harm Reduction Coordinator Duties:
1) Ensuring that harm reduction services include offers of linkage to treatment.
2) Developing a facility syringe services program (SSP) and system(s) to increase Veteran access.
3) Developing a facility fentanyl test strip distribution system.
4) Consulting with Offices of Chief Counsel to determine if any SSP
services/supplies are legally prohibited.
5) Identifying community SSP referral options for Veterans who decline or are unable to receive Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) SSP services.
6) Identifying sources to obtain harm reduction supplies.
7) Serving as a local point of contact to educate Veterans and staff about the SSP.
8) Collaborating with the national VA Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)/SSP Affinity Group to develop new SSP resources, including veteran and staff education resources, standardized harm reduction kits, and a standardized note template.
9) Collaborating with local and national community harm reduction organizations for program improvement.
10) Evaluating SSP outcomes, implementation strategies, and lessons learned for further program improvement. Sharing results with the HIV/SSP Affinity Group for nationwide dissemination.
11) Using dashboards to identify harm reduction opportunities.
12) Outreach to Veterans about HIV PrEP.
13) Partnering with key facility services, such as Department of Housing and Urban Development/VA Supported Housing, Infectious Disease Clinic, Addiction Recovery Treatment Services, Mental Health Service, Pharmacy Service, Nursing Service, and Logistics Service.
14) Supporting implementation of low barrier buprenorphine initiation and infectious disease testing.
Working with local colleagues to improve sexual and drug use history taking and linkage to appropriate harm reduction services.

Clinical Duties:
1) Provides direct patient care through direct outreach to veterans, staff referrals, and veteran self-referrals. Care may be provided:
a) Virtually (e.g., telephone, clinical video telehealth, VA Video Connect) or in­person
b) In shared medical appointments and group education clinics
c) In team or interdisciplinary patient care rounds or meetings
2) Direct patient care includes, but is not limited to:
a) Comprehensive medication management (CMM) focused on harm reduction, including provision of harm reduction education and supplies available as a prescription ( e.g., naloxone, sterile syringes, alcohol swabs, condoms) and via non­prescription sources (e.g., fentanyl test strips)
b) Referral for proper screening, testing, and treatment for drug-related infections, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and sexually transmitted infections (STis)
c) HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
d) Substance use disorder (SUD) screening and treatment, including low-barrier buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (OUD)
e) Referrals to SUD, mental health, ID Clinic, Liver Clinic, and other clinical services
3) Indirect patient care includes, but is not limited to:
a) Identifying patients who may benefit from CMM focused on harm reduction through population health management reports and team huddles b) Conducting electronic consult (e-consult) medical record reviews and communicating recommendations to the care team

Work Schedule:Mon-Fri, 08:00am-4:30pm
Telework: Available upon Supervisor approval.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized.
EDRP Authorized: Contact V20Compensationteam@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authroized.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov

Qualifications

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. Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/.

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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

Senior Social Worker, GS-12
(1) 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.

(2) 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.

(3) 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.

Preferred Experience: Experience working with substance abuse treatment and harm reduction strongly preferred.

References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/120 PART II APPENDIX G39

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

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, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

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.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.