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This full-time senior social worker is based within the Acute Psychiatric Unit (APU) at the Roseburg VA Healthcare System. The incumbent in this position independently provides an array of case management, longitudinal care coordination, and clinical psychotherapy/recovery services.

Direct clinical and associated administrative responsibilities include:

• Comprehensive Case Management (CM) Assessment and Reassessments. The CM completes a comprehensive assessment of the concerns, needs, and preferences of the Veteran and their family or caregiver. The assessment includes elements such as military history, social supports, housing, transportation, education and employment, income and finances, and initial care plan. Subsequent reassessments/monitoring are created in collaboration with the Veteran, their family or caregiver, and interprofessional team, as clinically indicated. Assessments are documented in the EHR.
• Goal(s) and Resource Identification. The CM identifies and prioritizes the Veteran and their family/caregiver's desired or expected goal(s) and outcome(s), as well as a resource assessment to identify available benefits, assistive options, and appropriate services and resources within and outside VHA. Resources may include existing natural supports, and internal skills and coping mechanisms.
• Care Planning, Implementation, and Communication. The CM plans and implements a care plan through coordination and collaboration with the Veteran, the family, or caregivers, and VHA and community providers. The intensity and duration of CM services are The CM assists. Veterans/caregivers with system navigation, and linking them in a timely manner to health, mental health, health education, self-management and social services, community-based resources, or benefits, as clinically indicated. The CM will facilitate proactive, patient-centric communication and information sharing between the Veteran or Servicemember, their family or caregiver, providers, and other care team members.
• Therapeutic Engagement and Psychosocial Intervention. The CM will engage, develop, and maintain therapeutic relationships with both the Veteran, families, and caregivers, utilizing resiliency-based, recovery-oriented, Veteran-centered communication and practice techniques (e.g., Health Education, Health Coaching, Shared Decision Making, Motivational Interviewing, Solution Focused Work, Psychosocial Problem Solving, Strength-Based work) as well as time-limited psychotherapy to facilitate progress, growth, and positive lifestyle changes. If providing psychotherapy services, the CM conducts psychosocial screening and evaluations for the wide range of mental conditions utilizing best practices for initial and follow-up assessment (i.e., measurement-based care), as well as participates in the development of appropriate treatment plans. The CM provides emergency/crisis intervention services to inpatients experiencing acute psychological crises, helping to stabilize these individuals, assisting in the referral arrangements for transfer to a psychiatric facility for inpatient care if necessary and providing follow up care as needed.
• Care Collaboration, Coordination, Referrals, and Transitions. The CM coordinates effective and timely referrals to ensure the appropriate level and type of care, working collaboratively with VA teams based in Eugene e.g., PACT, Home Based Primary Care, primary-care mental health integration, Whole Health, specialty substance abuse and PTSD, Suicide Prevention Coordinators, Local Recovery Coordinator, Veterans Justice Outreach, Housing and Urban Development Department of Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing; Health Care for Homeless Veterans; Grant and Per Diem, Transition and Care Management, Caregiver Support Program, APU, and MHRRTP), and other resources across VISN 20. The CM manages transitions of the Veteran to other VHA, DoD, other Federal, State, and local home, and community-based services (to include the Office of Community Care).
• Program and Outcome Evaluation. The CM uses CM best practice processes, procedures, tools, and templates in their work to allow for better tracking, monitoring, and reporting of quality and performance metrics.
• Documentation. The CM completes all clinical charting and documentation accurately and in a timely manner as required by and according to procedures outlined by applicable accrediting organization, VHA, Medical Center, and Service policies.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• 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.
• 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

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/.
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

• 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.

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.