Clarification from the agency

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Duties included but are not limited to:

Independently conducts comprehensive psychosocial assessments. Develops treatment plans in collaboration with the Veteran/family and with the multidisciplinary team in a timely manner. Assesses and treats the complicated psychosocial problems of Veterans, families and significant other. Provides assessment of psychosocial problems that can include adjustment to the current medical condition and/or functional status, untreated or under-treated mental health or substance abuse condition, economic instability, legal problems, and inadequate social supports, housing and transportation.
Provides advanced level case management interventions and independently provides a full range of concrete services including, but not limited to, completing various forms and applications to ensure Veterans receive all benefits and services they are entitled to. Provides assistance in the procurement and retention of benefits, and where specialized services are required (i.e. legal issues, home care, financial, transportation, food, mental health, patient education) and will assist the Veteran in learning about and linking to the appropriate resources they require.
Provides specialized treatment to veterans with complex physical or mental illness. S/he incorporates multiple causations in differential diagnosis and treatment of Veteran, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved scope of practice.
Provides clinical social work activities and conducts comprehensive psychosocial assessments; assists with and completes advance directive counseling; grief and bereavement counseling; linkages services, coordination of care, crisis intervention, and case management services.
Independently identifies high-risk patients and completes mandated suspected abuse reporting for dependent adults or elders. Assesses the need for conservatorship, VA fiduciary and determines the need for consultation with VA legal counsel regarding care. Provides services to individuals who have either or both LPS or Probate Conservatorships.
Educates and assists Veteran or caregiver with completion of VA Means Test or LTC copayment forms.
Participates in treatment planning with the goal of effective provision of care. The effect of the social worker's professional interventions is a wide range of services from patient/caregiver satisfaction to suicide and relapse prevention.
Provides individual, group, and family psychotherapy and provides advanced case management interventions in the treatment of Veterans and caregivers.
Demonstrates knowledge and skills to educate others regarding grief assessment and intervention, family dynamics surrounding grief and loss, and bereavement support.
Knows the process for reporting and appropriate follow up interventions for signs and symptoms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and cognitive problems experienced by Veterans. Supports team members with challenging patient-care situations.
Develops and implements methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services. Demonstrates the ability to make changes based on findings from ongoing treatment, or treatment outcomes.
Offers consultation to colleagues on the psychosocial treatment of patients treated in HPBC, rendering professional opinions based on experience and expertise and role modeling effective social work practice skills.
Demonstrates the ability to teach and mentor staff and students in the special area of HBPC social work practice.
Social worker provides clinical supervision to unlicensed social workers to assist them in improving their practice skills.
Documents patient care activities after each significant contact and complete either Event Capture or an Encounter. Ensures that all consults, encounters/event captures, and clinical reminders are completed in a timely manner.
Attends all Social Work Service staff meetings, unit meetings, team meetings, program meetings and participates in continuing education activities.
Serves on committees and taskforces when requested. Participates in projects designed to evaluate and improve social work activities in assigned program.
Evaluates own practice through professional peer review, case conferences and other organizational means.
May need to travel to other HBPC sites at CBOC as well as other ambulatory care centers.
Responsible for clinical activities associated with the Social Work component of HBPC program.
Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30A-4:00P
Telework: Yes. Some telework may be available.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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.
• 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.

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

Grandfathering Provision: 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). (1) All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all of the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: (2) Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure or certification, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. (3) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. (4) Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. (5) If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. § 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

Grade Determination

Senior Social Worker GS-0185-12

• Experience: 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.
• 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. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week.
• 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.
• Preferred Experience: *Experience working in a geriatric setting and collaborating with internal/external partners is highly preferred. *Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment planning. *Field based work experience
• References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12.
• Physical Requirements: Light lifting (under 15 pounds); light carrying (under 15 pounds); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; both hands required; walking; standing; near vision correctable at 13" to 16"; hearing (aid permitted); emotional stability; ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing.
  Traveling throughout the medical center and the community is required, as is performing activities involving sitting, walking, and standing, bending and carrying such items as books, papers, and files. In carrying out responsibilities it will be necessary for the incumbent to travel into the community where he/she conducts interviews with the veterans, their families' representatives of community health and welfare agencies and law enforcement agencies.

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, 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.