Career Center

The Primary Purpose of the Position is: Community Resource and Referral Center (CRRC) is an operated outreach center that provides outreach and referrals for Veterans who are homeless or at risk of being homeless and enhanced community partnerships. Success in obtaining permanent housing for homeless Veterans, and maintaining housing for those at-risk for homelessness. 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. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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/. Preferred Experience: Mental Health Case Management Working with persons living with homelessness Working in the community Working with community social service programs Linking Clients to Services. Grade Determinations: Senior Social Worker, GS-12 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, the candidate 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. Assignments. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Senior social workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work at an advanced level. Senior social workers typically practice in a major program area such as but not limited to: 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 senior social worker may be assigned administrative responsibility for clinical program development and is accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns. Assignments include clinical settings where they have limited access to onsite supervision such as CBOCs or satellite outpatient clinics. References: VA Handbook 5005/120 Appendix G39 dated September 10, 2019. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS12. Physical Requirements:Light lifting: under 15 pounds; straight pulling (up to 1 hour); pushing (1- 2 hours); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; walking (up to 3 hours); standing (up to 3 hours); repeated bending (up to 1 hour); ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; near vision and far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; both eyes required for depth perception; ability to distinguish basic colors, ability to distinguish shades of colors, hearing (aid permitted); climbing stairs; mentally alert; both legs required for operation of motor vehicle; and frequent keyboarding to operate a computer. ["The Mental Health Service of the VA North Texas Health Care System values cultural diversity across our staff and training programs. Mental Health Service leaders are deeply committed to fostering an environment that is highly sensitive to and appreciative of all aspects of diversity. Our staff represent a variety of cultural backgrounds, competencies, interests, and theoretical orientations. We believe that increased self-awareness and appreciation for other viewpoints and cultures makes our service stronger and strengthens our ability to provide the highest quality of mental health care. The Senior Social Worker supports the CRRC Program by providing intensive case\nmanagement, psychotherapy engagement and ensuring continuity of care. The Senior\nSocial Worker provides on-going use of case management and psychotherapy\ninterventions to promote sustained mental health stabilization. The Senior Social Worker is\nan expert at the community mental health and homeless resources and available to assist\nall CRRC Team staff and Veterans who are receiving services from the CRRC Program by\nlinking them to supportive resources found within Veterans Affairs and the community at\nlarge. The Senior Social Worker will function as the liaison between the Veteran and\nvarious needed resources to ensure appropriate coordination of care. The Senior Social\nWorker provides psychotherapy, including evidence-based psychotherapy in which the\nprovider is certified to the Veteran in an individual or group setting.\nFunctions/Duties:\nPerforms specialized treatment of physical or mental illness as it relates to mental health illness, severe mental health illness and comorbid substance use disorders.\nIncorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of Veteran patients, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved scope of practice.\nExpands 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 of mental health, severe mental health, substance use disorders and comorbid.\nAbility to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the specialty population or specialty treatment program.\nDevelops and implements methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services, utilizing outcome evaluations and use of evidence-based treatment modalities that are effective with Veterans who demonstrate signs of mental health illness, and comorbid disorders along with medically and psychiatrically conditions.\nProvides specialized assessments, and treatment planning, as well as mental health, and comorbid consultation, to other team members to provide interventions and strategies for engagement for clients.\nIndependently conducts comprehensive assessments and develops treatment plans in collaboration with Veteran, family, and interdisciplinary treatment team.\nMonitors e-consults, complete assessments, and make recommendations to the Mental Health Division Teams in addition to provide direct clinical care to Veterans demonstrating mental health illness, and comorbid concerns.\nDevelops and maintains effective partnerships with other VANTHCS mental health, and comorbid leadership guidelines regarding access to VA mental health programs within VISN 17, including use of VA contracted care.\nParticipates in CRRC and homeless programs team meetings to ensure good care for population served.\nDevelops and provides ongoing training and in-services to multidisciplinary team members in area of expertise. In addition to the specialty specific job duties listed above the CRRC Senior Social Worker is also required to perform the general social worker duties required as a clinician in the Mental Health Division Work Schedule: 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday\nTelework: Not Available\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nFunctional Statement #: 00000\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized\nPermanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]