Career Center

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Learn more 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/. English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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). Grandfathering Provision: The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all title 38 hybrid qualification standards. Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/registration requirements that apply to this occupation. 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: 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. 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. 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. 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. NOTE: If social workers covered under the grandfathering provision of the 1991 Federal law regarding licensure or certification of VHA social workers leave the GS-0185 social work series, they lose the grandfathering protection. If they choose to return at a later date to the GS-0185 series, they must be licensed or certified to qualify for employment as a social worker. 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, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 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. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. 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. 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. 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. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G39 The 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: The physical demands of this position involve primarily walking, sitting, talking, use of fingers, both hands required, Hearing (aid permitted). ["**This is an open continuous announcement - qualified applicants will be referred to hiring manager(s) at least every 2 weeks.** Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm\nTelework: Available to highly qualified candidates\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nFunctional Statement #: 000000\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized for highly qualified candidates\nEDRP Authorized: Contact V21CCOEEDRP@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance\nPermanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required The Mental Health Product Line (MHPL) comprises over 260 interdisciplinary MH employees organized around major clinical program lines. All programs support the integration of clinical service delivery and training. One of the major program lines is the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Program (PSR); the Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC) is an outpatient service with the PSR program. The Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC) provides state-of-the-art behavioral health programming and services for Veterans based on the psychosocial rehabilitation and recovery model. These services include: 1) a wide range of rehabilitation and recovery services for Veteran with serious mental illness (SMI); 2) collaboration and advocacy for Veterans with SMI and their family members; and 3) education and training of staff, Veterans, families, and community members to promote the transition from maintenance models of treatment to the contemporary rehabilitation and recovery model. Duties of the position include, but are not limited to: Acts as the primary mental health provider for Veterans with SMI. In this role, the social worker meets with Veterans individually to complete assessments, develop/update recovery treatment plans, plan for transition/discharge, and perform other care management functions. At the GS-12 level, knowledge and treatment skills are advanced. Provides individual and group therapy to Veterans with SMI. Services are advanced and of a specialized nature, such as providing a VA approved evidenced based psychotherapy. Provides psychoeducational and skill-building groups for Veterans with SMI and their families. Provides wellness and prevention education and facilitates Veteran/family support groups as appropriate. Provides consultation/education to Veterans and families on community and VA resources, uses knowledge of the Veteran's and family's needs to make referrals to a variety of VA and non-VA resources in support of the rehabilitation objectives of the Veteran, and acts as a liaison between the PRRC and these resources. May provide services within the PRRC facility or may utilize naturalistic community settings for teaching and modeling problem-solving and other life skills. Provides services to advance appropriate vocational skills development in accordance with the Veteran's rehabilitation goals. Acts as a consultant to other staff members in the PRRC and in the Mental Health Service Line on psychosocial rehabilitation. Assists Veterans and their families in the preparation of materials needed for applications to various agencies for entitlements. The individuals serves as the PRRC consultant for information on negotiating processes Veterans/families encounter when interacting with government and community agencies. Works assertively and consistently with inpatient and other behavioral health teams to assure continuity of care by providing consultation regarding clinical needs, plans of care, and care management for Veterans enrolled in PRRC. Submits timely, accurate documentation (assessments, recovery treatment plans, progress notes, re-assessments, and transition/discharge summaries) on Veterans receiving services in the PRRC. Attends and participates in PRRC and Mental Health Clinic staff meetings and participates on committees within PRRC as necessary. Assists the PRRC Program Manager in designing and developing psychosocial rehabilitation services for the PRRC consistent with: 1) standards, scope, and ethics of the practice of social work; 2) policies and procedures within VHA, VANCHCS, and the Mental Health Service Line; and 3) evidence-based and best practices in psychosocial rehabilitation and recovery. Assists the PRRC Program Manager to collect PRRC outcome data and to maintain program data in a manner which adheres to Council on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), The Joint Commission, VHA, and medical center standards, policies, and procedures. May participate when indicated in PRRC specific MH outreach activities and events. Maintains a valid California's driver's license and clean driving record."]