Career Center

The Senior Social Worker is the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Specialist for SSVF and the Heath Care for Homeless Programs. This position provides case management and intervention support to SSVF in a team oriented, recovery-based program. The SUD Specialist supports the SSVF Program by providing continuity of care between Homeless Programs through services to Veterans with SUDs. 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, Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other, Hearing (aid permitted). ["*This is an open continuous announcement. Qualified applicants will be referred to hiring managers at least every 2 weeks.* Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 7:30am to 4:00pm\nTelework: Not Available\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nFunctional Statement #: 000000\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized\nPermanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required The Senior Social Worker is responsible for providing substance abuse and mental health treatment, psychosocial intervention and case management to address a broad range of medical and mental health issues. Serves Veterans who tend to have serious, frequent and severe crises, lack family or adequate community support networks, frequently fails to comply with instructions and treatments; has significant deficits in coping skills and requires continuing psychosocial support. Provides a continuum of care encompassing individual, group, couple and family counseling, demonstrating possession of advanced practice skills and judgment. The incumbent may be assigned to one or a combination of settings requiring similar qualifications. This might include assignment to the VA Southern Nevada VAMC, Community Out Based Clinics (COBC), or co-location with SSVF grantees in the community. Duties of the position include, but are not limited to: Provides on-going substance use case management and early treatment interventions to promote sustained stability and abstinence while receiving SSVF services and post discharge until transitioned to another care manager as needed. Providing SUD treatment support and early intervention promotes recovery, improved quality of life and successful permanent housing. Develop liaison relationships with more acute treatment providers/programs, such as an Intensive Outpatient Program. Provide appropriate group and individual case management and treatment. Provides supportive counseling and appropriate case management services to reduce the Veteran's stress and maximize psychosocial wellbeing throughout all phases of their medical treatment and care. Independently identifies high-risk patients and provides crisis intervention services, assertive case management and measures outcomes to interventions. Makes rapid assessments and develops crisis management plans and/or safety plans for admission to mental health and/or medical inpatient programs. Establishes and maintains effective therapeutic relationships with veterans and their families. Independently work with patients and families who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, substance abuse disorders, medical and social problems utilizing individual, group and family counseling and therapy skills. Provides direct SUD services for SSVF Grantees. Provides Outreach services for SSVF Grantees. Provides training for other members of the multidisciplinary treatment team in areas related to SUD assessment, anger management, and life skills and SUD with co-occurring disorders. Independently conducts intake and needs assessment of homeless Veterans and their significant others. Identifies symptoms leading to clinical diagnoses of SUD. Works with the Veteran to realize the Veteran's treatment goals and reassesses and revises goals as indicated by the Veteran's engagement in treatment. Organizes and conducts individual and group case management and SUD treatment, to include early interventions and supportive follow-up to ensure stability in home visits and facility-based contacts. Serve as a member of a multidisciplinary homeless program treatment team. Participate in policy making, goal setting, and treatment service planning discussions with SSVF Grantees and Homeless Programs. Provide appropriate clinical documentation for all contacts with or about Veterans. Provides recovery-oriented treatment with the goal of establishing the Veteran independently in the community at the Veteran's highest level of functioning and quality of life. Skilled administrator of structured interviews and assessments with a wide variety of patient populations, particularly Homeless Veteran populations with SUD who are also Seriously Mentally Ill (SMI) Veterans, Veterans of all gender identities, Veterans of all ages and service eras and /or Veterans with families. Establishes, implements, and maintains referral and screening procedures for potential SSVF veteran participants that meet national policy as well as the needs of medical center mental health services and residential programs. Conduct and participate in outreach activities including field interviews, assessments and referrals for homeless veterans contacted in the community, shelters, and \"on the streets\" with the Homeless Program Teams. May be required to work weekends, holidays and complete other duties as assigned. Must have a valid unrestricted driver's license. Other duties as assigned by management."]