Career Center

Summary

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. Program 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.

Qualifications

The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information - refer to Required Documents below.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: Be a citizen of the United States
• 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-185 series at the 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/
• Once licensed or certified - social workers must maintain a full - valid - and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment
• Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in employment termination
• Grade Determinations
• In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates
• Senior Social Worker GS-12 Experience and Education: The candidate must have at least two (2) years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which - one (1) 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
• Advanced Practice Licensure must be submitted with your application
• 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)
• Preferred Experience: Prior Mental Health/Homeless program experience
• Reference: VA Regulations - specifically VA Handbook 5005/120 - Part II - Appendix G39 - Qualification Standard - dated 9/10/19
• For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12
• Physical Requirements: Able to meet the physical demands of the position - reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions
• The work is community based and involves working with Veterans in their homes and other community settings away from the clinic where the environment cannot be controlled
• Must be able to safely operate a government vehicle for community work and transportation of Veteran patients
• Must be able to sit - stand - drive - walk short distances - carry light objects
• Incumbent must have a valid driver's license and pass Occupational Health screening as position will require driving a government vehicle
• Travel is expected at least 75% or less

Duties

• 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
• The Senior Social Worker (MHICM) provides clinical and program activities that are conducted as part of the Mental Health Intensive Case Management (MHICM) program across the North Florida / South Georgia Veterans Health System (NF/SGVHS) working within the Mental Health Service located in Jacksonville - FL.The duties of the Mental Health Intensive Case Management Senior Social Worker include: The incumbent develops - implements - and assesses the benefit of a behaviorally oriented program of psychosocial rehabilitation - intensive case management - and community-based treatment for chronically mentally ill Veterans
• Provides intensive treatment and case management services to assigned Veterans and significant others - consistent with the goals and methods of MHICM and the VA Mental health initiative and with all relevant medical center policies and procedures
• Focuses on strengthening the patients' ability to address acute and chronic problems and uses of naturalistic community settings for teaching and modeling problem-solving skills
• Participates in team staffing regarding patient selection - determination of treatment plans - and goals - progress evaluation - discharge planning - and after care and provides consultation to social workers and interdisciplinary teams
• Work assertively and consistently with VA staff and inpatient teams to assure continuity of care by providing consultation regarding clinical needs - treatment plans - and case management services for assigned patients
• Works assertively to promote appropriate treatment - rehabilitation - and expeditious discharge of assigned patients - consistent with program goals and with the individual treatment plans
• Completes clinical documentation according to MHICM and Medical Center standards
• this includes but is not limited to electronic progress notes - clinical progress reports - the Initial Assessments and Multidisciplinary Treatment Plans
• Responsible for completion of required clinical records as well as MHICM forms for evaluation and monitoring of service delivery and for the MHICM Unit Manager - Outpatient Clinic and staff at Northeast Program Evaluation Center (NEPEC)
• Coordinates work with other clinical programs and product lines that share the care of assigned MHICM patients - including but not limited to Substance Abuse - Recovery and Supportive Employment programs
• Engages in coordination with VA - community agencies - and professional organizations and individuals as needed to carry out assigned developmental and implementation responsibilities
• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Compressed/Flexible: Not available
• Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized
• Education Debt Reduction Program (Student Loan Repayment): Authorized
• Former EDRP participants are not eligible to apply for EDRP
• Contact the VISN 8 Compensation Center of Excellence at VISN8CCOE@va.gov for questions/assistance
• Learn more
• Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)
• Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave - 13 days of sick leave - 11 paid Federal holidays per year).Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual - based on prior [work experience] or military service experience
• Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment - up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth - adoption - or foster care placement of a child
• Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment - full time employees with a total family income below $144 -000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not available
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: Senior Social Worker - Mental Health Intensive Case Management - FS #52176F.