Job Seekers

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 Basic Qualifications: Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. 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-185 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. Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English. Grade Determination: GS-12 Senior Social Worker 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 1. Advanced knowledge of and mastery of theories and modalities used in the specialized treatment of complex physical or mental illness. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of veteran patients, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. Ability to determine priority for services and provide specialized treatment services. 2. Advanced and expert 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 interventions used in the treatment of veterans with polytraumatic injuries, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, visual impairment, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc. 3. Advanced knowledge and expert skill 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. Ability to coordinate the delivery of specialized psychosocial services and programs. Ability to design system changes based on empirical findings. 4. Ability to provide subject matter consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients treated in the specialty area, rendering professional opinions based on experience and expertise and role modeling effective social work practice skills. Ability to teach and mentor staff and students in the specialty area of practice and to provide supervision for licensure or for specialty certifications. 5. Ability to expand 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. Ability to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the specialty population or specialty treatment program. Physical Requirements: Physical Demands of the work are generally minor. The work is primarily sedentary, although the stress involved in dealing continually with persons in emotional distress and who may be uncooperative and occasionally violent makes this work notably more demanding than most sedentary jobs." For additional information on Physical Standards please see VA Directive and Handbook 5019. http://www.va.gov/vapubs/ ["The purpose of this assignment is to provide the full range of comprehensive professional social work services to veterans and their families who are inpatient at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. The incumbent is assigned to provide and/or arrange for the delivery of services in an acute inpatient psychiatric setting. The incumbent evaluates and provides multifaceted services to individuals and families with a variety of complex social, emotional and health related problems. Services are timely, comprehensive, and appropriately coordinated with other health professionals. The incumbent works in collaboration with a multi-disciplinary team on a fast-paced acute psychiatric inpatient unit. The incumbent is able to make complex and independent clinical judgements as demonstrated by at least two years of specialized social work practice. The Senior Social Worker is assigned administrative responsibility for evaluation of clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns within inpatient psychiatric units. The incumbent interacts routinely with veterans, family members and significant others, and referral sources from VA programs and community agencies, to ensure timely admissions and discharges. As the Senior Social Worker in acute psychiatry, incumbent provides consultation and guidance to colleagues, role models effective social work practice skills, and develops innovations in practice interventions. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00am - 4:30pm\nCompressed/Flexible: Not available\nTelework: Available\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nPosition Title/Functional Statement #:Social Worker Inpatient Psychiatry/PD000000\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized to highly qualified candidate\nEDRP Authorized: Contact ,V21CCOEEDRP@va.gov the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]