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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. Basic Requirements: Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g this part). 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/. Exception. VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Social Worker, GS-9 Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills. Ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the Veterans problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed. Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals. This requires judgment and skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving, or crisis intervention techniques. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures. This includes acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses/injuries; common medications and their effects/side effects; and medical terminology. Social Worker, GS-11 Experience and Licensure. Appointment to the GS-11 grade level requires completion of a minimum of one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the field of health care or other social work-related settings, (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level. NOTE: For appointment licensure or certification at this level please refer to Basic Requirements for Licensure. OR Education. In addition to meeting basic requirements, a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required one year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services. Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational and other diversified backgrounds. Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities and treatment procedures (i.e. acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology) to formulate a treatment plan. Skill in independently implementing different treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems to achieve treatment goals. Ability to provide consultation services to new social workers, social work graduate students, and other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G39The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-09-GS11. Physical Requirements. No special physical qualifications are required to perform the work. The work requires the ability to move around the office and facility. The work is performed in offices, meeting rooms, and 25% of the time it will be spent transporting veterans. ["VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU FUNCTIONS OR SCOPE OF ASSIGNED DUTIES A. Clinical Functions: - Incumbent is a fully Independent Practitioner and provides direct clinical services to Veterans on an active BHIP team. - Performs specialized treatment of complex physical or mental illness. Incumbent incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of Veterans including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. - Provides education to both patients and family members regarding relevant mental health concerns. - Develops implements and documents the mental health treatment plan for an assigned caseload of patients. - Provides consultation to health care providers about assessment findings and treatment planning for patients to ensure health care is coordinated, collaborative, and integrated within the healthcare system. - Provides comprehensive, evidence-based, psychotherapeutic interventions, including individual, family, and group psychotherapy and psychoeducation. - Provides direct patient care coordination and case management services as part of the BHIP team, focusing on psychosocial needs and triages for psychosocial needs and stressors for Veterans. - Track treatment plans and alert providers to the need for review/update plans as is appropriate within their scope of practice B. Social Work responsibilities include: - Assessment of psychosocial problems that cause distress often impacting the health condition and creating barriers to care Functional Statement Social Worker Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) Central Virginia Veterans Affairs Health Care System GS-185-11 - Performs duties to enhance the maintenance of recovery with appropriate internal and external referrals/consults - Develops community resources development with the input of the multidisciplinary teams. - Preforms duties to enhance Wellness and the Recovery model of care with Veterans who are active with a BHIP team. - Will utilize Motivational Interviewing to enhance engagement of Veteran in their treatment. - Will lead huddles for BHIP team and assist/ inform team of care coordination needs such as travel, consults, other psychosocial issues to be addressed. - Will assist Veterans and their families/caregivers in resolving psychosocial, emotional and economic barriers to health and well-being through care coordination to available resources within the VA and the community. Will complete CPRS reminders and consults as needed and within scope of practice. - Will complete documentation in accordance with established facility policies and/or standard operating procedures. - Will assist with Advance Directives, annual travel forms, and other common social work practices as outlined by the social work service and scope of practice. - Performs other related duties as assigned Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 0730-1600 Telework: Ad Hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact Hector France (Hector.France@va.gov), the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]

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