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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. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. Basic Requirements: 1. United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. 2. 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. 3. 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/. Grade Determinations: GS-12 1.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. 2. 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. 3. 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 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39, September 10, 2019. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: Daily work involves sitting for long periods of time and you must be able to work alone and work closely with others. ["This Social Worker is assigned to Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES) and Same Day Access (SDA) clinics within the Acute Care Section of the Mental Health Service line at VA Puget Sound Health Care System. The Social Worker has responsibility to provide direct services for Veterans, their families and caregivers and ensures the care provided is of the highest quality. The Senior Social Worker's primary duties involve timely clinical assessments, management of suicidal and high-risk patients, and determining the level of care and treatment needed (outpatient, inpatient, or involuntary care). This position requires an ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary teams, including emergency room nurses, ANRP, physicians, and acute care mental health providers such as inpatient psychiatry staff, attending psychiatrist, and on-call resident psychiatrist. The Senior Social Worker completes the initial review for community transfer requests for inpatient psychiatric care. This responsibility involves review of clinical records, discussion with the referring provider, and consultation with the attending psychiatrist or on-call resident psychiatrist to determine if inpatient treatment is needed. Major duties and responsibilities of the Senior Social Worker include: Provide a full range of services within the Social Work Scope of Practice based on Veteran needs, acuity level, and preferences for care. Services may include comprehensive psychiatric assessments and diagnostic services for Veterans with a broad range of mental health issues; thorough assessment of suicide risk; evidence-based interventions; consultation to health care providers; referral to involuntary mental health treatment; safety planning; discharge planning; education to patients and family members; resource linkage; and care coordination. Provide consultation and psychoeducation to Veterans and Veteran families on topics including community resources, Advance Directives, VA benefits, budgeting, activities of daily living, and recovery goals. Fulfill ethical responsibilities to Veterans, colleagues, and VA in accordance with NASW Code of Ethics, VHA Code of Ethics, and local ethics policies. This includes compliance with all laws and regulations related to confidentiality and release of information to protect Veterans' personal identifying information. Ensure compliance with standards and expectations of Joint Commission, CARF, and other relevant accrediting bodies. Assist program leadership in accreditation preparation and continuous readiness activities as requested. Actively participate in program planning and development, advise the supervisor of shifting Veteran care needs, and identify the need for SOP or policy changes. Provide supervision to students, interns, or unlicensed Social Workers as requested. Maintain familiarity and responsibility for all behavioral health performance measures. Assist in development and maintenance of operational plans and strategic goals related to these measures. Participate and lead in process improvement, system redesign, and other applicable workgroups and committees, to include creation of standard work documents or strategic plan implementation. Improve professional competencies by participating in training programs and continuing education. Maintain accurate records of training in accordance with VA policies and state licensure requirements. Evaluate own practice through professional peer review, case conferences, and other means. Provide training, education, and consultation to trainees, VA staff, and community partners as a subject matter expert in specialized practice area(s). The Senior Social Worker may also be assigned to do the following: Coordinate admissions to acute inpatient psychiatry; including tracking open beds, pending discharges, medical/surgical patients needing transfer, outpatients needing admission, and community patients needing transfer and admission. This requires close collaboration with consult staff, ED staff, American Lake Providers, 7W nursing, and community providers. Demonstrate thorough knowledge of state laws regarding involuntary treatment and work closely with Designated Crisis Responders (DCRs) when appropriate. Triage, evaluate, and manage Veterans requesting mental health services in person or on the phone. Formally supervise trainees & unlicensed staff in the provision of acute mental health assessments. Serve as a consultant and subject-matter expert to clinical staff. Work Schedule: 2 available tours: Tuesday - Saturday, 7am to 3:30pm Sunday 7am to 3:30pm, then Monday- Thursday, 8:30am to 5pm. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact the VISN 20 EDRP Coordinators @ V20CompensationTeam@va.gov Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]

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