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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: 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). 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: (a) 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. (b) Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. (c) 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. (d) 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. (e) 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. Preferred Experience: 1) Experience working in outpatient mental health settings 2) Experience working with individuals diagnosed with trauma, addictive disorders and serious mental illnesses 3) Experience completing suicide risk assessments and safety plans 4) Able to effectively complete case conceptualization and treatment plans References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II Appendix G39. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. It occasionally requires carrying of light objects such as files, books and papers. Some walking, standing and bending is required. No special physical qualifications are required. ["This position is located at the Hattiesburg Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC). Veterans treated come primarily from the Hattiesburg CBOC catchment area. Their health care and psychosocial problems and needs are complex and require a high degree of clinical oversight and creative problem solving. Services are provided onsite at the CBOC, both in person and via telehealth. The duties of the Senior Social Worker-Hattiesburg Community Based Outpatient Clinic include but are not limited to: Incumbent performs specialized treatment of complex physical or mental illness. Incumbent incorporates 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. Incumbent is able to provide individual, group, and family psychotherapy and advanced level case management interventions used in the treatment of veterans with Polytrauma injuries, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, visual impairment, post-traumatic stress disorder, addictions, and other serious disorders. This includes providing evidence-based psychotherapy. Incumbent makes independent professional decisions and recommendations to an interdisciplinary team on course of treatment. These decisions are based on advanced practice skills, professional judgment and the expertise regarding the veteran's self-care capability, the family support system, the veteran's health care needs and possible consequences. Incumbent coordinates social work services with other multidisciplinary services offered in treatment programming assuring such services are complementary and comprehensive. Incumbent directs activities to maximize effectiveness, efficiency, and continuity of care for veterans. Incumbent provides case management services to those veterans at high emotional, social or medical risk; serving as liaison to other treatment programs. Incumbent receives and completes requests for services from interdisciplinary team members and from other Social Workers. Incumbent is responsible for the development and maintenance of professional standards of practice and educating others about them within the CBOC setting. Incumbent offers consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients treated in specialty areas, rendering professional opinions based on experience and expertise and role modeling effective social work practice skills. He/she demonstrates the ability to teach and mentor staff and students in the special area of practice and to provide supervision for licensure or specialty certifications. Incumbent uses established business rules to schedule appointments for Veterans, including clinic visits and consults, as well as entries into the Electronic Wait List (EWL). Complies with mandatory training requirements for the outpatient scheduling process. Completes all mandatory and assigned trainings within established timeframes. Attends all appropriate staff meetings (interdisciplinary treatment team meetings, Mental Health staff meetings, and other committees as appropriate) Incumbent develops and implements methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in specialty areas, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services. Incumbent is able to demonstrate the ability to design changes based on empirical findings. Serves on CBOC/Hospital committees/task forces as assigned. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 586-00494F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact Olympia Smith at olympia.smith@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]

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