Senior Social Worker

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Baton Rouge (LA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Time Off

Parental Leave

Federal retirement plan

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Baton Rouge seeks a Senior Social Worker (GS-12) to deliver advanced psychosocial services to Veterans. The role includes assessments, treatment planning, and coordination with an interdisciplinary team to ensure comprehensive care.

EDRP participation may be available; the position emphasizes clinical leadership, program development, and quality improvement within VA facilities.

Qualifications

• Citizenship and English proficiency required.
• MSW from CSWE-accredited school is mandatory.
• Licensure/certification to practice social work at master’s level.

Responsibilities

• Screen veterans for eligibility for programs and provide treatment.
• Conduct psychosocial assessments and risk assessments.
• Provide individual, group, and family counseling.
• Coordinate care with interdisciplinary teams and community resources.
• Complete clinical records as required by ICMHR.

Skills

US Citizenship

English proficiency

MSW degree

Licensure

Advanced practice

Supervision

Education

Master's in Social Work (MSW)

Job description

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.

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.

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

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: 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)
• NOTE: 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
• Note: Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/
• 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)
• 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: Experience working with severely mentally ill and providing case management in the community - ability to work independently - conduct assessment - develop and implement care plans and provide clinical interventions
• Reference: 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
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS12 Physical Requirements:Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation - see Duties section for essential job duties of the position
• May require standing - lifting - carrying - sitting - stooping - bending - puling - and pushing
• May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment
• ???????Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions
• the area is adequately lighted - heated - and ventilated
• However - the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Duties for the Senior Social Worker position include - but are not limited to: - Screens Veterans consulted to the Range program for eligibility and appropriateness according to guidelines of social work service and the medical center
• - Provide appropriate orientation to those admitted - and treatment alternatives to those who are not
• - Conducts initial psychosocial assessment as well as screens such as Depression Screens - Mini Mental Health Status Exams - and risk assessments
• - Diagnosis and treatment of veterans with Severe Mental Illness
• - Frequent - direct contacts with consumers to provide ongoing assessment - psychotherapy and support
• Frequency of contacts is increased in times of crisis
• - Flexibility of veteran contact (veterans are seen in any location and at any time during the workday as needed to meet clinical needs)
• - A focus on strengthening the consumer's ability to address acute and chronic problems
• - Use of naturalistic community settings for teaching and modeling problem-solving skills
• - Provision of continuity of care within the framework established by ICMHR
• For example - collaborates and consults with other interdisciplinary treatment teams and programs to promote and enhance the care provided
• - Outreach and assertive provision of services to treatment resistant Veterans
• - Mobilization of environmental and organizational supports - including family members - professionals - and other interested parties
• For example - provides individual - family and group therapies as well as educational programs for veterans - families and staff
• Also responsible for linking members to other VA programs and to community resources
• - Participate in team staffing regarding member selection - determination of treatment plans and goals - progress evaluation - discharge planning - and after care
• - Completes clinical documentation according to ICMHR and Medical Center standards
• this includes but is not limited to progress notes - clinical progress reports - measurement-based care tools - semi-annual treatment plans for all Veterans and program evaluation forms sent to the Northeast Program Evaluation Center (NEPEC)
• S(he) will be responsible for completion of required clinical records as well as ICMHR forms for evaluation and monitoring of service delivery and outcome for the ICMHR Unit Manager - Outpatient Clinic and staff
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday - 7:30am - 4:00pm (Subject to change based on the needs of the facility) EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact [e-mail] - the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
• Learn more Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases 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: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 01539F