Senior Social Worker

Veterans Health Administration; Montana; On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking a Senior Social Worker (GS-12) in Montana to provide advanced clinical social work services, including individual and group therapy, within VA guidelines. The role requires licensure at the master's level and board-certified or equivalent credentials may be preferred.

Work involves collaboration with interdisciplinary teams and community partners. Applicants must meet education requirements and may be eligible for EDRP loan repayment.

Qualifications

• Citizenship: Non-citizens may be appointed only when VA policy allows.
• English proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English.

Responsibilities

• Provide advanced clinical social work services including individual, group, and family counseling.
• Offer specialized interventions and treatment modalities in the service area.
• Consult with colleagues and students on psychosocial treatment and practice guidelines.
• Develop and implement methods to measure effectiveness of social work services and outcomes.

Skills

Citizenship eligibility

English Proficiency

Education

Master's degree in social work

Job description

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. 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

• Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Proficiency Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
• Education:
• 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.
• 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 SW Licensure Summary by State https://www.aswb.org/licenses/how-to-get-a-license/licensing-requirements-by-state-or-province/.

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 (Above the Full Performance Level)

GS 12 Education and Experience.

• 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.

GS 12 Licensure

• 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.

GS 12 Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.

• 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.

Reference:

For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

This vacancy is a GS-12 position, which is above the Full Performance Level.

Physical Requirements:

The work is moderately active. Typically, the employee is driving a vehicle, walking around variousfacilities/settings, visiting with patients or community partners standing up, and at times sits comfortably whileworking. There will also be some light exertion required when walking; standing, bending or climbing stairs, carryingof light items such as papers, books, laptop, small objects, or driving an automobile. Must be able to sit/stand forlong periods of time and lif 20 lbs. Ability to complete a Basic Life Support (BLS) course is a position requirement.