Senior Social Worker-Hud Vash

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Hammond (LA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Not Authorized relocation

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking a Senior Social Worker at the GS-12 level. The role provides clinical assessment and advanced psychosocial treatment for Veterans and their families, including housing and homelessness services coordination and discharge planning.

Applicants must have a master’s degree in social work, be licensed to practice, and meet VA qualification standards. The position involves crisis management, collaboration with interdisciplinary teams, and community

Qualifications

• United States Citizenship requirement per VA policy.
• Master's degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program.
• Licensure/certification required to independently practice social work at the master's level.
• Review of grandfathering provisions for existing VA employees is possible.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical psychological assessment and advanced practice-level psychosocial treatment for veterans and families.
• Conduct intakes for homeless services (HUD-VASH, GPD, HCHV) and coordinate with Homeless Program.
• Develop and implement treatment plans with veterans and families; provide crisis management and discharge planning.

Education

Master's degree in social work (CSWE accredited)

Job description

Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) - a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval - award amount (up to $200 -000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) - a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval - award amount (up to $200 -000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

Qualifications

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/
• 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)
• Grandfathering Provision
• The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all title 38 hybrid qualification standards
• Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/registration requirements that apply to this occupation
• (1) All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title - series and grade held - including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation
• For employees who do not meet all of the basic requirements in this standard - but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it - the following provisions apply: (2) Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure or certification - may be reassigned - promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level - or changed to lower grade within the occupation - but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions
• (3) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed - on a temporary or permanent basis - until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard
• (4) Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation - who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation
• (5) If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C.
• 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation - the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation
• NOTE: If social workers covered under the grandfathering provision of the 1991 Federal law regarding licensure or certification of VHA social workers leave the GS0185 social work series - they lose the grandfathering protection
• If they choose to return at a later date to the GS-0185 series - they must be licensed or certified to qualify for employment as a social worker
• Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates
• Senior Social Worker - 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: (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 homeless and/or 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 GS-12
• 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

• The Senior Social Worker provides clinical psychological assessment and treatment at an advanced practice level to eligible Veterans and their family members to meet biological - psychological - social and environmental needs
• Their health care and psychosocial needs are complex and require a high degree of clinical oversight and creative problem solving
• Duties: Provide mental health treatment - psychosocial intervention and case management to address a broad range of medical and mental health issues
• Conduct intakes of Veterans seeking homeless services to include Housing and Urban Development- Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) - Grant and Per Diem (GPD) and Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) utilizing the established referral and screening procedures of the Homeless Program
• Perform specialized and intensive case management - psychosocial treatment and intervention of complex physical or medical illness
• Drive GSA vehicles to conduct home visits to veteran populations and significant work in the community
• Independently provides consultation services to other staff regarding the psychosocial needs of veterans and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and adherence to treatment plan
• Make rapid assessments and develops crisis management plans for admission to mental health and/or medical inpatient programs
• Develop treatment plans in collaboration with the veteran/family and with the interdisciplinary treatment team Establish and maintain positive working relationships with coworkers - volunteers - consumers and stakeholders within the VA and outside community agencies
• Conduct psychosocial assessments to determine needs of Veterans and family members
• Participate in discharge planning with other disciplines and will be responsible for ensuring that discharge plans are executed in a manner that is timely and appropriate
• Act as liaison between VA and community resources - to include marketing and public relation duties as needed
• Address Advance Directives in accordance with the standards of their work area
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 7:30 am - 4:00 pm - subject to change based on the needed of the facility
• Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 00141-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized