Senior Social Worker - Outpatient Substance Use Disorders Program

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Waterloo (IA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Iowa seeks a Senior Social Worker to provide psychosocial assessments and lead care for veterans, families, and caregivers.

This position offers Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) eligibility and requires an MSW from a CSWE-accredited program, plus state licensure and advanced practice experience. You will work full-time with multidisciplinary collaboration, documentation, and program leadership, across a federal pay scale with competitive

Qualifications

• Must have a master's degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program.
• Must be licensed or certified to independently practice at the master's level.
• U.S. citizenship required; non-citizens only where allowed by VA policy.
• Two years of post-advanced practice licensure with GS-12 level experience.
• Strong knowledge of mental health, disability care, and case management.

Responsibilities

• Independently conduct comprehensive psychosocial assessments for veterans, families, and caregivers.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams in treatment planning.
• Provide individual and family counseling and psychosocial interventions.
• Offer consultation and education to veterans on VA benefits and resources.
• Lead or supervise social work staff and students as assigned.
• Document and coordinate care plans and ensure smooth handoffs.

Skills

English proficiency

Counseling skills

Interpersonal skills

Education

MSW (Master of Social Work)

CSWE-accredited program

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.

Qualifications

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• 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
• 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
• Once licensed or certified – social workers must maintain a full‑valid‑and‑unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment
• Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS‑0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment
• Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f)
• 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
• Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinic 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
• In addition to the experience above – the candidate 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 – 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
• Preferred Experience: Mental Health and substance use disorders counseling
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard – please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is 12
• Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre‑employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre‑employment process for this position
• Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

Duties

• Independently conduct comprehensive psychosocial assessments – aiming to understand the needs of both veterans – their families – and their caregivers
• Active engagement in the treatment planning process alongside other disciplines is crucial – ensuring the patient and family's psychosocial needs are carefully considered
• Possesses a comprehensive understanding of diverse human backgrounds – adept counseling skills –and the ability to independently implement treatment plans
• Independently provide a wide array of counseling services – including individual and family counseling – helping patients and their families cope with the experiences of disability – terminal illness – and death
• Extend their support beyond direct counseling – offering consultation and education to veterans and families on community resources – advance directives – and VA benefits
• Act as a consultant to their team members – providing valuable insights and guidance
• Act as a liaison between the VA and community resources – shouldering additional responsibilities such as marketing and public relation duties when needed
• Their commitment to comprehensive care is evident as they provide case management services throughout the continuum of care – ensuring that veterans and their families receive the necessary support at every stage
• Their holistic approach to care is further exemplified through their efforts in providing wellness and prevention education
• Proficiency in utilizing computer software applications for documentation – data management – and tracking is essential – particularly within the framework of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
• Maintains data and statistical reports to comply with JCAHO – VA – and Medical Center policies and procedures
• The incumbent meticulously documents social work interventions and activities in patient clinical records – ensuring a smooth hand‑off when transferring patient care
• Exceptional interpersonal skills are vital for establishing and maintaining effective relationships with patients – families – and a spectrum of community agencies – communicating fluently in diverse cultural and professional settings
• In-depth knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses – disabilities – and treatment procedures is indispensable – encompassing acute – chronic – and traumatic conditions – as well as an understanding of common medications and their associated effects and side effects
• Continuous professional growth and self‑evaluation are encouraged – and active participation in professional peer reviews and case conferences is expected
• May provide clinical supervision to social work students or social workers pursuing advanced practice licensure – sharing their knowledge and expertise
• Additionally – they will provide leadership – direction – orientation – coaching – in‑service training – staff development – and/or continuing education programs for assigned social work staff
• Serve on committees – work groups – and/or task forces at the facility – VISN and national level – or in the community as deemed appropriate by the Social Work Supervisor and/or Social Work Executive
• Provide consultation and education to medical residents on social work practice and VA policy and procedure
• Performs other duties as assigned
• Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday – 7:30am‑4:00pm or 8:00am‑4:30pm. 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. When setting pay – a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)
• 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: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 000000