Senior Social Worker - Substance Use Disorder (SUD)

Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks; Fayetteville (AR); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

EDRP Eligible

Paid time off and leave accrual

Federal retirement benefits

Job summary

The Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks seeks a qualified Senior Social Worker to provide specialist SUD services to Veterans. You will conduct psychosocial assessments, develop treatment plans, and coordinate care within a multidisciplinary team.

You will measure outcomes, support program development, and collaborate with education and community partners. Eligible for EDRP and comprehensive federal benefits are available.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in social work from CSWE-accredited program.
• Current valid licensure as a social worker (LCSW preferred).
• Experience providing evidence-based SUD treatment to Veterans.

Responsibilities

• Provide specialized evidence-based treatment to Veterans in the SUD program.
• Conduct psychosocial evaluations and develop treatment plans.
• Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team and supervise licensure or certification where applicable.
• Monitor outcomes using validated measures and adjust care

Skills

Licensed Social Worker

Psychosocial assessments

Treatment planning

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Education

MSW (Master of Social Work)

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.

Major Duties

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The duties of the Senior Social Worker - Substance Use Disorder (SUD) include, but are not limited to: Provides specialized evidence-based treatment to Veterans enrolled in the (SUD service). Functions as a licensed independent provider of mental health/SUD services. Conduct full psychosocial diagnostic evaluations using the most current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Psychiatric Disorders. Provides screening, assessments, treatment plans, clinical care provisions, leads treatment plan reviews for improving outcomes, and discharge planning at an advanced practice level. Represents the social work profession and perspective on a multidisciplinary team that may include other social workers, nurses, psychologists, psychiatrists, and other disciplines. Provides and maintain expertise regarding VA and community psychosocial resources. Participates in program development within their assigned program including community outreach. Participates in tracking the care of Veterans as they move through the treatment process. The Social Worker will also be involved in measuring treatment outcomes using testing and other measures. Utilizes outcome evaluations to further treatment and design system changes based on empirical findings. Participates in clinical program development and is accountable to clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns. This may include partnering with local universities, community colleges, and other agencies to improve the delivery of mental health services and increase utilization. Collaborates with the Veterans Justice Outreach Coordinator, Peer Support Specialist, or any other VA employee for any justice involved Veterans they are treating who are in legal processes or enrolled in Veterans Treatment Court, assuring timely comprehensive assessment, treatment recommendations, reporting, documentation, and thorough treatment planning. Demonstrates the ability to teach and mentor staff and students in their special area of practice and to provide supervision for licensure or specialty certifications. Identifies high-risk patients and provides safety planning, crisis intervention, coordinates staffing with other team members and/or family conferences when clinically indicated. Identifies Veterans in need of additional specialized care outside their immediate service system and work with the admissions personnel of such appropriate other programs or services within or outside the VA or community to secure needed treatment for Veterans. Serves as a resource and point of contact throughout the facility for the mental health needs of Veterans.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, subject to change based on the needs of the facility.

• Recruiting/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
• Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
• 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: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
• Functional Statement #: 564-01181-F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Requirements

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Evaluations

Area of consideration - Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order: 1st Area of Consideration - current permanent "Veterans Health Care Systems of the Ozarks" employees; 2nd Area of Consideration - current permanent Veterans Healthcare Administration employees; 3rd Area of Consideration - current permanent VA Nationwide employees; and 4th Area of Consideration - all other applicants. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

Other Information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.