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.
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/. English Language Proficiency. 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: Supervisory Social Worker, GS-12 Experience and Education. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills in a specialty area or in administration demonstrating progressively more professional competency and judgment. Candidate may have certification or other post-master's degree training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship, or equivalent supervised professional experience. Licensure/Certification. Individuals assigned as Supervisory Social Workers must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level, and 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: Ability to independently organize work, set priorities, and meet multiple deadlines. Knowledge of supervisory duties which includes clinical supervision, consultation, negotiation with other departments and quality improvement. Ability to ensure provision of clinical social work services. Ability to provide staff training and development. Skill in interpersonal relationships in dealing with employees, team leaders, and managers. Preferred Experience: Supervising multidisciplinary outpatient mental health teams. Strong organizational skills for managing complex systems. Providing time-limited evidence-based psychotherapy. Diagnosing various mental health disorders. Working with Veterans and/or military populations. Training and experience in Family Therapy. Experience in program development and implementing creative solutions to improve service delivery. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II appendix G39, Social Worker Qualification Standards, GS-185, Veterans Health Administration. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: Traveling throughout the medical center and the community is required, as is performing activities involving sitting, walking, and standing, bending and carrying such items as books, papers, and files. In carrying out responsibilities, it may be necessary to travel into the community where he/she conducts interviews with the Veterans, their families, representative of community health and welfare agencies and law enforcement agencies. Must possess current driver's license and be able to drive a government vehicle in carrying out professional duties when deemed necessary.
Duties include, but are not limited to: BHIP consists of several multi-disciplinary teams of mental health providers who work together to ensure Veteran's mental health and related needs are met. Each BHIP team structure consists of up to four team-lets, with up to four psychiatric providers on each team. The incumbent in this position will function as an administrative supervisor for one BHIP team, the incumbent is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of one BHIP team and ensure coordination of all mental health and related services for each Veteran assigned to their respective BHIP team. The incumbent is delegated the full scope of authority and responsibility for the administration and coordination of said program and their staff, to include performance standards and evaluations, workload evaluation, competencies, proficiencies and all other personnel related responsibilities. The incumbent assumes professional, technical, and administrative responsibilities for social work programs extended to these areas. The incumbent collaborates with supervisory clinical leads outside of social work (i.e., psychology, nursing, psychiatry) in evaluating their employees' clinical skills. The incumbent is responsible for various control points assigned to the program within the assigned areas. The incumbent is delegated the full scope of authority and responsibility for the administration and coordination of said program and their staff, to include performance standards and evaluations, evaluation of their clinical skills in conjunction with their discipline-specific program areas (social work, substance abuse, etc.), workload evaluation, competencies, proficiencies and all other personnel related responsibilities. The incumbent assumes professional, technical, and administrative. responsibilities for social work programs extended to these areas. The incumbent is responsible for various control points assigned to the program within the assigned areas. The incumbent manages and controls the use of data related to these programs regarding day-to-day functioning and program evaluation. In conjunction with the BHIP Program Coordinator and Mental Health Outpatient Section Chief, plans, organizes and directs administrative, operational, patient and personnel activities for the service. The incumbent is a role model for the interns and non-clinically licensed social workers, as well as senior social workers and social worker psychotherapists within BHIP, demonstrating the ability to apply social work principles to clinical and psychotherapeutic practices. The incumbent will demonstrate a sensitivity to and knowledge about the influence on the services provided of ethnic, cultural, and individual differences. Consistent with the expectation of all advanced practice level social workers, the incumbent meets all of the requirements consistent with functioning as a licensed independent practitioner (LIP) within this medical center. The incumbent is competent to function in any of the following areas and provides specialized clinical services within the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP). These include any of the following options: Performing specialized treatment of complex mental health issues for patients referred to or within the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP), incorporating complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of Veteran patients, including making biopsychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses with approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. Providing evidence-based individual, group, and family psychotherapy as clinically indicated in the treatment of a wide variety of mental health disorders and behavioral deficits for patients referred to or within the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP). Developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in specialty areas, utilizing outcomes evaluations to improve treatment services. Incumbent is able to demonstrate the ability to design changes based on empirical findings. Providing consultation to colleagues and students on the biopsychosocial treatment of patients treated in specialty areas, rendering professional opinions based on experience and expertise and role modeling effective social work practice skills. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. work schedule, but work schedule may be adjusted to meet the needs of the service. Compressed tour may be considered. Telework: May be considered for partial telework. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VISN22HREducationReimbursementTeam@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more