Senior Social Worker

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.

Responsibilities The Oklahoma City VA Medical Center, Mental Health, is currently recruiting for one (1)

Senior Social Worker.

This is a multi-disciplinary position and selections can be made from the following, Staff Psychologist, Senior Social Worker, and Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor.

This position will be located at the South OKC CBOC (Community Based Outpatient Clinic). VA Careers - Licensed Clinical Social Worker:
Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career- Social Work: The CBOC Senior Social Worker has knowledge in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in a specialty area. The incumbent utilizes outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to improve and/or modify treatment services and/or programs. The incumbent demonstrates the ability to design changes based on empirical findings. The incumbent expands their clinical knowledge by demonstrating innovative models of psychosocial assessment or intervention to identify and address specialized clinical needs.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

Incumbent is a licensed clinical social worker able to independently provide all services listed below and possess knowledge and experience in the delivery of mental health services: The CBOC Senior Social Worker will develop an assessment of the Veteran in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team, the Veteran, family members, and significant others.

The goal of the assessment is to highlight the Veteran's strengths, limitations, internal/external supports, and service needs to optimize the Veteran's functional status.

The incumbent will be able to incorporate complex multiple causation in the differential diagnosis and treatment.

Incumbent understands the range of specialized treatment, interventions and skills needed for all adult Veterans including geriatric Veterans related to their physical limitations, psychological needs, and age-associated illnesses and conditions.

The incumbent must have an understanding of the problems of advancing age and respect for the diversification of the aging Veteran population, being sensitive to human growth and development, age appropriate needs and concerns of the geriatric Veteran and be able to provide current and advanced techniques to the treatment of this Veteran population.

Counseling and Psychotherapy - The CBOC Senior Social Worker provides individual, group, and (if credentialed and privileged) family psychotherapy and psychoeducational services, as well as advanced case management.

The incumbent will practice at an advanced, independent practice level and may receive training on various evidence-based treatments.

Treatment Planning/Goal Setting - The CBOC Senior Social Worker is responsible for collaboratively developing the treatment plan and setting achievable treatment goals with the Veteran/family.

The treatment plan will be completed by the Veteran's third visit for mental health services.

The plan will be updated yearly or more frequently if there is a change in the Veteran's condition or needs.

Referral to Service Providers - Throughout the course of treatment the CBOC Senior Social Worker is the subject matter expert on VA and/or community resources.

The incumbent will collaborate with other service providers in reassessing the Veteran's needs. Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule:
Monday Friday 8:00 a

m - 4:30 pm Compressed/Flexible:

Not available Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.

Contact , the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance.

Learn more Pay:
Competitive salary and regular salary increases 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 $ 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:
May be available according to Agency policy Virtual: This is not a virtual position

Functional Statement #:
PD54575-A Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Financial Disclosure Report:
Not required Requirements Conditions of Employment 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. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Must pass pre-employment physical examination.

Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications Basic Requirements:
Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States.

(Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g this part).

English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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 to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of social work.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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:

None References:
VA HANDBOOK 5005/120 PART II APPENDIX G39 This vacancy is being announced above the full performance level at a GS-12

Physical Requirements:
See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 Education

IMPORTANT:
A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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:
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:
Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or 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. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. 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.

Pursuant to VHA Directive , VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy).

VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations.

If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date.

The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

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.

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act (or the Act) prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from requesting applicant criminal history record information before extending a conditional or tentative offer of employment.

In accordance with 5 U.S.C § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Act.

Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Act, may submit a written complaint within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged non-compliance to VA at Applicant written complaints should include the following: Administration name: Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Office name, employee name and contact information or contractor who made contact (if known).

Date of contact.

Details regarding the job opportunity announcement applied to, and copies of any documents or other evidence related to the complaint.

Visit Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) for more information.

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