Senior Social Worker (Mental Health) - Edrp Approved

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. 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. Learn more
This job is open to

• Internal to an agency
  Current federal employees of this agency.

Clarification from the agency
This announcement is open to (Current & Permanent) Employees of the West Texas VA Health Care System only.
Videos
Duties
VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU
The Senior Social Worker (Mental Health) within the West Texas VA HCS( WTVAHCS) is administratively within the Behavioral Health Service Line. The Senior Social Worker will provide face-to-face and/or teleMental Health (e.g. telephone, VA Video Connect) services to Veterans across WTVAHCS sites of care.
The Senior Social Worker:

• Serves as the Mental Health Treatment Coordinator for an assigned panel of Veterans.
• Ensures proper patient assignments/reassignments/removals in Patient Centered Management Module (PCMM) for Mental Health.
• Provides education to patients, family members and significant others regarding Mental Health disorders and best practices approaches to treatment.
• Maintains regular contact with assigned Veterans, as clinically indicated (e.g., as long as ongoing care is requested).
• Coordinates and develops the Veteran's treatment plan, incorporating input from the Veteran, and when appropriate the family with the Veteran's consent.
• Provides consultation to health care providers about Veterans, ensuring that care is coordinated, collaborative and integrated within the WTVAHCS.
• Routinely implements goal-oriented and measurement-based care into care coordination, using data to help inform treatment decisions.
• Monitors and documents implementation of the treatment plan, including tracking progress in the care delivered, the outcomes, achieved, and the goals attained.
• Ensures that referrals to other resources are completed and that the Veteran receives the appropriate level of care, either through the VA or through community care and/or resources.
• Collaborates with other Behavioral Health Coordinators (e.g., Suicide Prevention Coordinator, Local Recovery Coordinator, Local EBP Coordinator) to ensure identified Veterans are provided with appropriate levels of care.
• Provides same day access services (e.g. triage) to Veterans presenting to Behavioral Health without a scheduled appointment.
• Complies with all Behavioral Health Service (BHS) documentation requirements, including standards for timely completion of CPRS patient contact notes, use of required documentation templates, clinical reminders, treatment plans, risk assessment protocols, and proper patient checkout procedures (e.g., entering diagnostic and procedure codes).
• Follows service and VA guidelines (e.g., using designated note templates) for delivering and documentation care delivery.
• Complies with national and local performance measures, including timely health care screening and completion of clinical reminders for all patients.
• Adheres to all WTVAHCS and BHS policies and practices for delivering clinical care, including but not limited to risk assessment and reduction practices for potentially dangerous behavior (suicide and violence), timeliness of care and access standards, professional conduct requirements and CPRS documentation conventions.
• Adheres to all service policies and procedures established by Behavioral Health Leadership.
• Complies with all WTVAHCS and VHA policies and expectations concerning administrative practices, including but not limited to leave authorization, documentation, and completion of TMS educational requirements.
• Complies with national and local performance measures (e.g., SAIL) and facilitates organizational success on these measures at the section and/or program level.
• The Social Worker collaborates with the assigned specialty care program directors in developing implementing, and managing interdisciplinary treatment(s). The Social Worker participates in expanding clinical knowledge related to the treatment and population to which they are assigned.
• Assists Behavioral Health Leadership in executing ongoing program evaluation and data driven quality improvement projects to monitor the effectiveness of the clinical program.
• Attends regular Behavioral Health meetings, Medical Staff meetings, and complies with peer review procedures.
• Attends and participates in administrative and informational meetings held by Behavioral Health and other VA Leadership.
• Completes annual surveys.
• Maintains current knowledge of and practices in accordance with The Joint Commission (TJC), Commission on the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), or other accrediting or governing body requirements.
• Protects printed and electronic files containing sensitive data in accordance with provisions of Federal privacy acts and confidentiality statutes. Follows regulations and instructions regarding release of sensitive or protected patient or employee information.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 4:30 PM
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 00000
EDRP: Approved, Please contact the EDRP Coordinator at VISN17EDRP2@va.gov for more information.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
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.
• 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:

• 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/.
• Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
• 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 meet this requirement through the Grandfathering Provision

Preferred Experience: GS-12

• MSW degree, with advanced licensure as a Clinical Licensed Social Worker (LCSW) with experience in the field of Mental Health social work and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level
• Experience in serving as a Mental Health Treatment Coordinator for Veterans, ensuring continuity through their treatment and its transitions
• Experience in managing large patient panels and updating patient treatment plan
• Experience in working on a Behavioral Health interdisciplinary team and coordinating care with other services and providers
• Experience delivering virtual care modalities
• Experience in delivering unscheduled (i.e., same day) care and crisis management

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade level.
Senior Social Worker, GS-12 Experience and 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. Individuals assigned Senior Social Worker 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, the candidate 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
Physical Requirements:
There are no set physical requirements for this position. Use of eyes, hands, walking/standing and hearing may be needed to perform some functions. Mental, emotional, and cognitive stability are required.
References: VA Handbook 5005/120 Part II Appendix G39, September 10, 2019
The grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12.
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: 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.
Note: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.
Note: If your school was accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) at the time of graduation but is no longer listed on the CSWE website, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet. 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.
Additional information
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 1193.01, 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.

• Benefits
  A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your...