Senior Social Worker

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Senior Social Worker

Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration

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Details

Posted: 09-Jun-26

Location: Columbia, Missouri

Categories

Mental Health/Social Services

Internal Number: 872136100

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

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 Master 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/
• Grandfathering Provision: 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
• NOTE: If social workers covered under the grandfathering provision of the 1991 Federal law regarding licensure or certification of VHA social workers leave the GS 0185 social work series - they lose the grandfathering protection
• If they choose to return later to the GS-0185 series - they must be licensed or certified to qualify for employment as a social worker
• English Language Proficiency
• Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. Â
• 7403(f)
• 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 (1) 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
• (2) 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
• (3) Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - candidates must demonstrate all 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 causations 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 area - 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: 3-5 years' experience medical social work (inpatient/outpatient) 3-5 years' experience with various levels of complex case management Experience with internal and external stakeholder collaboration for veterans with complex needs Participation in local - VISN - VACO committee or workgroup System redesign experience (green belt preferred) Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements
• See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - Employee Occupational Health Services.

Duties

• VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU VA Careers - Licensed Clinical Social Worker: https://youtube.com/embed/U_xC25QsN0w Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Duties include but are not limited to the following: Incumbent is a professional social worker assigned to the acute medical areas and will assist with case management of Veterans who are at risk of or are experiencing lengthy inpatient stays
• The incumbent must use a high level of skill in assessing and treating the complicated psychosocial problems of Veterans and their families/significant others
• The incumbent will have expert clinical psychosocial and case management services in a specialized area of practice to Veterans who tend to have serious and severe crises - may lack any familial and community support - may be poor self-monitors - may frequently fail to comply with instructions and treatment - or may have major deficits in coping skills and require continuing professional psychological support
• The incumbent makes independent professional clinical decisions and recommendations for agency action related to causes for delay in length of stay - challenges with complex Veterans and ability to facilitate a safe discharge plan
• The incumbent work will involve intensive social work services requiring the exercise of mature professional judgment and the flexible use of a wide range of complex social work practice skills not typically required in routine social work interventions
• The incumbent will bring experience with a range of specialized interventions and provide consultation to colleagues - render professional opinions based on experience and expertise - develop new models of psychosocial assessment or intervention - and incorporate complex multiple causations in differential diagnosis and treatment
• Social work responsibilities include the assessment of psychosocial problems that cause distress - often impacting the health condition and creating barriers to care
• These stressors can include adjustment to the current medical condition - guardianship/conservatory - and inadequate housing and transportation
• Coordination with members of multiple inpatient and outpatient interdisciplinary teams to assure a collaborative effort to meet the agreed upon goals for a Veteran's treatment needs and include liaison with community professionals regarding needed services for Veterans and/or their families
• The incumbent will become the point of contact for staff and team members to complex cases such as guardians - geriatric psychiatric needs/care - unhoused Veterans - and other complex medical conditions that can have an impact on the ability to secure a safe discharge plan
• Must have advanced skill and expertise to establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans on the unit and/or their families as well as members of various interdisciplinary teams
• The incumbent can independently work with Veterans and their families who are experiencing a wide range of complicated medical - psychiatric - emotional - behavioral - financial - legal and psychosocial problems
• Must actively participate as a member of multiple interdisciplinary treatment teams and actively participate through collaboration with Veterans and family as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members in the development and implementation of treatment goals and interventions
• Will be the point of contact for all patient advocate referrals - such as - white house hotlines - Congressional inquiries and concerns voiced by Veterans and their Caregivers
• The incumbent will be responsible for following up on these concerns and completing appropriate documentation to close out these items with the patient advocates
• Must possess a working knowledge and experience in use of medical and mental health diagnoses - disabilities - and treatment procedures - including acute - chronic and traumatic illnesses - substance abuse disorders - common medications and their effects/side effects - and medical terminology
• Must possess knowledge and advance practice ability to implement treatment modalities and evidence-based practices as well as provide educational classes - and/or supportive groups for Veterans and families - including shared medical appointments
• Will be the consultative representative for treatment teams and staff members regarding psychosocial needs of Veterans and/or their families and the impact of the identified psychosocial problems on the Veteran's health care planning and compliance with treatment
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 7:00am -3:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: Social Worker FS/000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact ***email_hidden*** - the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
• Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

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About Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.

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