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. 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. English proficiency: All candidates must be fluent in spoken and written English. Education: Master's degree in social work (MSW) from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), or other master's in science in social work (MSSW), social service administration (MSSA), social service (MSS), social administration (MSA) or social welfare as accredited by the CSWE. You MUST have earned your degree by the time the job announcement closes. Those without the required master's degree will be disqualified. (If you are a VA intern graduating in the next 2 months, you may be eligible, pending credentialing and graduation with required Master's degree.) Licensure: Must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. Exception: VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. This exception only applies the GS-9, entry level position. For those hired without a license, they will be required to obtain licensure within three (3) years of appointment. Experience GS-11: Must have a license to independently practice social work along with 1 year post-MSW experience in the field of health care social work, OR possess a doctoral degree in social work that may be substituted fro the required 1 year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting Grade Determinations: GS-9 Requirements: This is the entry level for social workers and is used for social workers with less than 1 year of post-MSW experience. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities for GS-9: (a) Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills. (b) Ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the Veterans problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed. (c) Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals. This requires judgment and skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving, or crisis intervention techniques. (d) Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. (e) Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures. This includes acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses/injuries; common medications and their effects/side effects; and medical terminology. GS-11 Requirements: This is the full performance level for social workers. GS-11 Social Workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work. They are assigned to all program areas, including inpatient or outpatient medicine, surgery, mental health, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, and geriatrics. Employees provide professional, independent social work services in the assigned area. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities for GS-11: (a) Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services. (b) Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational and other diversified backgrounds. (c) Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities and treatment procedures (i.e. acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology) to formulate a treatment plan. (d) Skill in independently implementing different treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems to achieve treatment goals. (e) Ability to provide consultation services to new social workers, social work graduate students, and other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G39 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to GS-11. You must obtain licensure before you will eligible to be promoted to GS-11. Please Note: If you are not yet independently licensed, you will not be promoted to grade 11. Physical Requirements: Light lifting and carrying (under 15 lbs); use of fingers, both hands required; walking & standing (1 hour); both hands required; Operation of motor vehicle; ability for rapid mental & muscular coordination simultaneously; ability to distinguish basic colors; hearing (aid permitted). Environmental factors include exposure to: excessive heat/cold, dust/fumes, working alone & with others, working around moving vehicles, overhead light, ambient noise, smells from being in close proximity with others (including soap, shampoo, perfume, food and/or lingering tobacco smoke from smokers). ["VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU The Social Worker is the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Specialist for Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) and the Heath Care for Homeless Veterans Programs. This position provides case management and intervention support to SSVF in a team oriented, recovery-based program. The SUD Specialist supports the SSVF Program by providing continuity of care between Homeless Programs through services to Veterans with SUDs. The incumbent provides on-going substance use case management and early treatment interventions to promote sustained stability and abstinence while receiving SSVF services and post discharge until transitioned to another care manager as needed. These Veterans are frequently homeless due to their SUD activities, so providing SUD treatment support and early intervention promotes recovery, improved quality of life, and successful permanent housing. These Veterans are frequently also diagnosed with co-occurring mental health, physical health and social problems that require skill in early intervention and crisis management. The incumbent must be able to develop appropriate professional relationships with the Veterans and meet the Veteran where they are ready to engage in treatment. The incumbent also will need to develop liaison relationships with more acute treatment providers/programs, such as an Intensive Outpatient Program. The incumbent will provide appropriate group and individual case management and treatment. Major duties will include, but will not be limited to: - Independently conducts intake and needs assessment of homeless Veterans and their significant others. Identifies symptoms leading to clinical diagnoses of SUD. - Provides all necessary assessment functions, e.g., interviewing, psychosocial histories, and SUD assessments to aid in the development of treatment plans. - Develops comprehensive treatment plans with the Veteran that address the factors that contributed to homelessness, including SUD and other co-occurring factors within a recovery model framework. - Works with the Veteran to realize the Veteran's treatment goals and reassesses and revises goals as indicated by the Veteran's engagement in treatment. - Organizes and conducts individual and group case management and SUD treatment, to include early interventions and supportive follow-up to ensure stability in home visits and facility-based contacts. - Provides SUD support to the SSVF Grantee as a functional member of this team, to include consultation, interventions, or accompanying other case managers on home visits, when indicated by suspicion of SSVF participant SUD use. - Will serve as a member of a multidisciplinary homeless program treatment team. - Will develop partnerships with community agencies, especially those serving homeless and SUD Veterans, with regular contact and communication. - Will provide liaison services with other programs referring homeless Veterans to SSVF to ensure continuity of care and promote successful transition of Veterans from one program to another. - Will participate in policy making, goal setting, and treatment service planning discussions with SSVF Grantees and Homeless Programs. - Will provide appropriate clinical documentation for all contacts with or about Veterans. - Will be responsible for the collection of statistical data and for reviewing the data to improve performance and delivery of services to homeless Veterans. - Provides recovery-oriented treatment with the goal of establishing the Veteran independently in the community at the Veteran's highest level of functioning and quality of life. -The incumbent will conduct and participate in outreach activities including field interviews, assessments and referrals for homeless Veterans contacted in the community, shelters, and \"on the streets\" with the SSVF Grantee. Work Schedule: 8:00AM-4:30PM Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]

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