Summary

The VISN 10 Clinical Resource Hub (CRH) Mental Health Social Worker - based in Cleveland VA - provides clinical services to underserved VISN facilities. Working under the CRH Evidence-Based Psychotherapy Supervisor - the role delivers care through virtual and in-person modalities - primarily VVC and CVT - ensuring access where staffing gaps exist across the network.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

• Citizenship
• 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
• 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
• 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)
• Grandfathering Provision
• The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all title 38 hybrid qualification standards
• Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/registration requirements that apply to this occupation
• (1) All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title - series and grade held - including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation
• For employees who do not meet all of the basic requirements in this standard - but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it - the following provisions apply: (2) Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure or certification - may be reassigned - promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level - or changed to lower grade within the occupation - but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions
• (3) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed - on a temporary or permanent basis - until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard
• (4) Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation - who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation
• (5) If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. § 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation
• the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation
• 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 at a later date to the GS-0185 series - they must be licensed or certified to qualify for employment as a social worker
• Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates
• 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: 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 causation 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: Two or more years of VA mental health clinical experience At least one year of virtual mental health care experience Successful completion of two or more VA Evidence-Based Practice Trainings - including successful completion of VA consultation (e.g. - ACT-D - CBT-CP - CBT-I - CBT-D - CPT - IPT-D - IBCT - PE) At least one year of work on an inter-professional clinical team Experience with crisis response / suicide screening and assessment activities Experience with measurement based care Prior work experience as a GS-12 Senior Social Worker Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12
• Physical Requirements: Work will require walking - standing - bending and carrying light items in conjunction with occasional travel and attendance at meetings and conferences away from the work site
• The work is performed in an office setting with adequate lighting and other facilities with no unusual health hazards
• The incumbent observes normal safety precautions.

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 Major duties and responsibilities for Senior Social but not limited to: Maintains high level of skill and expertise to establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans and/or their families
• Completes a thorough diagnostic assessments to determine the psychosocial functioning make recommendations related to psychotherapeutic interventions
• Participates as a member of their clinical treatment team and actively participates through collaboration with Veterans and family as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members - including but not limited to Psychiatrists - Nurse Practitioners - Psychologists - Social Workers - RNs - Peer Support Specialists and Administrative Support staff - in the development and implementation of a treatment plan
• Possesses a working knowledge and experience in use of mental health and substance abuse diagnoses and treatment procedures - including acute - chronic and traumatic illnesses
• Facilitates discharge planning through collaboration with Veterans and their families as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members to ensure that appropriate discharge plans are executed in a timely manner
• Possesses skills and knowledge to provide case management services to Veterans and their families throughout the continuum of care
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - standard daytime hours across multiple time zones
• Evenings - weekends and holidays required as necessary based on the needs of the Clinical Resource Hub and spoke sites
• Occasional travel is required between spoke sites - community partner locations - and host facility as needed for training - coordinating requirements between providers and Veterans - meetings - auditing - and patient care
• This required travel may include overnight travel outside of Tour of Duty and travel by plane
• Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)
• Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave - 13 days of sick leave - 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual - based on prior [work experience] or military service experience
• 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 $416.66
• 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) Remote: This position is designated as remote
• Remote work is defined as full-time employment conducted outside of a VA facility or in VA-leased spaces
• The option for remote work will be assessed continuously - and the selected individual may need to return to a VA office if required
• The selectee must live within 50 miles of a VA Medical Center
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 91261-0