Summary

Position maybe filled as a Senior Social Worker or Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor The Senior Social Worker is responsible for behavioral and psychosocial health services for Veterans within the interdisciplinary pain team located at the Sioux Falls VA Health Care System.

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 - Employee Occupational Health Services
• 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 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: 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: Experience in evidence based principals for pain management
• Preferred experience with biopsychosocial model of pain management
• Versed in performing psychological assessments related to pain
• Versed in providing group and individual counseling related to Pain management
• 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: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position
• Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

Duties

• VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Duties include but are not limited to the following: The incumbent must use a high level of skill in assessing and treating the behavioral and psychosocial problems of Veterans referred to the REC Pain Team
• The incumbent will provide at least one evidence-based behavioral intervention for pain (i.e
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain - Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Chronic Pain - Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction)
• Conduct comprehensive biopsychological assessments and risk assessments and develop and implement treatment plans that guide practice
• The incumbent will coordinate care with the interdisciplinary pain team - associated referral sources - and the behavioral/mental health care team members to integrate psychosocial factors and evidence based treatment into case conceptualization and treatment planning
• The incumbent will possess (or obtain) advanced training in behavioral medicine - trauma informed care - motivational interviewing - and working with special populations (such as women's health)
• The incumbent will utilize a high level of expertise and skill to establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans and is able to work with Veterans and their families who are experiencing a wide range of complicated medical - psychiatric - emotional - behavioral - and psychosocial problems
• The incumbent will act as an advocate when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregivers
• The incumbent will provide consultation and education to Veterans and their families regarding community resources - VA benefits and specialty programs - and advance directives
• The incumbent will provide interdisciplinary group treatment with a range of intensity including Active Management of Pain (AMP) and comprehensive Interdisciplinary Pain Rehabilitation Program (s) and will possess the knowledge and ability to independently implement treatment modalities - provide counseling and/or supportive groups for Veterans and families and assist with addressing Goals of Care and Advance Directive/Living Will with the Veteran
• Collaborates in the performance improvement processes and complies with performance measures
• Other duties as assigned Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am to 4:00pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases 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) Telework: Ad Hoc Emergency Telework MAY BE Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized