Senior Social Worker

Duties Major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to the following: The Augusta VA Health Care System is seeking highly qualified applicants for our Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) team in the outpatient mental health clinic at our Uptown Division in Augusta, GA.
The incoming clinician will function as a part of an interdisciplinary outpatient mental health team, diagnose and treat mental disorders, and provide consultation to other providers regarding mental disorders.
Primarily responsibilities include service delivery for Veterans with a wide range of psychopathology receiving care within the mental health clinic, including services for patients with complex mental health problems.
The clinician will coordinate with providers of various disciplines for completion of intakes and treatment plans with patients.
Ideal applicants should be have expertise in delivering evidence-based psychotherapy and assessment, which may include individual, family, and group psychotherapy and psychoeducation.
Experience providing tele-mental health services is desired.
Interest and/or experience in process improvement is highly valued on all our teams.
Provides a full range of advanced practice psychological assessment services and diagnose mental disorders, particularly for complex or unusually difficult patients.
FUNCTIONS: Independently provides clinical psychosocial and case management services at an advanced practice level for Veterans, in both the inpatient and outpatient settings, who tend to have frequent and severe crises, lack family or an adequate community support network, are poor at self-monitoring, frequently fail to comply with instructions and treatment, or have significant deficits in coping skills.
Provides supportive counseling and appropriate case management services to reduce the Veteran's stress throughout all phases of treatment.
Incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of Veteran patients, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
Specific tasks may include: A.
Interviews Clients and Conducts Psychosocial Assessments Interviews Veterans and their family members/significant others to establish facts about the Veteran's situation, presenting problems and their causes, and the impact of such problems on the Veteran's functioning and health as part of a comprehensive psychosocial assessment.
Interprets and explains VA's treatment and benefit programs.
Reviews all data, subjective and objective, and makes a clinical assessment identifying needs and strengths.
B.
Diagnoses Psychiatric Conditions Provides supportive counseling, develops collaborative mental health treatment plans, and provides appropriate case management services to reduce the Veteran's stress throughout all phases of treatment.
C.
Plans Effective Treatment Develops psychosocial treatment plans in coordination with interdisciplinary team members, including goals for psychosocial clinical treatment.
Using known available resources and the initial assessment of the Veteran's likelihood to accept differing types of assistance, make initial and continuing decisions regarding use of VA and non-VA services and referrals.
Arrives at a reasoned conclusion as to the preferred course of agency action.
Provides independent consultation and makes recommendations to interdisciplinary team on course of treatment.
D.
Implements Treatment Provides clinical services to Veterans and family members/significant others in support of the Veteran's treatment.
Gives guidance, emotional support, and other assistance.
Provides individual and group counseling services, including psychotherapy in some settings.
Assists and encourages Veterans and significant others in facing problems, thinking them through, evaluating the situation realistically, considering alternative courses of action, and arriving at plans for using resources to resolve problems.
E.
Evaluation, Education, Supervision, Coaching, and Mentoring Establishes a continuing relationship with the Veteran, evaluating progress towards goals and adjusting the treatment plan as appropriate.
Meets with Veteran to assess accomplishments and re-establish goals.
Monitors Veteran's progress, maintains comprehensive documentation, ensures expert diagnosis and treatment of clinical disorders, and shows competent discretion in decision to adjust treatment.
Makes recommendations for care and changes to interdisciplinary treatment plan.
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm, (subject to change based on agency need; alternate work schedules available for qualified candidates).
Telework: Available for qualified staff.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized for qualified candidates.
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.
All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment.
Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
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.
Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
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 https://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 https://vaww.
va.
gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/.
Physical Requirements.
Applicants must pass a pre-employment physical exam/screening.
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.
GS-12, Senior Social Worker: 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.
AND Licensure/Certification.
Individuals assigned as Senior Social Worker 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.
AND 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.
Assignments: For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.
Senior social workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work at an advanced level.
Senior social workers typically practice in a major program area such as but not limited to: Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center or Polytrauma Network Site; a Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Center, or a national VHA referral center, such as a national Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or a national Transplant Center, or other program areas of equivalent scope and complexity.
The senior social worker may be assigned administrative responsibility for clinical program development and is accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns.
Assignments include clinical settings where they have limited access to onsite supervision such as CBOCs or satellite outpatient clinics.
The senior social worker collaborates with the other members of the treatment team in the provision of comprehensive health care services to Veterans, ensures equity of access, service, and benefits to this population, ensures the care provided is of the highest quality.
The senior social worker provides leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs for assigned social work staff.
They serve on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility, VISN and national level, or in the community as deemed appropriate by the supervisor, Social Work Executive or Chief of Social Work Services.
This assignment is to be relatively few in number based on the size of the facility/service and applying sound position management.
This assignment must represent substantial additional responsibility over and above that required at the full performance grade level and cannot be used as the full performance level of this occupation.
Preferred Experience: References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39 dated September 10, 2019.
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS12.
Physical Requirements: The incumbent must be in overall good health, able to sit at a desk working at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies.
The incumbent must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands with reasonable accommodation, if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the Social Worker or others.
Position requires walking throughout the clinic and/or Medical Center, standing for extended periods of time, and involves sitting at a computer and in counsel and consultation with Veterans and interdisciplinary teams.
Position may require minimal travel into the community to meet with community agencies and partners who aid, help, and provide support to the Caregiver Support Program, its Veterans, and caregivers.
This position also requires close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; and repetitive motions of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.
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: https://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: https://www.
ed.
gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.
html.
Additional information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee.
Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience.
This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave.
Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
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 federal career very rewarding.
Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.
Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How You Will Be Evaluated You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC.
WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.
Your application, resume, C.
V.
, and/or supporting documentation will be verified.
Please follow all instructions carefully.
Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.
g.
, Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.
g.
, professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social).
Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.
You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.
g.
, on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.
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 federal career very rewarding.
Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.
Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
Required Documents As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits.
Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee.
You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: License Advanced Social Worker License Resume Transcript The following documents are required and must be provided with your application.
Applicants who do not submit required documentation to determine eligibility and qualifications will be eliminated from consideration.
Other documents may be required based on the eligibility/eligibilities you are claiming.
-Resume: Your resume must include the following for each job listed: 1) Job Title and Grade Level/Salary (for all Federal positions you have held).
In order to show that you meet time-in-grade, you must document grades you have held and how long you have held them.
2) Duties (you must include enough detailed information to support your specialized experience) 3) Month, day and year start/end dates (e.
g.
04/02/2007 to 04/13/2008) 4) Full-time, or Part-time status (include hours worked per week for each job listed) 5) Full Name and Address of Employer Resume Must Support Response.
Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume.
Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail.
RECOMMENDATION: Even though we do not require a specific resume format, your resume must be clear so that we are able to fully evaluate your qualifications.
To ensure you receive appropriate consideration, please list the duties you performed under each individual job title.
If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy.
We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications.
You will be rated ineligible if the resume is not received.
-On-line responses to the questionnaire.
-Copy of transcripts (unofficial is sufficient).
-Copy of current license/certification - Required at time of application being received.
-Copy of latest (non-award) SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, to document status as a federal employee, Required at time of application being received, if not submitted you will be rated ineligible.
-Any other documents required by the checklist below.
Applicants will be rated ineligible for consideration if sufficient documents are not provided to determine qualifications.
The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position.
Please use this checklist to ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.
Cover Letter DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (VA) License VA Form 10-2850c, Application for Associated Health Occupations Advanced Social Worker License Other (3) Professional Certification Resume SF-15 SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Transcript -VA Form 10-2850c Application for Associated Health Occupations can be found at: About VA Form 10-2850C | Veterans Affairs.
Per FY 23 Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) Bulletin - Annual Determination of Staffing Shortages dated 10/03/2023, Veterans' Preference for the Hybrid T38 occupation Social Worker-0185 is waived until September 30, 2024.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications.
Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply All applicants are encouraged to apply online.
To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/30/2024 to receive consideration.
To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.
usastaffing.
gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12221824.
To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account.
Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USA JOBS account, https://my.
usajobs.
gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position.
The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application.
Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USA JOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement.
You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USA JOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Agency contact information Cecelia Perkins Phone 5409822463 2403 Email Cecelia.
Perkins@va.
gov Address Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center One Freedom Way Augusta, GA 30901 US Next steps Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email.
After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met.
After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email.
Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview.
All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications.
Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.
NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons.
Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted.
HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service.
HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties.
VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities.
HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities.
HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students.
HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.
Fair and Transparent The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent.
Please read the following guidance.
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy Reasonable accommodation policy Financial suitability Selective Service New employee probationary period Signature and false statements Privacy Act Social security number request Required Documents To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: License Advanced Social Worker License Resume Transcript The following documents are required and must be provided with your application.
Applicants who do not submit required documentation to determine eligibility and qualifications will be eliminated from consideration.
Other documents may be required based on the eligibility/eligibilities you are claiming.
-Resume: Your resume must include the following for each job listed: 1) Job Title and Grade Level/Salary (for all Federal positions you have held).
In order to show that you meet time-in-grade, you must document grades you have held and how long you have held them.
2) Duties (you must include enough detailed information to support your specialized experience) 3) Month, day and year start/end dates (e.
g.
04/02/2007 to 04/13/2008) 4) Full-time, or Part-time status (include hours worked per week for each job listed) 5) Full Name and Address of Employer Resume Must Support Response.
Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume.
Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail.
RECOMMENDATION: Even though we do not require a specific resume format, your resume must be clear so that we are able to fully evaluate your qualifications.
To ensure you receive appropriate consideration, please list the duties you performed under each individual job title.
If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy.
We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications.
You will be rated ineligible if the resume is not received.
-On-line responses to the questionnaire.
-Copy of transcripts (unofficial is sufficient).
-Copy of current license/certification - Required at time of application being received.
-Copy of latest (non-award) SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, to document status as a federal employee, Required at time of application being received, if not submitted you will be rated ineligible.
-Any other documents required by the checklist below.
Applicants will be rated ineligible for consideration if sufficient documents are not provided to determine qualifications.
The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position.
Please use this checklist to ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.
Cover Letter DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (VA) License VA Form 10-2850c, Application for Associated Health Occupations Advanced Social Worker License Other (3) Professional Certification Resume SF-15 SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Transcript -VA Form 10-2850c Application for Associated Health Occupations can be found at: About VA Form 10-2850C | Veterans Affairs.
Per FY 23 Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) Bulletin - Annual Determination of Staffing Shortages dated 10/03/2023, Veterans' Preference for the Hybrid T38 occupation Social Worker-0185 is waived until September 30, 2024.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements: Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications.
Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.
S.
Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Help This job is open to The public U.
S.
Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.
S.
Clarification from the agency This is an External Announcement open to all US Citizens.
Current Permanent Federal Employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs must apply under the Internal Announcement# CBTB-12222171-24-CDP to receive Internal Consideration.
In accordance with Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) Bulletin, Annual Determination of Staffing Shortages dated 10/03/2023, Veteran's Preference will not be applied to this occupation.