Summary This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply. Responsibilities VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz\ua\UU Major Duties and Responsibilities: The Lead MHICM Social Worker will be responsible for tracking MHICM schedules for compliance, attend National/Facility/Program meetings as required. The Lead Social Worker will provide intensive case management services to assigned veterans and significant others, consistent with the goals and methods of MHICM and the VA Mental Health Initiative and with all relevant Medical Center policies and procedures. Intensive case management services are characterized by assertive outreach, individualized treatment planning, multidimensional orientation, and intensive delivery of services. Participate in National ICMHR calls monthly. Coordinate RANGE schedule and review for compliance. Monitor compliance of NEPEC forms within required timeframe. Frequent, direct contacts with patients to provide therapy and support. Frequency of contacts is increased in times of crisis. Flexibility of veteran contact (veterans are seen in any location and with any MHICM team clinician who can provide assistance). A focus on strengthening the patient's ability to address acute and chronic problems. Use of naturalistic community settings for teaching and modeling problem solving skills. Provision of continuity of care within the framework established by MHICM. For example, collaborates and consults with other interdisciplinary treatment teams and programs to promote and enhance the care of patients. Outreach and assertive provision of services to treatment resistant patients. Mobilization of environmental and organizational supports, including family members, professional, and other interested parties. For example, undertakes individual, family and group therapies as well as educational programs for veterans, families and staff. Also responsible for linking patients to other VA programs and to community resources. Participate in team staffing regarding patient selection, determination of treatment plans and goals, progress evaluation, discharge planning, and after care. Work assertively and consistently with inpatient teams to assure continuity of care by providing consultation regarding clinical needs, treatment plans, and case management services for assigned patients. Works assertively to promote appropriate treatment, rehabilitation, and expeditious discharge of assigned patients, consistent with program goals and with the individual treatment plans. Is actively involved in readmission decisions, using the procedures established for this purpose. Completes clinical documentation according to MHICM and Medical Center standards; this includes but is not limited to progress notes, clinical progress reports, the Treatment Planning Review Form, and the Re-hospitalization Review Form. S(he) will be responsible for completion of required clinical records as well as MHICM forms for evaluation and monitoring of service delivery and outcome for the MHICM forms for evaluating and monitoring of service delivery and outcome for the MHICM Unit Manager, Outpatient Clinic and staff at Northeast Program Evaluation Center (NEPEC). Work with other clinical programs and product lines that share in the care of assigned MHICM patients, including but not limited to each product line and Rehabilitation Care Program. In pursuit of programmatic and treatment goals, maintain effective working relationships and other professional and administrative personnel both within the Medical Center and in the community. Provide documentation of patient care as prescribed by the MHICM and Medical Center Directives. Also document any problem areas concerning implementation of the program and own activities within the programs and making suggestions for resolving any such problems consistent with MHICM and Medical Center policies and procedures. Meet with VA, community, and professional organizations and individuals as needed to carry out assigned developmental and implementation responsibilities. This includes but is not limited to representing the program by screening veteran for participation in any aspects of the program. Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:30pm, Monday - Friday Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 00000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. 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). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. 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: 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 SW Licensure Summary by State. Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Traveling throughout the medical center and the community is required, Incumbents must possess a valid, unrestricted state driver's license. 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. 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: a highly qualified Lead Mental Health Intensive Case Management (MHICM) Social Worker (GS-12) who will provide comprehensive services to veterans with severe and chronic mental health conditions. The ideal candidate will have extensive knowledge of evidence-based practices, and a proven track record of interdisciplinary collaboration and team leadership. Preferred candidates will have case management certification, and a strong background in veteran services. 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: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services. 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: http://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://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information 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. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. 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. 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. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
