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. Learn more 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 http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/. 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 at the GS-9 grade level. For the GS-11 grade level and above, the candidate must be licensed or certified. At the time of appointment, the supervisor, chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification, including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline. For appointments at the GS-9 grade level, VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent, master's level within three years of their appointment as a social worker. Most states require two years of post-MSW experience as a prerequisite to taking the licensure/certification exam, and VHA gives social workers one additional year to pass the licensure/certification exam. In states such as California, Washington, and others where the prerequisites for licensure exceed two years, social workers must become licensed at the independent, master's level within one year of meeting the full state prerequisites for licensure. A social worker who does not yet have a license that allows independent practice must be supervised by a licensed independent practitioner of the same discipline who is a VA staff member and who has access to the electronic health record. 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). 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. Grade Determinations: Social Worker, GS-9 Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills. 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. 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. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. 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. Grade Determinations: Social Worker, GS-11 Experience and Licensure. Appointment to the GS-11 grade level requires completion of a minimum of one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the field of health care or other social work-related settings, (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level. OR, Education. In addition to meeting basic requirements, a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required one year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services. 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. 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. 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. 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 Physical Requirements: The physical demands of this position involve primarily walking, sitting, talking, use of fingers, both hands required, Near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other, Hearing (aid permitted). 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. ["Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm\nTelework: Available\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nFunctional Statement #: 000000\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized\nEDRP Authorized: Contact V21CCOEERDP@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance\nPermanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required This position serves as an entry level Social Worker in the Mental Health Clinic (MHC), a multi-disciplinary team within Mental Health Service. The Social Worker receives clinical supervision until independently licensed. The position provides the following services under clinical supervision until independently licensed: coordination of care for Veterans transitioning levels of care, ensuring continuity of care for Veterans receiving community care and/or services at other VA Medical Centers, completing biopsychosocial assessments, providing individual and group therapy, case management, crisis intervention and advocacy services. The Social Worker will have skills and training in the current treatment of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders. The position is a Care Coordinator assigned to the Mental Health Clinic at the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System. The Social Worker is responsible for providing care coordination services including but not limited to biopsychosocial assessment, walk-in/crisis services, education, provision of self-management resources, determining and monitoring care coordination needs over time, providing care coordination, and facilitating follow-up and outreach as needed to promote proactive, personalized care and care continuity. Duties of the position include, but are not limited to: Coordinates care including serving as an advocate on behalf of the Veterans in the Mental Health Clinic to ensure delivery of comprehensive, seamless MH service. Responsible for following national guidance and local policy and SOPs for the MHC. This includes following policies and documentation requirements as required for CARF and The Joint Commission accreditation as well as other internal and external requirements. Actively participates in program planning and development, advising supervisor of shifting trends with care coordination needs and caseloads and identifying the need for making recommendations on program procedures and/or policy changes based upon work experiences Takes responsibility for improving professional skills, participating in planning and executing specific staff development projects, attending seminars and institutes, and participating in training programs. Provide a full range of services within commonly accepted standards of practice and prioritizes care coordination activities as the primary job function [e.g., needs assessment, chart reviews, care or case management (as needed), discharge planning, outreach, etc.] and other services as appropriate. Provide care coordination (including care management or case management) to Veterans and families, as needed, throughout the continuum of care. This includes communication within and across care lines to facilitate continuity of care for Veterans. Conduct biopsychosocial assessments to determine care coordination and treatment needs of Veterans. Provide consultation/education to Veterans and families on VA resources (including self-management tools), community resources, Advance Directives and VA benefits. Be an active participant in the treatment planning process with other disciplines. Participate in discharge planning with other disciplines and will be responsible for ensuring that discharge plans are executed in a manner that is timely and appropriate to promote care continuity. Act as a clinical resource/point-of-contact to Veterans and other team/staff members. Act as liaison between VA and community resources, to include education and bidirectional communication that promotes seamless care. May be times when the position may provide individual, family and group counseling as appropriate. Provide wellness/prevention education and may facilitate patient/family educational/bridging supportive sessions as appropriate. Document interventions and activities in patient's electronic health record and ensure appropriate hand-off communication and documentation when transferring patient care. Maintain familiarity and share responsibility with other team members for performance measures relevant to the MHC team. Perform other MHC-related duties as directed by the Supervisor, such as, but not limited to: training/mentoring and oversight of new staff and those not yet clinically licensed, preparing for and training staff on CARF and The Joint Commission standards and accreditation process, and participating in the peer review process. Participate in committee assignments, as deemed necessary by the service manager. Other duties as assigned by management."]