ASHHRA Career Center

Incumbent directs the IOP & Family Therapy (FT) programs for Behavioral Health (BH) Services & reports directly to the Assistant Chief - BH & to the Associate Chief of Staff for Behavioral Health. Responsible for the planning, establishing & implementing of policies/procedures for the IOP & FT program; supervising staff for assigned program(s) & developing individual/group goals & objectives as well as monitoring, operating, evaluating, coordinating & overseeing services in assigned program(s). 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. 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. Different states have different levels of licensure or certification, making it difficult for VHA staff to determine the independent practice level. Each state, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia completed surveys identifying the level of licensure or certification allowing independent practice. Copies of the surveys are on file in the VHA Office of Care Management and Social Work Services, and a summary spreadsheet of the levels of licensure or certification is available to social work professional standards board members for purposes of determining whether the social worker's level of licensure or certification meets the VHA qualification standards. All states except California use a series of licensure exams administered by the ASWB. Information can be found at https://www.aswb.org/. The ASWB is the association of boards that regulates social work. ASWB develops and maintains the social work licensing examination used across the country and is a central resource for information on the legal regulation of social work. The ASWB offers three examinations. The master's examination is generally used by states for the independent practice level of licensure or certification, while the advanced generalist and the clinical examinations are used for the advanced practice level of licensure or certification. Differences between the master's and the advanced exams demonstrate the expectation that advanced practice social workers will have a more sophisticated knowledge of practice theory and its application. Failure to Obtain License or Certification. In all cases, social workers must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure or certification starting from the date of their appointment. Failure to become licensed or certified within the prescribed amount of time will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment. Loss of Licensure or Certification. Once licensed or certified, social workers must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment. Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment. 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: Supervisory Social Worker, GS-13 Experience/Education. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills in a specialty area or in administration demonstrating progressively more professional competency and judgment. Candidate may have certification or other post-master's degree training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship, or equivalent supervised professional experience. Licensure/Certification. Individuals assigned as supervisory social workers must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level, and must be able to provide supervision for licensure. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to independently organize work, set priorities, and meet multiple deadlines. Skill in a range of supervisory duties which includes clinical supervision, consultation, negotiation with other departments and quality improvement. Ability to ensure provision of clinical social work services by supervised social workers. Ability to delegate authority, manage priorities, coordinate work, and follow up on pending issues to complete duties in an accurate and timely fashion. Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems, develop and implement solutions that result in efficient operations, and use data effectively to manage workload, quality, performance, and productivity within the service. Ability to provide staff training and development. Preferred Experience: Experience working with Veteran population Training/expertise in evidence-based treatment for SUD and PTSD Demonstrated experience developing effective programs Demonstrated experience conducting program evaluations and implementing measurement-based care Minimum two years management experience References: VA Handbook 5005/120 Part II Appendix G39 Social Worker Qualification Standard GS-0185 Veterans Health Administration September 10, 2019. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. ["A Recruitment Incentive may be authorized for a highly qualified individual VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Duties include, but are not limited to: Fully responsible for management and oversight of assigned program(s). Providing leadership for programs in an effective manner, demonstrating a high level of initiative and independence in carrying out the administrative and patient care functions in accordance with the EPVAHCS and Veterans Health Administration policies and procedures. Covering multiple sites of care in the El Paso TX and Las Cruces NM catchment areas. Fully responsible for developing all aspects of assigned program(s) that will enable Veterans to access case management and comprehensive medical and behavioral health care. Providing leadership to direct reports assigned to program in the application of clinical practice, case management, organizational processes and/or systems improving outcomes at the agency/service level, utilizing the clinical knowledge and skills required to provide behavioral health care services to Veterans. Community relationships are an integral part of the responsibilities. Ensuring continuity of patient care across all programs, the development and implementation of the plan of care. Facilitating the evaluation and treatment of Veterans who tend to have frequent and severe crises, lack family or an adequate community support network, poor at self-monitoring, frequently fail to comply with instructions and treatment, or have significant deficits in coping skills and require continuing professional psychosocial support. Responsible for planning, coordinating and evaluating all aspects of assigned program by maintaining a program-specific database and answering suspense's that ensure the provision of quality care and continuity of service. Representing Behavioral Health Service both within the VA Medical Center and the community at large Collaborating with community agencies and other VA programs to develop and implement services for s Veterans. Overseeing, supervising and implementing programs pertaining to assigned program to ensure compliance with VA policy, procedures and standards of care. Responsible for the supervision of all professional, para-professional and administrative staff in assigned program(s), including but not limited prescribers, therapist, RN's, LVN's, and support staff. Conducting team conferences on a weekly basis to promote professional development, administrative training and coordination of services. Work Schedule: Fulltime, Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Recruitment Incentive: Authorized for a highly qualified individual EDRP Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Not a Bargaining Unit position"]

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