Summary The Range Social Worker is assigned to the Intensive Community Mental Health Recovery (ICMHR) Program and provides evidence based treatment and intensive case management services for seriously mentally ill Veterans at the Morristown Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC). The Social Worker serves as a case manager/therapist at an advanced practice level and must have mastery of theories and modalities used in the specialized treatment of complex physical problems and chronic mental illness. Responsibilities VA Careers - Licensed Clinical Social Worker: https://youtube.com/embed/U_xC25QsN0w Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Social Work: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Social-Worker-Career-Flyer.pdf Located between Cherokee and Douglas Lakes, and just a short drive from Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Morristown is an outdoor lover's paradise. Boating, fishing, mountain biking, hiking, camping, and disc golf are just a few of the outdoor activities that beckon. Cultural arts and history can be enjoyed at our museums and arts center, historic downtown is teeming with unique shops and eating establishments, and our many annual events have become regional favorites. If you're looking for a day of shopping and exploring, a weekend on the lake, or attending a great event make Morristown your next destination! The Morristown outpatient clinic provides primary care and specialty health services, including women's health care, pharmacy, and more. The Range Social Worker serves as a member of a multidisciplinary ICMHR program treatment team. The incumbent will have the ability to expand clinical knowledge of the profession, provide consultation and guidance to colleagues as well as role model effective social work practice skills. The incumbent must be able to teach or provide orientation to less experienced social workers and develop innovations in practice. Duties include but are not limited to: Independently conducts intake and needs assessment of Veterans and their significant others. Identifies symptoms leading to clinical diagnoses of SMI and co-occurring disorders. Provides all necessary assessment functions, e.g., interviewing, psychosocial histories, and referrals to aid in the development of treatment plans. Develops comprehensive treatment plans with the Veteran that address the symptoms of SMI and other co-occurring disorders within recovery model framework. Works with the Veteran to realize the Veteran's treatment goals and reassesses and revises goals as indicated by the Veteran's engagement in treatment. Provides direct EBT and specialized interventions and treatment modalities used for Veterans enrolled in ICMHR at the Morristown CBOC. Organizes and conducts intensive case management, individual, group and family treatment, to include early interventions and supportive follow-up to ensure stability. Serves as a member of a multidisciplinary ICMHR program treatment team. Provides liaison services with other programs referring SMI Veterans to ensure continuity of care and promote successful transition of Veterans from the ICMHR program following graduation from the program. Writes policies and procedures for the ICMHR program. Provides documentation for the Northeast Program Evaluation Center (NEPEC). Provides training for Mental Health staff regarding SMI and available EBTs. Maintains data and statistical compilations to comply with ICMHR, JCAHO, VA and medical center policy and procedures. Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 7:45am-4:30pm 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 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: Adhoc as Determined by Supervisor Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 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. 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. A current, valid state issued Driver's License is required for this position. NOTE: We cannot accept photographs, therefore; please do not submit a copy of your license with your application package. If an interview is requested, you will be required to provide a copy of your current, valid state-issued Driver's License. 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. English Language Proficiency Requirement - Per VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, Paragraph 3j: No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C., chapter 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English. Education - Candidates must 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 - Social workers at the GS-12 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. 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: Experience: In additional to meeting the basic requirements as stated above, you must have the following: GS-12 Level: Range Senior Social Worker (Case Manager) must posses 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. Must have advanced knowledge and expert skill in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practices in the ICMHR program, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services. Must also be able to demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities: Advanced knowledge of and mastery of theories and modalities used in the specialized treatment of complex physical and mental illness of SMI Veterans. Advanced expertise in crisis intervention and be able to use community and VA resources as needed. Advanced knowledge, experience and training required to perform assessments and evaluations, treatment plans and case management for chronically mentally ill Veterans. Advanced knowledge and ability to independently assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the patient's problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills and assistance needed, in collaboration with the patient, family and interdisciplinary treatment team. Advanced knowledge and expert skill in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of Social Work practice and services with a wide variety of mental health and psychosocial issues. Advanced ability to analyze date and an ability to design system changes based on empirical findings. Ability to provide subject matter consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial needs and treatment of SMI Veterans, rendering professional opinions based on experience and expertise and role modeling effective social work practice skills. Advanced knowledge and demonstrated ability to expand clinical knowledge in the profession, demonstrating innovation in the creation of new models of psychosocial assessment and intervention. Expert ability to administer a structured interviews and assessments with a wide variety of patient populations, particularly Veterans with co-occuring disorders who are also Seriously Mentally Ill (SMI), Women Veterans, elderly Veterans and /or Veterans with families. Expert ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds. Advanced knowledge and ability to write policies, procedures and/or practice guidelines pertaining to Veterans with serious mental illness and co-occurring disorder histories and expertly skilled in the recording of detailed behavioral observations and the writing of progress notes and reassessment reports. Advanced knowledge and ability to independently evaluate his/her own practice through participation in professional peer review, research studies, or other organized means. Advanced knowledge of computerized processing operations and procedures and is competent in word processing, data management programs and other relevant computer applications. Preferred Experience: MUST POSSESS A CURRENT LCSW (LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER) 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: All candidates must be physically and mentally able to perform efficiently the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation, without hazard to themselves or others. Candidates must meet the physical requirements outlined in Section II and Section VI of the OPM Operating Manual, Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions and must possess emotional and mental stability. 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: 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 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. 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. 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. 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.