Senior Social Worker

We're Looking for a skilled Senior Social Worker in the Veterans Health Administration based in Biloxi, Mississippi. Read through the job description to see if it matches your current experience.

The Successful Applicant

Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Noncitizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education. Have a masters 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 masters degree in social work. Verification of the degree can be made by going tohttp://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 GS0185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the masters degree level. 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. sect 7403(f). Drivers License Requirement Must maintain a current valid drivers license and driving ability. Grade Determinations: Senior Social Worker GS12 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 GS11 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 postmasters 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.In addition to the experience above candidates 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. Preferred Experience: Ability to make professional evaluations decisions and recommendation for treatment planning and implementation. Ability to establish goals/treatment through a collaborative process with the patient utilizing advanced counseling skills including evidencedbased practices and screening/assessment. Ability to use a wide variety of individual and group counseling interventions demonstrates sensitivity to diversity and possesses multicultural counseling skills Ability to fully utilize the current DSM in making diagnoses and formulation of treatment goals and application of appropriate clinical intervention using professional counseling practices. Must have Supervisory Certificate to qualify for a GS12. PTSD Specific Experience providing evidenced based care for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Incidental driving required for all Social Workers Training and experience in evidencebased therapies for the treatment of PTSD (CPT PE EMDR etc.) References: VA Handbook 5005/120 Part II Appendix G39 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS12. Physical Requirements: The position will require a moderate level of keyboarding standing (up to 2 hours) walking (up to 2 hours) bending and moderate lifting (1544 pounds) reaching above shoulder use of fingers both hands required both legs required ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously 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 depth perception hearing (aid permitted). The work environment involves everyday risks requiring normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices meeting and training rooms or other hospital and/or clinic areas. The work area is adequately lighted heated and ventilated. The community locations will vary depending on where the Veteran is residing or receiving services. Veterans may be transported by the Social Worker via government vehicle. Occasional travel by air and car will be required. A current unrestricted drivers license and driving ability are necessary.

What’s on Offer

The role offers excellent opportunities for top performers to further develop their competencies as a social worker and improving the lives of people.