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Summary

This position serves as a psychotherapist in the Substance Treatment Program (STP). Provides primarily group psychotherapy - case management and individual psychotherapy to Veterans seeking specialty SUD care. This psychotherapist is to provide a broad range of psychological assessment services and diagnoses mental disorders - particularly for complex or unusually difficult patients - many of whom have psychiatric and medical problems in addition to their substance addiction.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

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: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• 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
• 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
• Grade Determinations: Social Worker GS-9: Experience - Education - and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate 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
• 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
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate 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
• Preferred Experience: Experience with Veterans
• 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-11
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to GS-11
• Physical Requirements: This job requires light lifting - under 15 pounds - both hands required - specific visual requirement is to see computer screen - hearing (aid may be permitted)
• Environmental Factors working closely with others and working alone.

Duties

• Duties will vary by grade - but at the GS-11 level: Independently assesses the biopsychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans - identifying the Veteran's strengths - weaknesses - coping skills - psychosocial acuity - SUD and MH - problem identification - diagnosis - treatment planning - implementation - evaluation - and follow-up
• Fully utilizes the current DSM in making diagnoses and formulation of treatment goals and application of appropriate clinical interventions
• Delivers services both in-person and via telehealth technologies
• Conducts groups as part of the IOP/OP and Aftercare program
• Conducts individual therapy sessions weekly to Veterans under 90-days of recover - then coordinates and determines bi-weekly versus monthly aftercare appointments
• Has specialized knowledge of a wide variety of individual - group - or family counseling interventions
• Treatment approaches include but are not limited to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - Acceptance and Commitment Therapy - Motivational Interviewing/Motivational Enhancement Therapy - Contingency Management - harm reduction - mindfulness-based relapse prevention - DBT - and Evidence-based Psychotherapies (EBPs) for PTSD (i.e. - PE - CPT - EMDR)
• Establishes goals/treatment plan through a collaborative process with the patient
• Provides complex crisis intervention and stabilization to patients who are in psychological distress
• Ability to assess and safety plan for suicidality
• Coordinates care for residential treatment - detox - and across the SUD continuum of care and SCOUTT models
• Conducts case management services for Veterans enrolled in SUD Specialty services
• Possesses knowledge and understanding of existing relevant statutes - case laws - ethical codes - and regulations
• Serves as the Mental Health Treatment Coordinator (MHTC) for assigned Veterans
• Communicates effectively - both orally and in writing - with people from varied backgrounds
• Serves on an interdisciplinary team with focus on the intrapersonal - interpersonal - and relational functioning of individuals - groups - and families and on the counseling approaches - strategies - and techniques
• Complies with all EHRM documentation procedures - including timeliness standards for documentation and proper patient check out procedures
• Complies with national and local performance measures - including timely health care screening and completion of clinical recommendations and measurement-based care for all patients (i.e. - BAM at 30- - 60-day increments - PHQ9 - PCL5 - LEC - etc.)
• Provider is knowledgeable of the 12-core functions of addiction therapy - integrates SAMSHA and NAADAC data to create comprehensive and collaborative treatment plans - and 45-day updates to existing treatment plans
• As evidence-based psychotherapy trainings become available - will have the opportunity to attend trainings and begin to develop specialized knowledge of a wide-variety of individual - group - or family counseling interventions
• Complies with peer review procedures
• Performs collateral duties as assigned
• Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday 8:00am-4:30pm
• Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)
• 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 prior work experience or 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: AD-HOC Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.