Social Worker - Recovery Services

Social Worker In Recovery Services

The Social Worker in Recovery Services (RS) provides professional Social Work services and substance use disorder treatment, along with general and specialized mental health care to patients at the Central Ohio VA Healthcare System. The incumbent can be assigned to provide specialized treatment services, within the following components of the division: Assessment and treatment planning; Intensive Outpatient Treatment, Low Intensity Rehabilitation/Aftercare, Ambulatory Detoxification, etc.

Responsibilities include:

• Provides Social Work services and general and specialized mental health care to patients and their families or significant others as applicable.
• Performs independent intake interviews on patients to accomplish initial data gathering necessary to evaluate, recommend options and treat addictions, mental disorders and other clinical or social issues.
• Independently completes psychosocial assessments and Brief Addiction Monitors (BAM's) to formulate treatment plans.
• Fully participates in treatment team meetings to communicate assessment and intervention activities to multidisciplinary team members.
• Identifies and utilizes community resources to meet patient, family and significant other needs.
• Prepares documentation, clinical summaries, encounter forms, and other statistical reports to disseminate pertinent information.
• Conducts group, family and individual therapeutic counseling sessions.
• Arranges referral of patients to other Federal agencies, State and other public as well as private organizations.
• May provide supervision to GS-9 Social Workers, Social Work Associates and Social Work students.
• Provides Social Work training and consultation to other students.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm. Evenings may be required.

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 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: Available (Ad-hoc) Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 91634-O/91635-O

Requirements:

• You must be a U.S. Citizen.
• 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).

Qualifications:

Basic Requirements:

• Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States.
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English.
• 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.
• 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.

Grade Determinations:

Social Worker, GS-9:

• Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. 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.

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. 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 in the field of Substance Abuse within Behavior Health.

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-09 to GS-11.

Physical Requirements: This position is mostly sedentary, but the incumbent may be asked to perform physical tasks requiring standing, bending, stooping, kneeling, climbing stairs, and lifting up to 25 lbs.

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.