Social Worker - Veterans Justice Outreach
Duties include but are not limited to:
The VJO/HCRV Specialist is administratively responsible for clinical programming and daily operation of the program, as well as the management of program data. Justice outreach activity will focus upon justice-involved Veterans in one of three circumstances:
1) at the front end of the justice system (jails or courts) (VJO), 2) upon prison reentry (HCRV), or 3) a hybrid model encompassing jail, court and prison outreach (hybrid VJO/HCRV). The Senior Social Worker in this position requires an advanced level of knowledge and understanding of the services and benefits available from community, State and Federal agencies. The Senior Social Worker must have skill in diplomacy, patient advocacy, and negotiation in spanning boundaries of multiple large institutions, including VA, the courts, and/or corrections. The position requires knowledge of correctional cultures and their impact upon Veteran, institutional, and community perceptions and behavior, as well as skill in assisting Veterans to adopt behaviors adaptive to community living. The VJO/HCRV Specialist works in conjunction with the Homeless Program Coordinator to coordinate administrative, patient and personnel activities for this program and with VA and non-VA employment providers to assure access and ongoing employment services as needed. 1. Program Coordination - The VJO/HCRV Specialist meets with judges, officers of the court, correctional administrators and staff on a regular basis to design and/or maintain appropriate policies and procedures required for each setting. The VJO/HCRV Specialist conducts justice-related staff development programs for mental health and other program staff, and provides opportunities for staff to update their mental health professional knowledge and practice skills. The VJO/HCRV Specialist provides training and guidance to entry level staff and graduate students. 2. Outreach - The incumbent is required to conduct active outreach to Veterans involved with the justice system, including those who may be participants, or candidates for participation, in treatment court programs, including Veterans Courts. This outreach may also include field interviews, assessments and referrals for Veterans contacted in community settings, courts and/or prior to release in jails or prisons, as well as those referred by VA residential programs, medical centers or outpatient clinics. 3. Clinical Assessment - Advanced clinical training, insight and experience is utilized to interpret data and identify viable treatment options. The VJO/HCRV Specialist assesses high risk factors, acuity, and the need for services. This VJO/HCRV Specialist has the ability to serve Veterans who tend to have frequent and severe crises, lack family or an adequate community support network, be poor at self-monitoring, and frequently fail to comply with instructions and treatment, or have significant deficits in coping skills and require continuing professional psychosocial support. 4. Comprehensive Case Management - The VJO/HCRV Specialist functions as an ongoing case manager for justice-involved Veterans who are being monitored by treatment courts (and as needed for Veterans released from correctional institutions) by performing duties to facilitate independent community living by coordinating mental health and community care. 5. Direct Services - The VJO/HCRV Specialist participates in development of a treatment plan for each Veteran contacted through outreach. The treatment plan includes individualized goals and measurable objectives based on relevant psychological, medical, and psychiatric information. Work Schedule:
Monday-Friday, 8:
00 a.m. - 4:
30 p.m. Financial Disclosure Report:
Not required To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/17/2019. 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 the CSWE website to verify if that social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a master of social work. Licensure:
Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-185 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 up to the full performance level. For grade levels above the full performance level, the candidate must be licensed or certified English Language Proficiency. Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English. Grade Determinations:
GS-12 Senior Social Worker (a) Experience, Education and Licensure. Senior Social Workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment. At least two years should be in an area of specialized social work practice. Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an ASWB 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). 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.In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the professional KSAs in subparagraph (b) below. (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 1. Advanced knowledge of and mastery of theories and modalities used in the specialized treatment of complex physical or mental illness. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of veteran patients, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. Ability to determine priority for services and provide specialized treatment services. 2. Advanced and expert 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 interventions used in the treatment of veterans with polytraumatic injuries, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, visual impairment, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc. 3. Advanced knowledge and expert skill 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. Ability to coordinate the delivery of specialized psychosocial services and programs. Ability to design system changes based on empirical findings. 4. Ability to provide subject matter consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients treated in the specialty area, rendering professional opinions based on experience and expertise and role modeling effective social work practice skills. Ability to teach and mentor staff and students in the specialty area of practice and to provide supervision for licensure or for specialty certifications. 5. Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the profession, demonstrating innovation in the creation of new models of psychosocial assessment or intervention to identify and address specialized clinical needs. Ability to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the specialty population or specialty treatment program. References:
VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G39 Social Worker Qualification Standard. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements:
This position requires:
Light lifting, under 25 pounds; light carrying, under 25 pounds; reaching above the shoulder; use of fingers; walking (8 hours); standing (8 hours); repeated bending (1 hour) working closely with others; working alone; protracted or irregular hours of work and occasional emotional strain.
Estimated Salary: $20 to $28 per hour based on qualifications.
The VJO/HCRV Specialist is administratively responsible for clinical programming and daily operation of the program, as well as the management of program data. Justice outreach activity will focus upon justice-involved Veterans in one of three circumstances:
1) at the front end of the justice system (jails or courts) (VJO), 2) upon prison reentry (HCRV), or 3) a hybrid model encompassing jail, court and prison outreach (hybrid VJO/HCRV). The Senior Social Worker in this position requires an advanced level of knowledge and understanding of the services and benefits available from community, State and Federal agencies. The Senior Social Worker must have skill in diplomacy, patient advocacy, and negotiation in spanning boundaries of multiple large institutions, including VA, the courts, and/or corrections. The position requires knowledge of correctional cultures and their impact upon Veteran, institutional, and community perceptions and behavior, as well as skill in assisting Veterans to adopt behaviors adaptive to community living. The VJO/HCRV Specialist works in conjunction with the Homeless Program Coordinator to coordinate administrative, patient and personnel activities for this program and with VA and non-VA employment providers to assure access and ongoing employment services as needed. 1. Program Coordination - The VJO/HCRV Specialist meets with judges, officers of the court, correctional administrators and staff on a regular basis to design and/or maintain appropriate policies and procedures required for each setting. The VJO/HCRV Specialist conducts justice-related staff development programs for mental health and other program staff, and provides opportunities for staff to update their mental health professional knowledge and practice skills. The VJO/HCRV Specialist provides training and guidance to entry level staff and graduate students. 2. Outreach - The incumbent is required to conduct active outreach to Veterans involved with the justice system, including those who may be participants, or candidates for participation, in treatment court programs, including Veterans Courts. This outreach may also include field interviews, assessments and referrals for Veterans contacted in community settings, courts and/or prior to release in jails or prisons, as well as those referred by VA residential programs, medical centers or outpatient clinics. 3. Clinical Assessment - Advanced clinical training, insight and experience is utilized to interpret data and identify viable treatment options. The VJO/HCRV Specialist assesses high risk factors, acuity, and the need for services. This VJO/HCRV Specialist has the ability to serve Veterans who tend to have frequent and severe crises, lack family or an adequate community support network, be poor at self-monitoring, and frequently fail to comply with instructions and treatment, or have significant deficits in coping skills and require continuing professional psychosocial support. 4. Comprehensive Case Management - The VJO/HCRV Specialist functions as an ongoing case manager for justice-involved Veterans who are being monitored by treatment courts (and as needed for Veterans released from correctional institutions) by performing duties to facilitate independent community living by coordinating mental health and community care. 5. Direct Services - The VJO/HCRV Specialist participates in development of a treatment plan for each Veteran contacted through outreach. The treatment plan includes individualized goals and measurable objectives based on relevant psychological, medical, and psychiatric information. Work Schedule:
Monday-Friday, 8:
00 a.m. - 4:
30 p.m. Financial Disclosure Report:
Not required To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/17/2019. 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 the CSWE website to verify if that social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a master of social work. Licensure:
Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-185 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 up to the full performance level. For grade levels above the full performance level, the candidate must be licensed or certified English Language Proficiency. Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English. Grade Determinations:
GS-12 Senior Social Worker (a) Experience, Education and Licensure. Senior Social Workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment. At least two years should be in an area of specialized social work practice. Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an ASWB 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). 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.In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the professional KSAs in subparagraph (b) below. (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 1. Advanced knowledge of and mastery of theories and modalities used in the specialized treatment of complex physical or mental illness. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of veteran patients, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. Ability to determine priority for services and provide specialized treatment services. 2. Advanced and expert 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 interventions used in the treatment of veterans with polytraumatic injuries, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, visual impairment, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc. 3. Advanced knowledge and expert skill 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. Ability to coordinate the delivery of specialized psychosocial services and programs. Ability to design system changes based on empirical findings. 4. Ability to provide subject matter consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients treated in the specialty area, rendering professional opinions based on experience and expertise and role modeling effective social work practice skills. Ability to teach and mentor staff and students in the specialty area of practice and to provide supervision for licensure or for specialty certifications. 5. Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the profession, demonstrating innovation in the creation of new models of psychosocial assessment or intervention to identify and address specialized clinical needs. Ability to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the specialty population or specialty treatment program. References:
VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G39 Social Worker Qualification Standard. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements:
This position requires:
Light lifting, under 25 pounds; light carrying, under 25 pounds; reaching above the shoulder; use of fingers; walking (8 hours); standing (8 hours); repeated bending (1 hour) working closely with others; working alone; protracted or irregular hours of work and occasional emotional strain.
- Department:
0185 Social Work - Salary Range:
$82,721 to $107,542 per year
Estimated Salary: $20 to $28 per hour based on qualifications.
|
|
 | |
