Senior Social Worker-Psychosocial Rehabilitation Recovery Center

Veterans Health Administration • Texas City, TX

4d • Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Social Worker provides services to Veterans through the Psychosocial Rehabilitation Recovery Center (PRRC), using a psychiatric rehabilitation and recovery model. The role delivers rehabilitation and recovery services to Veterans with serious mental illness, collaborates with and advocates for Veterans and their families, and supports staff education and training to promote a transition from maintenance-oriented treatment to recovery-focused rehabilitation. In addition to direct patient care, the position promotes the development, implementation, and maintenance of effective and efficient psychosocial rehabilitation services at the medical center.

The position is based at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, a multi-site academic health care system in Houston, Texas, with outpatient clinics across the metropolitan area. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., subject to change based on facility needs. The position is not virtual, and telework is not available. The work is performed in an office or clinic setting and may involve stressful situations and handling multiple tasks at once.

The position is at the GS-12 level. Applicants must meet VA requirements for social workers, including a master's degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program and state licensure or certification for independent practice at the master's level. For the Senior Social Worker grade, candidates must have at least two years of post-advanced-practice clinical licensure experience, including one year equivalent to GS-11, and advanced-practice state licensure or certification. The position requires the ability to provide licensure supervision. A student loan repayment program may be available to eligible applicants, subject to VHA approval and program requirements.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for circumstances in which qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Master's degree in social work from a school fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education; a doctoral degree cannot substitute for the master's degree.
• State licensure or certification to independently practice social work at the master's degree level, subject to the stated grandfathering provision.
• At least two years of experience after advanced-practice clinical licensure, including one year equivalent to GS-11, in a specialized area of social work practice.
• Advanced-practice state licensure or certification, including an advanced generalist or clinical examination, subject to the stated exceptions; ability to provide supervision for licensure.
• Demonstrated skill in specialized interventions and treatment modalities, including individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced psychosocial or case management.
• Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation into differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
• Knowledge of methods for measuring social work practice and service effectiveness, using outcome evaluations to improve treatment and design system changes.
• Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students and model effective social work practice.
• Ability to expand clinical knowledge and write policies, procedures, or practice guidelines related to the service delivery area.
• Valid, unrestricted state driver's license; ability to independently operate a government vehicle and provide a clean DMV driving record report.
• Pass a pre-employment physical examination and background/security investigation; participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Complete required application and onboarding procedures and serve a one- or two-year trial period.
• Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered for Selective Service.

Nice To Haves

• Training and/or experience delivering evidence-based psychotherapies, including CBT, ACT, DBT, MI, CPT, or EMDR.
• Experience working with the seriously mentally ill (SMI) population.
• Experience working as part of an interdisciplinary team.
• Certification or post-master's training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university in a specialty area.

Responsibilities

• Conduct case finding, outreach, screenings, initial intake, and detailed psychosocial assessments, and establish a working diagnosis.
• Identify high-risk patients and provide case management services.
• Provide crisis intervention, addressing underlying causes as well as presenting concerns.
• Coordinate family conferences and serve as a liaison to family members.
• Establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans and their families.
• Work independently with patients and families experiencing psychiatric, medical, and social problems, using individual, group, and family counseling and therapy skills.
• Provide consultation to staff about Veterans’ psychosocial needs and the effects of psychosocial problems on health care and treatment-plan adherence.
• Collaborate with and advocate for Veterans with serious mental illness and their family members.
• Support staff education and training to promote recovery-oriented psychosocial rehabilitation services.
• Promote the development, implementation, and maintenance of effective and efficient psychosocial rehabilitation services.
• Facilitate referrals based on Veterans’ needs and eligibility.
• Communicate effectively, orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) student loan reimbursement, subject to individual eligibility and VHA approval, with awards up to $200,000 and eligibility periods of one to five years.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, including 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment, in connection with birth, adoption, or foster care placement.
• Potential childcare subsidy after 60 days for eligible full-time employees, subject to income and other program limits.
• Traditional federal pension, with five-year vesting, and federal 401(k) with up to 5% in VA contributions.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.
• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior