Senior Social Worker- Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program

Veterans Health Administration • White City, OR

5d • Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Social Worker works in the Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (RRTP), providing evidence-based psychotherapy, psychoeducation, and treatment coordination for resident Veterans experiencing complex mental health, addiction, behavioral, physical, psychosocial, and environmental challenges. The role includes carrying a caseload, developing treatment plans with Veterans, and coordinating care from admission through discharge to support their return to a community of choice.

The position requires advanced clinical social work practice, including assessment, individual and group treatment, crisis intervention, discharge planning, consultation, and collaboration with Veterans, families, the treatment team, and community service providers. The Senior Social Worker is also expected to be eligible to supervise social workers who require supervision for licensure.

This is a permanent, non-virtual position with a Monday–Friday schedule of 7:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Telework is not available. The role is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to individual eligibility and program approval; the potential award is up to $200,000 over one to five years. Sign-on and relocation incentives are not authorized.

Requirements

• 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.
• State advanced-practice-level licensure or certification, including an advanced generalist or clinical examination, subject to the stated grandfathering provisions.
• At least two years of experience post-advanced-practice clinical licensure, with at least one year equivalent to the GS-11 grade level, in a specialized area of social work practice.
• Advanced practice skills and judgment in a specialized area of social work practice.
• Ability to provide supervision for licensure.
• 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 effectiveness of social work practice and services, using outcome evaluations to improve treatment and design system changes.
• Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students and to role-model effective social work practice.
• Ability to expand clinical knowledge and write policies, procedures, or practice guidelines related to the service delivery area.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• U.S. citizenship, except where non-citizen appointment is permitted under VA policy.
• Pass a pre-employment physical evaluation and background/security investigation; complete required onboarding and application documentation.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Meet the stated EDRP eligibility requirements and submit an EDRP application within four months of appointment to be considered for the program.

Nice To Haves

• Nationally recognized professional organization or university certification or post-master's training in a specialty, including a defined curriculum or course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience.

Responsibilities

• Independently conduct psychosocial assessments and provide psychosocial interventions, measuring outcomes.
• Independently implement the recovery model of treatment.
• Carry a caseload and develop treatment plans, collaboratively establishing treatment goals with Veterans and guiding their care toward those goals.
• Coordinate treatment and discharge planning from admission through discharge, working closely with the treatment team and supporting Veterans' re-engagement in their chosen communities.
• Provide treatment coordination to assigned residential Veterans, including daily group treatment coordination meetings and individual meetings at least once every other week.
• Provide at least 15 hours of group treatment weekly and supplemental individual sessions as needed and recommended by the treatment team.
• Coordinate community-based services and provide information and referrals to VA programs, government programs, and community agencies.
• Independently identify high-risk patients and 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.
• Provide individual, group, and family counseling and therapy to patients and families experiencing psychiatric, medical, and social problems.
• Provide consultation to staff regarding Veterans' psychosocial needs and the effects of psychosocial problems on health care and adherence to treatment plans.
• Evaluate own practice through professional peer review, case conferences, and other organizational methods.
• Communicate effectively, orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds.
• Be eligible to provide supervision to social workers who require supervision for licensure.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to eligibility and approval, with an award of up to $200,000 over one to five years.
• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off, comprising 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 the birth, adoption, or foster-care placement of a child.
• Child care subsidy may be available after 60 days of employment to eligible full-time employees with total family income below $144,000, covering up to 25% of eligible child-care costs, subject to a monthly maximum of $416.66.
• Traditional federal pension, with five-year vesting, and federal 401(k) with up to 5% in contributions by VA.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs may be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

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