Senior Social Worker

Veterans Health Administration • Lake City, FL

8d • Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Social Worker works closely with the SATT Supervisor on programming and coordinates assessments, treatment, and referrals for Veterans in the North Florida/South Georgia catchment area. The role assists with clinical supervision of unlicensed and multidisciplinary staff, including Addiction Therapists, Peer Specialists, registered nurses, and other program and support staff.

The position provides outreach and assessment for Veterans’ substance-use, mental-health, and medical needs. Services can include consult screening, biopsychosocial assessments, treatment planning, referrals, resource development and utilization, advocacy, crisis intervention, education and prevention, case management, care coordination, psychotherapy, supportive counseling, and administrative duties. The social worker provides individual, group, and family psychotherapy and advanced case-management interventions for Veterans with substance use disorders, primarily on an outpatient basis, while coordinating with inpatient treatment teams as appropriate.

The Senior Social Worker develops and implements methods to measure the effectiveness of social work practice and services in the Substance Abuse Treatment Program (SATP), uses outcome evaluations to improve services, and designs changes based on empirical findings. The position consults with colleagues and students across disciplines and clinics, teaches and mentors staff and students, and provides supervision for licensure or specialty certification. Additional assignments may be made to meet program goals or customer needs.

The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telework is not available, and the position is not virtual. Relocation and recruitment incentives and permanent change-of-station authorization are not available. The position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to program eligibility and approval; applications must be submitted within four months of appointment. Potential EDRP awards are up to $200,000, with an eligibility period of one to five years, as determined by the program office.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in social work from a school fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE); a doctoral degree in social work cannot substitute for the master’s degree.
• State licensure or certification to independently practice social work at the master’s degree level.
• At least two years of experience after advanced practice clinical licensure, in a specialized area of social work practice; one year must be equivalent to GS-11.
• Advanced-practice-level state license or certification, including an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless covered by the stated grandfathering provisions.
• Ability to provide supervision for licensure.
• Skill in specialized interventions and treatment modalities, including individual, group, or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced psychosocial or case-management practice.
• Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
• Knowledge of developing and implementing methods to measure the effectiveness of social work practice and services, use outcome evaluations to improve treatment, and design system changes.
• Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on psychosocial treatment and to model effective social work practice.
• Ability to expand clinical knowledge in social work and write policies, procedures, or practice guidelines for the service delivery area.
• Must be a U.S. citizen, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Must pass a pre-employment physical examination and background/security investigation; seasonal influenza vaccination is required for VA health care personnel.
• Must complete the required online onboarding and application documentation and serve a one- or two-year trial period.
• Must meet the physical demands of the position, including manual dexterity, communication, computer-screen reading, and primarily seated work with some standing, bending, and walking.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in substance abuse counseling or case management.
• Certification or post-master’s training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university in a specialty area, including a defined course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate programming, assessments, treatment, and referral services for Veterans in the North Florida/South Georgia catchment area in collaboration with the SATT Supervisor.
• Assist with clinical supervision of unlicensed and multidisciplinary program and support staff.
• Conduct outreach and assess Veterans’ substance-use, mental-health, and medical needs.
• Screen consults and complete biopsychosocial assessments and treatment planning.
• Refer Veterans to service providers and specialty treatment clinics; develop and utilize resources; provide advocacy, crisis intervention, education, prevention, case management, care coordination, psychotherapy, supportive counseling, and related administrative services.
• Provide individual, group, and family psychotherapy and advanced case-management interventions for Veterans with substance use disorders.
• Provide outpatient services and coordinate with inpatient treatment team members across the continuum of care as appropriate.
• Develop and implement methods to measure the effectiveness of social work practice and SATP services, use outcome evaluations to improve treatment, and design changes based on empirical findings.
• Consult with colleagues and students across disciplines and clinics regarding psychosocial treatment of Veterans with substance use disorders, and model effective social work practice.
• Teach and mentor staff and students in the specialty area and provide supervision for licensure or specialty certifications.
• Accept additional and special assignments needed to meet program goals or customer needs.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to eligibility and approval; potential award up to $200,000 for an eligibility period of one to five years.
• Federal employee benefits package; specific benefits depend on position type and eligibility.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual for qualifying prior federal employment or military service, subject to approval.

What This Job Offers

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