Senior Social Worker-Substance Use Disorder-SUD-Therapist

Summary

The Eastern Colorado Health Care System, located in Aurora, CO is currently recruiting for one GS-12 Senior Social Worker to work as a Substance Use Disorder-SUD-Therapist.

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Duties

Social Work: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Social-Worker-Career-Flyer.pdf

Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf

Senior Social Worker Substance Use Disorder-SUD-Therapist duties include, but aren't limited to the following:

Is available for staff consultations related to substance use concerns pertaining to appropriate level of care, e.g. PCMHI, outpatient SUD treatment, or referral, etc. for residential treatment

Performs day-to-day operations w/ other PCMHI team members

Works closely w/ SUD & PCMHI Program Managers by defining overall objectives, priorities & deadlines related to position

Helps w/ unusual situations w/out clear precedents

Singly plans work, resolves problems, performs successive assignment steps & makes adjustments using accepted standard operating procedure or practices; fixes problems &/or deviations arising from established policies, regulatory & administrative guidelines, directives, instructions & accepted practices

Refers new or controversial issues to SUD Program Manager for direction &/or assistance

Supervisor reviews completed work for results achieved, technical soundness & conformance w/ applicable regulations, policies & requirements

Provides functional assessment, triage, brief intervention, education & consultative services regarding SUDs upon referral from primary care providers & allied PACT members

Conducts brief, focused functional assessments (30 minutes or less) to assess substance use concerns & triage/refer to specialty care as appropriate

Uses population-based practice management strategies & maintains competences in core domains: conducts brief, focused functional assessments (e.g., 30 minutes or less) to assess substance use concerns & triage/refer to specialty care as appropriate

Applies principals of population-based care (defines role & identifies problems rapidly)

Uses brief measurement-based assessments routinely (e.g., BAM-R, PHQ-9, PCL-5, AUDIT C, etc.)

Bases initial consultation appointments on PCMHI Functional Assessment model & develops recovery-oriented treatment goals based on functional outcomes

Maintains daily same day access slots

Regularly reviews schedule/grid & works to maintain next available "scheduled" appointment w/in 2 weeks

Provides brief, time-limited, evidence based mental & behavioral health interventions (e.g., 1-6 sessions) for substance use concerns for individual & group therapy formats

Engages in thoughtful level-of-care decision-making & efficiently triages to specialty mental health services

Assures compliance w/ Joint Commission standards

Complies w/ national & local performance measures

Complies w/ all documentation procedures, including timeliness standards according to policies

Performs complex care management & has consultation responsibilities

Participates in educational activities, completes unit based in-services, & mandatory educational activities in self-directed manner by deadlines

Demonstrates positive, effective communication skills & professional behavior to promote cooperation & teamwork

Practices good customer service & demonstrates VA I-CARE values

Participates in unit-based quality of care performance improvement activities, unit based performance improvement measures & results

Protects printed & electronic files containing sensitive data according to Privacy Act of 1974 provisions laws, federal regulations, VA statutes & policy Protects data from unauthorized release/loss; alteration/unauthorized deletion; follow applicable regulations & instructions regarding access to computerized files, release of access codes, etc.

Performs other duties as assigned

Work Schedule: 7:30-4:00pm or similar schedule, can discuss during interview

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized

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 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: Not available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: PD59444A

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• 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. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• 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).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.
  
  

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

• Citizenship Must be US citizen Non-citizens only appointed when it's not possible to recruit qualified US citizens
• English Language Proficiency Must be proficient in spoken & 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. 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 http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of social work
  
  

Licensure. Persons hired or reassigned to the social worker position GS-0185 series in the VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/ORHM//T38Hybrids.

Loss of Licensure or Certification. Once licensed or certified, social workers must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment. Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grade Determination Requirements: Candidates must possess the following grade determination requirements in addition to basic requirements

Senior Social Worker, GS-12

Experience/Education. The candidate must have at least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which, one year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Senior social workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment. Senior social workers are experts in their specialized area of 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.

AND

Licensure/Certification. Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an 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) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure.

AND

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all the following KSAs:

• 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.
• Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
• Knowledge 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 and to design system changes.
• Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients in the service delivery area, as well as role modeling effective social work practice skills.
• Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession, and to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area.
  
  

Preferred Experience: Experience providing range of treatment services to patients w/ substance use & co-occurring disorders, is able to function is a fast-paced primary care environment, consult w/ 8-10 patients a day, experience using motivational interviewing skills & techniques & abstinence based interventions & harm reduction approaches to SUDs

Reference please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/ for qualification standards information

The full performance level of this vacancy is a GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is a GS-12



Physical Requirements:

Lift/carry <15 lbs

Frequent use of computer equipment

Sit, walk, stand, bend, carry papers, books, laptop/other items, climb/descend stairs frequently

Emotional demands can be stressful working w/ high-risk for suicide veteran/veteran family populations

High level of self-awareness is essential

Complete, pass & maintain Basic Life Support certification

Possess & maintain valid state driver's license

Education


IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Transcripts can be unofficial transcripts, but must include your name, the school's entire name, the name of the course, date course taken, grade received for the course, amount of credits earned for the course, date degree conferred, and name of degree received.



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. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

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