The Stepped-Care Substance Use Disorder Senior Social Worker (SC-SUD) is embedded within, and functions as a member of, the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP), and works across teams, providing support within Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI). The Senior Social Worker supports Veterans in low level interventions for substance use disorders. This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. 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: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. 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 Determinations: GS-12(1) 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. (2) 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. (3) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) 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. (b) Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. (c) 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. (d) 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. (e) 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. (4) Assignments. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Senior social workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work at an advanced level. Senior social workers typically practice in a major program area such as but not limited to: Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center or Polytrauma Network Site; a Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Center, or a national VHA referral center, such as a national Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or a national Transplant Center, or other program areas of equivalent scope and complexity. The senior social worker may be assigned administrative responsibility for clinical program development and is accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns. The senior social worker provides leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs for assigned social work staff. They serve on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility, VISN and national level, or in the community as deemed appropriate by the supervisor, Social Work Executive or Chief of Social Work Services. This assignment is to be relatively few in number based on the size of the facility/service and applying sound position management. This assignment must represent substantial additional responsibility over and above that required at the full performance grade level and cannot be used as the full performance level of this occupation. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/120 PART II APPENDIX G39 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-12 to GS-12. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 ["The Stepped-Care Substance Use Disorder Senior Social Worker (SC-SUD) is embedded within, and functions as a member of, the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP), and works across teams, providing support within Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI). The Senior Social Worker supports Veterans in low level interventions (ASAM Level 1.0 and lower) for substance use disorders, and facilitates warm handoffs/transitions between levels of care. The SUD Senior Social Worker works within a stepped care model, treating Veterans with Substance Use Disorders as well as other concurrent mental health problems that impact a Veteran's risk and protective factor profile for relapse. The Senior Social Worker operates on the understanding that there is \"no wrong door\" for Veterans to enter care for substance related problems. They therefore engage Veterans as an initial and ongoing point of contact in these mental health locations, functioning as the Veteran's Mental Health Treatment Coordinator (MHTC), supporting Medication Assisted Therapy (MAT) providers, and provide referrals to other teams/agencies as necessary. This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Learn more. Contact the facility EDRP Coordinator for further questions/assistance. The VISN 20 EDRP Coordinator can be reached at V20-EDRPGroup@va.gov Work Schedule: Mon-Fri 0800-1630\nTelework: Available\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized\nEDRP Authorized: Authorized\nPermanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized"]