Senior Social Worker- Clinical Resource Hub

About the Role

The VISN Clinical Resource Hub (CRH) Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program Team (BHIP) Social Work position is a VISN-based role located in VISN 20. The Clinical Resource Hub (CRH) serves as a repository of clinical and administrative staff supporting Veterans Affairs facilities within the Veterans Integrated System Network (VISN 20).

Responsibilities

• Maintains an advanced level of skill and expertise to establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans and/or their families.
• Independently works with Veterans and their families experiencing complex medical, psychiatric, emotional, behavioral, and psychosocial problems.
• Completes thorough psychosocial assessments to determine the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and/or their families.
• Uses advanced knowledge and mastery of theories of physical and mental illness to independently develop a diagnosis, treatment plan, and recovery goals in collaboration with the Veteran and/or their family/caregivers.
• Assists Veterans in maximizing their use of treatment to attain the highest level of independence possible.
• Participates as a member of a BHIP treatment team, collaborating with Veterans, families, and interdisciplinary team members in developing and implementing treatment plans.
• Possesses advanced knowledge and experience in mental health and substance abuse diagnoses and treatment procedures.
• Facilitates discharge planning through collaboration with Veterans, families, and interdisciplinary team members to ensure timely execution of appropriate plans.
• Serves as a liaison between Veterans and/or their families and VA/community resources to ensure thorough delivery of services.
• Implements treatment modalities, provides counseling, and/or leads supportive groups for Veterans and families.
• Provides consultation to other treatment team members regarding the psychosocial needs of Veterans and their impact on healthcare planning, compliance, and discharge planning.
• Provides case management services to Veterans and their families throughout the continuum of care.
• Assesses and leads emergency/crisis intervention services for outpatients in acute psychological crises, including stabilization, referral arrangements, and follow-up care.
• Serves on facility committees and work groups as deemed appropriate by the supervisor.
• Recognized as a leader and role model in the delivery of social work services within the BHIP team and Tele-Mental Health (TMH).
• Pursues professional growth through continuing education and stays informed about up-to-date evidence-based treatment practices, especially within TMH.

Requirements

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Education: Master’s degree in social work from a school fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Graduates of schools in candidacy status do not meet this requirement until full accreditation is achieved. A doctoral degree in social work may not substitute for the master’s degree.
• Licensure: Must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master’s degree level.
• English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. §7403(f).
• Experience: At least two years of post-advanced practice clinical licensure, with one year equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Experience must demonstrate advanced practice skills and judgment in a specialized area of social work practice.
• Advanced Practice Licensure/Certification: Must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level, including an advanced generalist or clinical examination (unless grandfathered by the state). Must be able to provide supervision for licensure.

Skills

• Skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities (e.g., individual, group, family counseling, psychotherapy, advanced psychosocial/case management).
• Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
• Knowledge of methods for measuring the effectiveness of social work practice and services, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment and design system changes.
• Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on psychosocial treatment and role-model effective social work practice skills.
• Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession and write policies, procedures, or practice guidelines for the service delivery area.

Preferred Experience: Virtual care (tele-medicine) and experience with Oracle-Health EMR.

Physical Requirements

Physical aspects of the role are typical for the occupation and generally do not require a pre-placement examination. Exceptions include:

• Pre-placement examination required for roles involving the operation of a government-owned or -leased motor vehicle.
• Examinations may also be required for occupations or assignments specified by other policies, regulations, or statutes.

Schedule

Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

Benefits

• Paid Time Off: 37–50 days of annual paid time off (13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays). Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service.
• Parental Leave: Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment for birth, adoption, or foster care placement.
• Child Care Subsidy: Full-time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible costs, with a monthly maximum of $416.66 after 60 days of employment.
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5-year vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% contributions by the VA.
• Insurance: Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance (many programs can be carried into retirement).
• Telework: Available. This position may qualify for Mid-Term Extensions (MTE), allowing for up to 180 days of remote work approval.

Note: This is not a virtual position. Recruitment incentives (sign-on bonus) and permanent change of station (relocation assistance) are not authorized.

About the Organization

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites. VHA serves over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA healthcare program, offering a wide range of services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology, and physical therapy. Many medical centers also provide advanced services, including organ transplants, plastic surgery, audiology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care.