Senior Social Worker-Primary Care Mental Health Integration/Substance Use Disorders Social Worker

Summary

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.

About the Role

The Senior Social Worker will demonstrate effectiveness in assessing for problems or concerns unique to patient population status as military veterans while independently or in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team, family members, and significant others, arriving at a reasoned diagnosis of patient problems and needs. Demonstrates an understanding of the range of treatment and skills needed for all adult patients including geriatric patients related to their physical limitations, psychological needs, and age-associated illnesses and conditions.

Responsibilities

• Conduct functional assessments, based on 30-minute appointments and will triage/refer to specialty care services as appropriate.
• Applies principles of population-based care (defines role and identifies problems rapidly).
• Uses brief assessments routinely (e.g., - PHQ-9 - PCL - AUDIT C - etc.).
• Writes clear, concise notes, generally 1⁄2-1 page long, with explicit impression, recommendations, and plan for PCP use.
• Notes are completed within 24 hours.
• Conducts effective curbside consultations.
• Integrates within primary care team and works closely in collaboration with PACT team.
• Attends PACT meetings and daily huddles.
• Serves on Medical Center or Healthcare System - VISN - and/or National VA committees or task forces, as endorsed by supervisors.
• Participates in Social Work privileging, educational, and peer review activities, in accord with Social Work and medical center policies.
• Participates as a non-voting member of the medical staff, in accord with medical staff by-laws.
• Supervises psychology practicum students in accord with training program policies and accrediting agency requirements.
• Provides staff and student didactic training and consultation as requested in content areas of scholarly and/or clinical expertise.
• Maintains confidentiality of patient information.
• May supervise or train allied health providers in accord with facility and regulatory standards regarding such training.
• May participate in program evaluation and/or research activities.

Requirements

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C.7403(f).
• 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.
• Licensure/Certification: Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-0185 series in 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/OHRM/T38Hybrid/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: Senior Social Worker - GS-12.

Qualifications

• 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.
• 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.
  • (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.

Preferred Experience

• Experience providing counseling in primary care settings.
• Experience providing brief, evidence-based therapies.
• Experience providing health behavior interventions.
• Experience working with Veterans.
• Experience in mental health milieu.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• Higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
• 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 experience] 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.

Total Rewards

• Demonstrates effectiveness in assessing for problems or concerns unique to patient population status as military veterans while independently or in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team, family members, and significant others, arriving at a reasoned diagnosis of patient problems and needs.
• Demonstrates an understanding of the range of treatment and skills needed for all adult patients including geriatric patients related to their physical limitations, psychological needs, and age-associated illnesses and conditions.
• May participate in program evaluation and/or research activities.

Physical Requirements

• Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation - see Duties section for essential job duties of the position.
• May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, pulling, and pushing.
• May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment.

Work Environment

• Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions.
• The area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated.
• However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.

Pay

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• Higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).

Contact Information

To learn more about this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards.

To contact the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance, email robert.knudsen@va.gov.