Social Worker- Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program

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. 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.

Responsibilities

• Incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of veteran patients, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses as a result of a complete assessment utilizing appropriate assessment tools within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
• Provides individual, group, and family psychotherapy interventions for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorder, serious mental health disorders, and comorbid mental health needs.
• Implements Measurement Based Care to evaluate the effectiveness of clinical practice and services in specialty areas, using outcome evaluations to improve treatment services.
• Designs changes based on empirical findings and provides a flexible work schedule to accommodate emergency or urgent care matters.
• Serves veterans as outpatients who often have severe crises, lack family or community supports, frequently fail to comply with instructions and treatment, or have significant deficits in coping skills, requiring continuing professional psychological support.
• Evaluates the client's situation, including the veteran's reaction and ability to deal with it, and arrives at a reasoned conclusion.
• Assesses at-risk factors and develops a preliminary disposition plan involving the veteran and family or significant others.
• Assesses serious and complicated cases involving psychiatric illness, catastrophic medical conditions, dementia, and other high-risk diagnoses.
• Develops treatment plans in coordination with BHIP Team Members, including goals for treatment, using known available resources and initial assessment of the veteran's likelihood to accept differing types of assistance.
• Makes initial and continuing decisions regarding the use of VA and non-VA services and referrals.
• Provides quality therapy by utilizing Evidence Based Psychotherapies (EBP) in the treatment of veterans served.
• Concludes appropriate actions, even when they can have a serious impact on the life of the veteran.
• Responsible for clinical practice in assigned areas and programs, including services that are a key component of treatment.
• Acts as a community and family liaison by initiating and maintaining necessary contact with the patient, family, VA Healthcare System service programs and personnel, mental health agencies, and other related resource agencies.
• Provides support and consultation to these individuals, programs, and agencies as necessary or in the best interest of the patient, following VA rules and regulations regarding confidentiality and information interchange.
• Establishes and maintains positive working relationships with employees, volunteers, consumers, and stakeholders within the VA and outside community agencies.
• Attends interdisciplinary treatment team meetings, staff meetings, departmental/section staff meetings, and other committees as appropriate.
• Collaborates in performance improvement processes and complies with performance measures as required by program offices and local policies.
• Completes continuing education hours needed for maintaining professional licensure.

Pay

Competitive salary and regular salary increases.

Benefits

• Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time off per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year).
• 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% contributions by VA.
• Insurance: Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement).
• Telework: This position is authorized for situational (ad hoc) telework but is not authorized as virtual or remote.

Schedule

Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

About the Organization

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of varying complexity to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology, and physical therapy. Most medical centers also offer additional medical and surgical specialty services, including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.