About the role
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. Program 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.
VA Careers - Licensed Clinical Social Worker: https://youtube.com/embed/U_xC25QsN0w Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The position is located in the Clinical Behavioral Health Service line. CBH provides ambulatory care services to mentally ill and/or substance abusing male and female Veterans and their significant others.
Patients that receive services can have concurrent psychiatric disorders, personality disorders, substance use, medical conditions, and multiple psychosocial stressors. The Behavioral Health Social Worker must have the knowledge and skills to make independent decisions regarding the assessment, treatment, and case management of the diagnostically diverse BHC patient population.
Must form and maintain effective working relationships with staff from the Behavioral Health Clinic, Medical, Nursing, Social Work, Rehabilitation, Chaplain, and Dietetic Services in order to provide patients with an integrated and comprehensive treatment program. Major duties include but are not limited to:
Assessment: Conducts intake screenings and evaluations of Veterans and their significant others. Uses the established biopsychosocial admissions criteria to determine the appropriateness of Veterans referred to the CBH for service in the different treatment components. Provides clinically meaningful information related to the specific cognitive - social learning treatment approach.
The Care manager responds to Veteran concerns in crisis or non-crisis in nature. Provide a clinical assessment to the Veteran. Function with a high degree of independent judgment in responding appropriately and quickly to unique needs/dangers in crisis situations.
Treatment: The Care Manager assists members of the BHIP and suicide prevention team by providing same-day assistance to Veterans experiencing urgent or non-urgent needs. Provides crisis intervention and stabilization to patients and significant others. Function with a high degree of independent judgment in responding appropriately and quickly to unique needs/dangers in crisis situations.
Assist the suicide prevention team by providing telephone outreach services to Veterans following non-emergent/urgent calls to the Veterans Crisis Line. The BHIP care manager social worker may provide brief, solution-focused psychotherapy and crisis intervention. When providing treatment, relies on own clinical judgment to address patient problems in a fashion that is consistent with the knowledge and skills of other professional staff.
Provides education to Veterans and follows up with them on treatment recommendations and need for further services.
Care Management: Coordinate treatment activities to ensure that patients are provided with an individualized, integrated, biopsychosocial approach to care. The Social Worker will provide assistance to Veterans within the BHIP team by: Making referrals to community-based programming which may include intensive case management, acute inpatient, and residential care.
Coordinates with inpatient/residential providers to assist in discharge planning. Ensures mandated follow-up services are scheduled and Veteran attends appointments. Demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served on caseload. Demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's status and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's requirements.
As clinically indicated, provides input into the development of comprehensive, individualized treatment plan specific to the CBH treatment model. Assess patients, to determine the status of current clinical problems, current needs, and responses to treatment. Takes action to communicate findings with relevant BHC staff and initiates action to modify treatment.
Handle requests of an administrative nature and act as patients' primary contact person, recommend actions concerning necessary controls and restrictions to enhance therapeutic effectiveness for individuals, groups, and the patient community.
Program and Staff Development: Supportive role in the administrative/clinical functions of the program such as quality assurance, policy and procedure development, program planning, preparation of reports, and other duties as assigned. Actively participates in CBH committees; provides training to Medical Center and CBH staff through patient review conferences, CBH in-service programs, and medical education presentations Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 9:00am - 5:30pm Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus):
Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VHAVISN04HREDRP@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance.
Learn more Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
What we are looking for
Preferred Experience: Licensed Clinical Social Worker Preferred but not required 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.
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.
Licensure: 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.
English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).
Grandfathering Provision: The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all title 38 hybrid qualification standards. Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/registration requirements that apply to this occupation.
(1) All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all of the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:
(2) Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure or certification, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
(3) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
(4) Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
(5) If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. § 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.
NOTE: If social workers covered under the grandfathering provision of the 1991 Federal law regarding licensure or certification of VHA social workers leave the GS- 0185 social work series, they lose the grandfathering protection. If they choose to return at a later date to the GS-0185 series, they must be licensed or certified to qualify for employment as a social worker.
Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Social Worker, GS-11 Experience and Licensure. Appointment to the GS-11 grade level requires completion of a minimum of one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the field of health care or other social work-related settings, (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level; OR, Education.…
