What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Social Worker- Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) position at San Francisco VA Medical Center?
The incumbent provides Mental Health services to the Veteran population enrolled at the San Francisco VA Medical Center System and specifically the Oakland CBOC, with emphasis on working with patients suffering from serious mental illness (SMI).
Grade Determinations: Senior Social Worker GS-12
Specialized experience: 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.
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.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12 .
Physical Requirements: The physical demands of this position involve primarily walking, sitting, talking, driving, use of the telephone, etc. Light lifting, under 15 pounds, Light carrying, under 15 pounds, Hearing (aid permitted).
The incumbent functions as part of an interdisciplinary team or BHIP team. Services include provision of high-quality psychotherapy services, with a specialized social work focus which embraces a client focused, person-in-the-environment perspective to guide services rendered in a holistic treatment plan. Such services include evidence-based psychotherapies, case management, advocacy, and coordination of linkages to other appropriate VA or community service providers / agencies as needed by the patient and determined by a holistic treatment plan. This is accomplished in collaboration with other members of the Mental Health Service or other interdisciplinary treatment teams as appropriate. The Mental Health Senior Social Worker (MHSSW) has a role of expanding the clinical knowledge in the profession, providing consultation and guidance to colleagues, both within social work and within other disciplines including psychiatry, psychology and nursing. The MHSSW role models effective social work practice skills in a mental health setting, teaches or provides orientation to less experienced staff (which may include social workers, psychiatrists, psychologist and nurses), develops and implements innovations in practice interventions. The MHSSW provides clinical supervision for social work licensure or certification, and may also provide supervision for social work, psychiatry, psychology, and /or nursing trainees. The MHSSW is assigned to administrative responsibility for clinical program development and is accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns.
Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a 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)
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.
Functional Statement #: 662- 07318F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Qualifications:
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.
- English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).
- Experience/Education. You must possess 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/.
Grade Determinations: Senior Social Worker GS-12
Specialized experience: 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.
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.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
- 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.
- Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12 .
Physical Requirements: The physical demands of this position involve primarily walking, sitting, talking, driving, use of the telephone, etc. Light lifting, under 15 pounds, Light carrying, under 15 pounds, Hearing (aid permitted).
Responsibilities:
Total Rewards of a Allied Health ProfessionalThe incumbent functions as part of an interdisciplinary team or BHIP team. Services include provision of high-quality psychotherapy services, with a specialized social work focus which embraces a client focused, person-in-the-environment perspective to guide services rendered in a holistic treatment plan. Such services include evidence-based psychotherapies, case management, advocacy, and coordination of linkages to other appropriate VA or community service providers / agencies as needed by the patient and determined by a holistic treatment plan. This is accomplished in collaboration with other members of the Mental Health Service or other interdisciplinary treatment teams as appropriate. The Mental Health Senior Social Worker (MHSSW) has a role of expanding the clinical knowledge in the profession, providing consultation and guidance to colleagues, both within social work and within other disciplines including psychiatry, psychology and nursing. The MHSSW role models effective social work practice skills in a mental health setting, teaches or provides orientation to less experienced staff (which may include social workers, psychiatrists, psychologist and nurses), develops and implements innovations in practice interventions. The MHSSW provides clinical supervision for social work licensure or certification, and may also provide supervision for social work, psychiatry, psychology, and /or nursing trainees. The MHSSW is assigned to administrative responsibility for clinical program development and is accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns.
Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a 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)
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.
Functional Statement #: 662- 07318F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Salary : $417