Senior Social Worker - Mental Health HBPC

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. 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.

Qualifications

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: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) - no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English
• Education: Must hold 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
• Note: A doctoral degree in Social Work may NOT be substituted for the master's degree in social work
• Licensure: Must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level
• Grade Determinations: Senior Social Worker - GS-12 Experience/Education - Must possess at least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure of which - one year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level
• Examples of specialized experience include - but are not limited to: assessing and documenting identified behaviors or symptoms of abuse - neglect - exploitation and/or intimate partner violence
• use of clinical social work skills
• maintaining patient privacy and confidentiality per policies - handbooks or directives
• acting as an advocate with appropriate community service providers and agencies when it serves the best interest of the patient and family members/caregiver
• independently assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members - identifying the patient's strengths - weaknesses - coping skills - and psychosocial acuity
• Applicable experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment
• Senior social workers are experts in their specialized area of practice
• Licensure/Certification - 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
• Must have completed and passed the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) advanced generalist or clinical examination
• Knowledge - Skills and Abilities - In addition to meeting the licensure and experience for the GS-12 level - you must possess the following Knowledge - Skills and Abilities: 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
• Preferred Experience: Mental health experience 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-11
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
  
  

Duties

• Total Rewards: Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The incumbent will function as part of the interdisciplinary treatment team at the Dorn VA Medical Center within the Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) Program
• The VA Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) program provides comprehensive - interdisciplinary primary care services in the homes of Veterans with complex - chronic - and disabling diseases
• Duties may include but not limited to: Functions as the primary mental health provider of the HBPC team - providing specialized mental health prevention - assessment - treatment - management - and professional consultation services
• Provides advanced screening - assessment - diagnosis - and treatment of depressive and anxiety-related disorders - as well as other mental health conditions as outlined in the DSM-5 with the exception of personality disorder - with an emphasis on the application of time-limited - evidence-based approaches
• Assesses and provides specialized treatments for subclinical symptoms of dysphoria and anxiety - adjustment difficulties - and excessive use or misuse of alcohol or other drugs (for which the patient may have a lower-than-normal tolerance due to their medical conditions and the potential for negative interactions with prescribed medication)
• Provides mental health prevention services to patients at significant risk for mental illnesses
• Provides services to the families of Veterans with dementia being served by HBPC - when such care is directly related to the overall treatment plan for the Veteran
• Provides clinical services through the use of telemental health/telehome technology
• Provides specialized screening for cognitive deficits to address specific functional questions or to determine if a referral for a complete neuropsychological evaluation or dementia assessment is needed
• Assesses patients' understanding of advance directives and other forms of consent and assisting staff in determining how to present treatment options and other such materials to patients in a format they can understand
• Provides psychoeducational and supportive interventions - in conjunction with the Veteran - for spouses - family members/caregivers - and others that are crucial to keeping the Veteran at home
• Provides individual and group interventions to support patients who are coping with feelings of grief and loss associated with disability and other life transitions
• Provides behavioral medicine interventions to manage pain - sleep problems - facilitate weight loss - promote smoking cessation - and enhance medical compliance
• Promotes communication/ interactions between medical team members - patients - and their families to facilitate the medical treatment process
• Makes rapid assessments and develops crisis management plans for admission to mental health inpatient programs
• Enters all Veteran/family contacts in the electronic health records using appropriate formats and templates
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday - 8:00am-4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact haedrpprogramsupport@va.gov - the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
• Learn more 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 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% 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 #: 55687F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized