Social Worker-BHIP

The Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) at Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center provides team-based, Veteran-centered, recovery-oriented outpatient mental health care. Incumbent serves as a Mental Health Treatment Coordinator, ensuring coordination and continuity of care across Mental Health. Duties include biopsychosocial assessment, education, self-management support, monitoring care needs, and facilitating follow-up to promote proactive, personalized care.

EDUCATION: Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/ . If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/ . RESPONSIBILITIES: Duties include but not limited to:

Coordinates care including serving as an advocate on behalf of the Veterans on BHIP teams to ensure delivery of comprehensive, seamless MH service.

Actively participates in program planning and development, advising the BHIP team of shifting trends with care coordination needs and caseloads and identifying the need for making recommendations on program procedures and/or policy changes based upon work experiences.

Takes responsibility for improving professional skills, participating in planning, and executing specific staff development projects, attending seminars and institutes, and participating in training programs of other disciplines as requested.

Provide care coordination (including care management or case management) to Veterans and families, as needed, throughout the continuum of care. This includes communication within and across care lines to facilitate continuity of care for Veterans.

Provide consultation/education to Veterans and families on VA resources (including self-management tools), community resources, Advance Directives and VA benefits

Work Schedule : 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : PD679-70783 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.

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. [Verification of the degree can be made by going to the CSWE website to verify if that social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a master of social work.

Licensure: Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-185 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 on the OHRM website

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).

Preferred Experience: Care coordination within Mental Health outpatient setting

Grade Determinations : I n addition to the basic requirements above, at the GS-11 grade level the following is also required: Appointment to the GS-11 full performance grade level requires completion of a minimum of 1 year of post-MSW degree 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 in the field of health care social work (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level.

OR

In addition to meeting basic requirements, a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required 1 year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting.

References: VA Handbook 5005; Appendix G39 Social Worker Qualification Standard.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11.

Physical Requirements: The applicant must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions, with reasonable accommodation if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the applicant or others. SALARY: QuantitativeValue EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Other