Career Center

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. 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. Learn more 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 http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of 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. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services. English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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). Grade Determinations: GS-09: Experience, Education, and Licensure: None Beyond the basic requirements Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills. Ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the Veterans problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed. Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals. This requires judgment and skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving, or crisis intervention techniques. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures. This includes acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses/injuries; common medications and their effects/side effects; and medical terminology. 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: in addition to meeting basic requirements, a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required one year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services. Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational and other diversified backgrounds. Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities and treatment procedures (i.e. acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology) to formulate a treatment plan. Skill in independently implementing different treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems to achieve treatment goals. Ability to provide consultation services to new social workers, social work graduate students, and other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment References: VA Handbook 5005/120 Part II Appendix G39 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to GS-11. ["VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU The Mental Health Social Worker is an integral part of the Mental Health Team. Duties include: - Initial assessment of the Veteran, including the following: Administration of validated patient reported outcome measures Obtain missing pertinent information from Veterans providers, patients, and medical records Review of assessments and documentation completed by others Keep current with knowledge of the variety of clinical options available through the medical center and local community about how to refer/engage Veterans Review of initial assessment and treatment plan with the PCMHI Provider with Prescribing Privileges consultant and PCP, incorporating modifications of the plan as recommended - Provide social work interventions as part of the mental health treatment team - Participation inrounding, team meetings, and section meetings.\n- Providing education and brief interventions using evidence-based techniques such as behavioral activation, motivational interviewing, and other focused treatment strategies\n- Monitoring of Veteran progress using validated patient reported outcome measures\n- Ongoing review of progress and recommendations for changes in treatment.\n- Relapse prevention planning throughout care, including transition from active treatment to maintenance as goals are achieved\n- Timely and thorough documentation of all patient interactions\n- Provision of resources and referral to services. - Ongoing collaboration with and coordination of the Veteran's care with the other healthcare professionals\n- Function effectively within interdisciplinary teams, fostering open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision making to achieve quality patient care\n- Continuously collaborate with the entire team to ensure high quality, effective, Veteran-centered services at the patient and programmatic levels.\n- Collaborate with PCMHI leadership/team members to develop/enhance educational materials and use marketing strategies to promote services.\n- Effectively communicate with patients, families, caregivers, VA leadership, and members of the interdisciplinary team - Referral(s) to service providers and specialty treatment clinics,\n- Other duties include crisis intervention, education and prevention, case management and care coordination, supportive counseling, and administrative responsibilities to their assigned clinic.\n- The Social Worker may conduct individual and/or group psychotherapy (under clinical supervision) within associated mental health clinics/teams. The social worker works collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team of staff to provide psychosocial and psychotherapeutic support to outpatients Work Schedule: Monday through Friday; 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.\nCompressed/Flexible: Negotiable\nTelework: Available\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized\nEDRP Authorized: Contact miriam.ubiles@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance\nPermanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]