Senior Social Worker-Primary Care Mental Health Integration

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.

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 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.

Current state requirements may be found by going to English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English.

Grade Determinations : Senior Social Worker, GS-12. Experience / Education. 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 : (a) 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.

b) Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.

c) 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.

d) 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.

e) 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 : 1. Experience conducting Risk Assessments. 2. Experience working as an independently licensed provider for 3+ years.

3. Experience conducting brief assessments and interventions. References : VA Handbook 5005 / 120, Part II Appendix G39.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS12. Physical Requirements : Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position.

May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, pulling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment.

Social Work : This Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) position provides professional therapeutic services to Veterans in primary care clinics.

The SW will work closely with primary care providers, with all or most services provided in the primary care setting. Some service will be provided via telephone and some may be provided by telemedicine.

The duties of the Senior Social Worker-Primary Care Mental Health Integration include but are not limited to : Identify at risk populations and provide prevention services to Veteran at significant risk for mental and physical disorders associated with cognitive, emotional, and behavioral / lifestyle factors.

Assess and provide interventions for sub-clinical symptoms of depression and anxiety, adjustment difficulties, and excessive use or misuse of alcohol or other substances (for which the Veteran may have a lower than normal tolerance due to their medical conditions and the potential for negative interactions with prescribed medication).

Provide a full range of functional assessments including screening for a variety of disorders that are prevalent in Veterans of different age groups and suicide risk.

Perform evaluations including counseling testing for adults of varying ages and cultural / ethnic backgrounds. Provide a variety of therapeutic interventions, including evidence-based cognitive- behavioral individual, group, family / relationship and crisis intervention therapies.

Provide behavioral medicine / health interventions to manage pain, disability, address sleep problems, facilitate weight loss, promote smoking cessation, and enhance medical compliance.

Consult with medical center staff, including non-mental health primary care providers, on a wide variety of patient care issues.

Provide psycho-educational and supportive interventions for spouses, family members / caregivers, and other that are involved in the Veteran's care, documenting the necessity for and benefit of the intervention for the Veteran.

Promoting communication / interactions between medical team members, Veterans, and their families to facilitate the medical treatment process.

Provides training, lectures or workshops to mental health staff, medical staff, and others in the community when requested to do so.

Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule : M-F, 8 : 00am - 4 : 30pm. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus) : Not Authorized.

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance) : Not Authorized. EDRP Authorized : Contact Carol Thompson at , 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 existing pay, 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) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience.

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 $ 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 : Available (ADHOC emergencies only). Virtual : This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement # : 586-00758F.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) : Not Authorized. Financial Disclosure Report : Not required."