The social worker works as a member of a BHIP (Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program) team, providing care to this population. BHIP is an inter-professional team-based approach that provides Veteran-centered, recovery-oriented, and evidence-based services to Veterans who require a higher level of mental health care than can be provided in the primary care setting. The position is located at the Yale CBOC, 7470 S. Brockway Road, Yale, MI 48097
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. 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. English Language Proficiency. Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Regulations. Grade Determinations (GS-11, Full Performance Level)Experience, Education and Licensure. GS-11 full performance level requires completion of a minimum of I year of post-MSW degree experience 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. Assignments. This is the full performance level for social workers. GS-11 social workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work. They are assigned to all program areas, including inpatient or outpatient medicine, surgery, mental health, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, and geriatrics. Employees provide professional, independent social work services in the assigned area. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:(a) Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services.(b) 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.(c) 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.(d) 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.(e) 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. 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 the GS-11. Preferred Experience: Case management, crisis management and intervention Physical Requirements: Ability to physically access various treatment settings within the facility. Ability to use computers frequently/continuously throughout the day for data input and communication. Ability to use phone. Position is primarily sedentary, and incumbent must be able to sit for prolonged periods of time. May require light lifting and carrying (under 15 pounds) and climbing stairs as needed.
Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Social-Worker-Career-Flyer.pdf Clinical Responsibilities: Conduct brief assessments that may include assessing high risk factors, including suicidal and homicidal ideation, acute needs for VHA or community-based services, and to determine care coordination and treatment needs of Veterans Provides care coordination (including care management or case management) to Veterans and families, as needed, throughout the continuum of care including within and across services/departments/sections to facilitate continuity of care for Veterans Provides a full range of services within commonly accepted standards of practice and prioritizes care coordination activities as the primary job function (e.g., needs assessment, chart reviews, care or case management, facilitating measurement based care, which may include the utilization of Behavioral Health Lab software, transition planning, outreach, etc.) and other services as appropriate Provides wellness/prevention education and may facilitate patient/family educational/bridging supportive sessions as appropriate Serves as the mental health treatment coordinator for their assigned BHIP team, thereby serving as the primary clinical resource/point-of-contact for Veterans and other team/staff members Coordinates care including serving as an advocate on behalf of the Veterans on BHIP teams, including serving as an effective liaison between VA and community resources (including education and bidirectional communication) to ensure timely delivery of comprehensive and seamless mental health services Leads transition planning with other disciplines; responsible for ensuring that transition plans are executed in a manner that is timely and appropriate to promote care continuity; ensures appropriate hand-off communication and documentation when transferring patient care Provides crisis intervention services, seeking to address the cause as well as the presenting complaint, coordinates family conferences and serves as liaison to family members, as needed Assesses the need for referral for more intensive and/or specialty mental health services Independently identifies high-risk patients and connects with needed resources and services, as needed Completes comprehensive Veteran-centered, recovery-focused treatment plans and updates as appropriate/required Provides clinical supervision to social work trainees Administrative Duties: Participates in program planning and development, advising the supervisor 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 Provides triage support including notification and assignment to team members either for same day or scheduled appointment May provide consult triage and consult management duties to facilitate the timely provision of mental health services Trains/mentors new staff and those not yet clinically licensed Prepares for and trains staff on GARF & The Joint Commission standards and accreditation process Education and Research Responsibilities: Involvement in training program didactics for trainees of various disciplines and levels, as assigned Other duties as assigned Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm 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) 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 $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: Ad Hoc only Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 93182 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized