Summary

The PCMHI Social Worker provides education and brief interventions to patients - monitors response to and side effects from treatment - and provides education and support to patients. The PCMHI SW also provides "on-time - on-target" information to Primary Care Providers (PCPs) and Behavioral Health Services (BHS) staff - and collaboratively makes appropriate care decisions.

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
• 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
• 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
• Licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work 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
• Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements stated above - the following qualification criteria must be met for each grade
• The candidate's qualifications must clearly demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade
• Experience: 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 and 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
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 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 and Certifications Basic Life Support (BLS) - Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) - or Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) certification Full independent licensure at the advanced practice level At least two years should be in an area of specialized social work practice
• Experience in conducting visits to impacted areas and emergency shelters - possibly in conjunction with VA Disaster Emergency Medical Personal System (DEMPS) or other Emergency Management response protocols Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: Eligible applicants must be physically and mentally able to perform efficiently the essential functions of the position - with or without reasonable accommodation - without hazard to themselves or others
• Depending on the essential duties of a specific position - usable vision - color vision - hearing or speech may be required
• However - in most cases - a specific physical condition or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid.

Duties

• VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Incumbent is a professional Social Worker assigned to Behavioral Health Services (BHS) - and the PCMHI program
• The incumbent must use a high level of skill in independently assessing and treating the complicated psychosocial problems of Veterans
• Social Work responsibilities include the assessment of psychosocial problems often at a time when the Veteran is experiencing crisis and include the provision of short-term - solution focused counseling with Veterans and/or their families
• Referrals typically originate from PCPs - Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACTs) - BHS teams - Veterans and/or their caregivers - or members of the interdisciplinary PCMHI team
• The incumbent must complete thorough assessments to determine the presenting problem - to determine in-home factors impacting the problem - and to determine obstacles to treatment and/or follow through with recommended treatments
• Case management with members of the PCMHI team and the Veterans PACT - PCP - or BHS team is provided in order to coordinate a collaborative effort to meet the agreed upon goals for a Veteran's treatment needs and include liaison with community professionals regarding needed services for Veterans and/or their families
• The incumbent shall support Veterans access to specialty behavioral health services by facilitating treatment in the most therapeutic milieu possible
• This position shall coordinate consult management that ensures appropriate service options are offered - as well as the prevention of Veterans being lost to services when referred for specialty behavioral health services
• The services include but is not limited to: initial clinical review for service appropriate ness
• compliance tracking
• completing assessments
• The incumbent will serve as one of the points of contact for patients being referred to PCMHI and will triage and forward to the appropriate service
• The incumbent will also serve as one of the points of contact for patients returning to PCMHI if it is determined that BHS care is no longer necessary
• Other related duties as needed
• Work Schedule: Monday to Friday - 8:00am to 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required