Job Description
Summary
The VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System is actively recruiting for a Social Worker to act within Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI). Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) is a component of the interdisciplinary Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT). The PCMHI Co-located Collaborative Care Social Worker (SW) provides brief - evidence-based interventions - education - and consultation services to Veterans - Primary Care Providers (PCPs) - and allied PACT members.
Qualifications
In order to qualify for this position - you must meet the requirement below within 30 calendar days of the closing date listed on the announcement.
Basic Requirements:
- The basic requirements for employment as a VHA social worker are prescribed by statute in 38 U.S.C. § 7402(b)(9) - as amended by section 205 of Public Law 106-419 - enacted November 1 - 2000
- To qualify for appointment as a social worker in VHA - all applicants must meet the following: Citizenship
- Be a citizen of the United States
- (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3 - section A - paragraph 3g this part)
- 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 3 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 to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
- Exception
- VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified - pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations
- This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level
- For the GS-11 grade level and above - the candidate must be licensed or certified
- At the time of appointment - the supervisor - chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification - including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline
- Failure to Obtain License or Certification
- In all cases - social workers must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure or certification starting from the date of their appointment
- Failure to become licensed or certified within the prescribed amount of time will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment
- Grade Determinations:GS-9 Experience - Education - and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements
- In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 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
- In addition to the experience above - candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 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-09 to GS-11
- Physical Requirements: Lifting and carrying light objects under 15 pounds - using two hands - walking for up to two hours
- Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination - correctable vision - hearing with or without aid - depth perception and ability to distinguish basic colors and emotional and mental stability.
Duties
- The Social Worker duties include - but are not limited to: Collaborates with PCPs and the interdisciplinary PACT to support high quality - effective - and coordinated service delivery at the patient and programmatic levels
- Maintains daily open access availability and encourages same day warm handoffs within PACT
- Completes most individual appointments (e.g. - 75%) within 30 minutes
- Uses Measurement Based Care (MBC) in accordance with nationally recommended guidelines for PCMHI
- Conducts initial mental and behavioral health assessments that are focused on the reason(s) for referral and are less extensive than traditional mental health intake evaluations (e.g. - 30 minutes vs
- 60 or 90 minutes for traditional evaluation)
- Supports principles to facilitate \"on-time - on target\" services to Veterans - matching the intensity of services with the level of clinical need
- Refers Veterans with more severe or complex needs to the appropriate general or specialty mental health program
- Provides time-limited - brief - evidence-based - individual or group interventions (e.g. - approximately 1-6 sessions) for a broad range of mental health and health behavior concerns within the primary care setting
- Utilizes intermittent visits and flexible patient contact strategies to support brief PCMHI care as part of PACT
- Ensures quality of care by successfully completing the national VA PCMHI Competency Training Program (or approved equivalent) and associated ongoing education modules
- Completes clear - concise progress notes that are comprehensive optimized for collaboration within PACT based on the PCMHI CCC mental and/or behavioral health assessment and follow-up visit guidelines
- Notes document important elements for team collaboration (e.g. - MBC - curbside consultation/team care discussion - liaison with specialty care providers) as appropriate
- Notes are completed same day or within 48 hours per medical center policy and guidelines
- Engages in PACT huddles and meetings to contribute to collaborative team functioning and serve as a subject matter expert for mental/behavioral health considerations
- Provides education to PACT on mental health and behavioral health issues - as well as provide education to promote effective patient communication - motivational enhancement - and behavior change
- Actively participates and contributes to routine workflow of Primary Care and seeks opportunities to offer expertise or direct patient care services to support team-based care
- Demonstrates flexibility and adaptability - and maintains availability for ad hoc team discussion as warranted
- Accepts and encourages same day warm handoffs
- Routinely provides feedback (verbal and/or written) to PCP and other PACT members same day as referral
- Works collaboratively with other team members in PCMHI (Providers with Prescribing Privileges) to ensure high quality - effective - Veteran-centered services at the patient and programmatic levels
- Work schedule: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Monday through Friday Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Not Available Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required Virtual: This is not a virtual position
- Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
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About Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.
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