Job Seekers

The Battle Creek VA Medical Center is recruiting for a Social Worker (BHIP Coordinator). The Social Worker (BHIP) Coordinator) will function under the Mental Health Service. 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. Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/. 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-9 Social Worker: Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:(a) Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills.(b) 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.(c) 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.(d) Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies.(e) 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 Social Worker: 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. 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. 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. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/120 PART II APPENDIX G39The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. You may be selected for the GS-9 or GS-11 grade levels. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services. ["General Description: This full-time social worker is based within the Battle Creek VAMC Mental Health Clinics (MHC). The incumbent in this position independently provides an array of case management, longitudinal care coordination, and clinical psychotherapy/recovery services. The incumbent may maintain a small caseload (up to 20% of a full-time therapist) of psychotherapy clients but functions primarily as a case manager (CM), following the professionally recognized and VHA-adopted framework for evidence-based case management practices, with a sequential set of steps and associated tasks that include: identification, screening, assessment, care planning, implementation, monitoring, care transitions, and program and outcome evaluation. Case management includes systems collaboration, assessing and addressing Veteran needs via Same Day Access sessions and the linking of Veterans with complex needs, their families, and caregivers with needed services and resources, including wellness opportunities, and fall along the continuum from intensive, to stabilization, into maintenance, and then supportive services. The GS-11 full performance level has a master's degree in social work granted by a graduate program fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Promotion to the GS-11 full performance level requires completion of a minimum of one-year post-Master of Social Work 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 level. Functions or Scope Assigned Duties: The social worker functions in accordance with the policies, principles, professional ethics, and techniques of accepted Social Work practice to include the National Association of Social Work, professional licensing code, and state laws. Additional guides are available in the form of Veterans Health Administration directives, program guides, bulletins, and circulars, Medial Center memoranda, medical staff by-laws; applicable labor-management bargaining agreements; and external accreditation agencies utilized by the VA Medical Center. Incumbent is expected to independently practice and work as a part of a multidisciplinary team model. This is not a supervisory position. Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm\nCompressed/Flexible: No\nTelework: No\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nFunctional Statement #: 91597-0\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: No\nPermanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]