Summary

The incumbent is assigned to the Mental Health Integrated Community of Care of the Minneapolis VA. The Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program outpatient clinic provides general mental health services including medication management - evidence-based individual and group psychotherapy. The patient population served includes veterans with diagnoses of mood disorders - anxiety disorders - personality disorders - psychotic disorders - substance use disorders - and non-military related PTSD.

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
• Education: Must possess a Master's degree in social work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
• Licensure: Must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in written and spoken English to be appointed
• Grade Determinations: Senior Social Worker GS-0185-12 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: Applicants must meet the requirements for providing supervision in the state where they are licensed at the advanced practice level and should list these qualifications within the assessment narrative and their resume
• Documentation is required if part of your state's requirements for providing supervision for licensure is beyond your licensure only (example: certification of continuing education credits)
• 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
• References: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://department.va.gov/employees/va-qualifications-standards/ Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position
• Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

Duties

• 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
• Program 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
• VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU VA Careers - Licensed Clinical Social Worker: https://youtube.com/embed/U_xC25QsN0w Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Major duties include - but are not limited to: The BHIP Senior Social Worker provides mental health services within the BHIP clinic
• Clinical interventions include: completing differential diagnostic and thorough biopsychosocial assessments - individual and group psychotherapy services - crisis management - patient education - case management - and advocacy and coordination with other appropriate VA or community service providers/agencies as needed by the Veteran to support continuity of care
• Collaboration with other members of the treatment team as appropriate
• Screening/Assessment: Engages in information gathering - problem identification - DSM-5 diagnosis - treatment planning - implementation - evaluation using measurement based care - and follow-up
• Fully utilizes the current DSM-5 in making diagnoses and formulation of treatment goals and application of appropriate clinical intervention using professional counseling practices
• Makes professional evaluations - decisions - and recommendations for treatment planning and implementation
• Treatment Planning/Interventions: Utilizes a wide variety of evidence-based - time-limited individual - group - or family counseling interventions
• Treatment approaches include but are not limited to cognitive-behavioral therapy - acceptance and commitment therapy - dialectical behavioral therapy - interpersonal psychotherapy - prolonged exposure - and cognitive processing therapy
• Establishes goals/treatment through a collaborative process with the patient utilizing advanced counseling skills - including evidenced-based practices
• Provides complex crisis intervention and stabilization to patients who are in psychological distress
• Serves as the Mental Health Treatment Coordinator (MHTC) for assigned Veterans and conducts the duties of this role
• Administrative responsibilities: Possesses knowledge and understanding of existing relevant statutes - case laws - ethical codes - and regulations affecting professional practice
• Communicates effectively - both orally and in writing - with people from varied backgrounds
• Serves on an interdisciplinary team with focus on the intrapersonal - interpersonal - and relational functioning of individuals - groups and families and on the counseling approaches - strategies - and techniques that will best help patients function effectively
• Complies with all CPRS documentation procedures - including timeliness standards for documentation and proper patient check out procedures (e.g. - entering diagnostic and procedure codes)
• Maintains appropriate records and follow-up data on patients who are their responsibility
• Complies with national and local performance measures - including timely health care screening and completion of clinical reminders for all patients
• Work Schedule: 08:00 to 16:30
• Monday through Friday Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov - 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 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.