Job Description
Summary
The Social Worker (SW) is assigned to the St. Cloud VAHCS-Mental Health Integrated Care Community. The Outpatient Mental Health SW provides comprehensive psychotherapy and care coordination services to Veterans for issues related to mental health and behavioral issues - substance use disorders (SUD) - and other complex and diverse psychosocial problems.
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: Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005 - Part II - chapter 3 - section A - paragraph 3j - this part
- Education Requirement: Master of Social Work: Must possess a master's degree in social work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education
- Note: 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
- COPY OF TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED
- Licensure Requirement: Appointment at the GS-11 Full Performance Level: Persons hired or reassigned to full performance 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
- OR Appointment at the GS-9 (Entry or Developmental Level): 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 appointments at the GS-9 grade level - VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent - master's level within three years of their appointment as a social worker
- Grade Determinations: GS-9 None beyond the basic requirements
- For appointments at the GS-9 grade level - VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent - master's level within three years of their appointment as a social worker
- Most states require two years of post-MSW experience as a prerequisite to taking the licensure/certification exam - and VHA gives social workers one additional year to pass the licensure/certification exam
- Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
- In addition to the experience above - the applicant's resume 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
- Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: In addition to the experience above - the applicant's resume 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
- Preferred Experience: Mental Health - experience in Substance Use Disorder and Evidence Based Practices
- References: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit
- The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to GS-11
- 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
- VA Careers - Social Work: Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Social Work: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Social-Worker-Career-Flyer.pdf Clinical mental health functions include the following independently performed tasks: Conducting behavioral health and mental health biopsychosocial assessments of Veterans and collateral contacts
- Establish Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR) diagnoses
- Creating comprehensive - recovery-focused behavioral health and mental health treatment plans with Veterans and in coordination with other disciplines
- Completing suicide/homicide risk assessments and safety plans - as required
- Providing clinically efficacious - evidence-based therapeutic services to include individual - couples - family and group psychotherapy/counseling services for Veterans
- Interview Veterans and their families to develop/complete biopsychosocial assessments utilizing knowledge of human development and behavior and the differential influences of the environment - society - and culture
- Establishing and maintaining therapeutic alliances with Veterans and their families
- Analyzing complex psychological problems
- Understanding mental health and medical diagnoses - disabilities - and treatment procedures - including acute - chronic and traumatic illnesses - common medications and their effects/side effects - and medical terminology
- Coordinating with internal and external and ancillary mental health professionals to ensure appropriate transitions of care and that appropriate and necessary treatment is provided/offered to Veterans
- Developing and providing psychoeducational and psychotherapy groups
- Utilizing assessment and documentation processes for integrated models of care - including determining the appropriate level of care for Veterans not in specialty mental health treatment
- Educating and train other professionals and students in effective mental health treatment modalities - as well as - facility service availability related to SUD
- Making sound professional judgments regarding clinical impressions - treatment approaches - and treatment planning
- Establishing/maintaining expertise on VA services and benefits - and community resources
- Establishing/maintaining effective relationships with various Veteran agencies and coordinate care with appropriate community services
- Collaborating effectively with an interdisciplinary healthcare team
- Providing comprehensive Mental Health Treatment Coordination (MHTC) services within a team of interdisciplinary providers: Coordinate and facilitate the Veteran's overall treatment - view the Veteran comprehensively and provide continuity among various services by linking VA and community resources into a continuum of care - incorporate both inpatient and outpatient care - unless treatment requires relocation to another facility - enhance the continuity of care in a recovery-focused - integrative - rational - proactive - and individualized manner - collaborative assessment of the Veteran's needs - strengths - and challenges - plan specific services to meet the Veteran's identified needs - link required services - monitor progress toward treatment goals - and advocate with the patient to ensure needs are met
- Work Schedule: Compressed tour will be M-F with four days 0800-1830.- Evenings and Weekends may be required Compressed/Flexible: Available upon Supervisors discretion Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance) Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases 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) 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: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
- Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO):
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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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