This position is located at the Auburn VA Clinic, in Auburn, NY. The primary responsibilities for the Social Worker (BHIP) involve providing psychotherapy to individuals couples and groups, conducting psychosocial and mental health assessment, crisis intervention, advocacy and facilitating referrals to other appropriate VA or community service providers/ agencies whenever necessary for the Veterans' well-being.

Duties

The incumbent is responsible for providing individual, couple, and group psychotherapeutic treatment to address mental health symptoms and emotional health issues with a goal to alleviate symptoms, increase self-awareness/ self-governance of symptoms, to promote recovery and well-being for the client. The incumbent will: - Collaborate with the Veteran and their significant others to determine the best course of action in all mental health treatment modalities. - Develop a comprehensive psychosocial assessment of the Veteran in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team, the Veteran, and their natural supports that considers the range of mental health treatments available and sensitivity to the unique, individual needs of the Veteran. - Have working knowledge and experience in the use of medical and mental health diagnoses. The incumbent will possess a solid understanding of medical terminology to effectively communicate with other healthcare professionals. - Familiarity with treatment procedures for the range of acute through chronic psychiatric illnesses, as well as common medications their effects and side effects. - Expertise in evidence-based treatment methods, some but not all may include Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Prolonged Exposure (PE). - Actively contribute to the development of the Veteran's treatment plan and set achievable goals in collaboration with the Veteran, their significant others, and other clinical staff. - Experience in making rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans for potential admission to psychiatric hospitalization or mental health residential program. - Collaborate with other service providers to reassess the Veteran's needs on an ongoing basis and provide appropriate referrals based on the Veteran's preference with incorporation of their surrogate decision-maker when necessary. - Facilitate discharge planning by working alongside the interdisciplinary treatment team to ensure a smooth transition for the Veteran. This requires effective communication and coordination to ensure that appropriate discharge plans are executed in a timely manner. - Possess excellent communication skills, both orally and in writing, and ability to interact effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds. - Document clinical treatment inventions and activities in the patient electronic clinical record clinical record is essential. Review progress notes from other providers to accurately assess the Veteran's strengths and limitations to ensure comprehensive care. - Provide Consultation services regarding the psychosocial needs of Veterans and the impact of psychosocial problems on healthcare and treatment adherence. - Coordinate treatment and communicate with other services to facilitate comprehensive care for Veterans. Including the provision of continuity of care during transfer to a lower or higher level of care. - Have general knowledge of Veterans' benefits and services relating to special programs, service-connected compensation, and non-service-connected pension is crucial, as it enables the incumbent to make appropriate referrals based on Veterans' needs and eligibility. - Perform any other duties assigned, adaptable to the changing needs of the organization and the Veterans served. - Evaluate own practice through professional peer review, case conferences, and other organizational means. Other Significant Responsibilities - The Social Worker participates in committee assignments, discipline specific meetings and initiatives, as deemed necessary by the service manager. - May participate in a rotation of on-call Social Workers, including modification of tour of duty to accommodate patient care needs on weekends. - May provide supervision to a Social Work Intern or be generally involved with the MSW training program. - The incumbent is also responsible to the Social Work Executive for professional practice issues. - The incumbent is expected to participate in professional activities with his/her respective discipline and when needed. - Consults with the Social Work Executive regarding discipline specific concerns. -Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: 8AM-4:30PM, M-F Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Note: This position may be filled by a Psychologist, Social Worker or Licensed Mental Health Professional (LPMHC). These three positions are advertised separately on USAJobs. If you are interested in any position, please apply to the respective job announcement.

Requirements

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: a. 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). b. Education. Have a masters 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 to http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of social work. c. 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 socialhttp://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/. Loss of Licensure or Certification. Once licensed or certified, social workers must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment. Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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: Social Worker, 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. NOTE: For appointment licensure or certification at this level please refer to paragraph 3c.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, 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 G-39. Social Work Qualification Standard GS-185, Veterans Health Administration. The full performance level of this vacancy is at the GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to the GS-11 levels. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Syracuse VA Medical Center 800 Irving Ave Syracuse, NY 13210 US
• Name: Valerie Rarick
• Phone: 315-425-4400 X56571
• Email: [email protected]