This BHIP (Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program) Social Worker is assigned to the Mental Health Clinic at the Orlando VA Medical Center or Outpatient Clinics in the Orland VA HCS (e.g. Lake Baldwin Outpatient Clinic, Viera Outpatient Clinic, Daytona Outpatient Clinic). The BHIP Senior Social Worker provides clinical psychosocial and case management services to eligible Veterans and their family members to meet biological, psychological, social, and environmental needs.

Duties

The BHIP Senior Social Worker is assigned to work with highly-complex mental health problems requiring advanced practice level psychosocial interventions in a Veteran population who have experienced trauma, including expertise in Evidenced-Based Psychotherapies (EBP) for depression including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Depression (CBT-D), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Depression (ACT-D) and/or Interpersonal Psychotherapy for Depression (IPT-D). The selected will primarily engage in specific Evidence-Based Psychotherapies to provide specialized clinical care for the majority of their time. Veterans assigned to Senior Social Workers have health care and psychosocial problems and needs that at a higher complexity and require specialized clinical insight and creative problem solving. The selectee will be required to interact not only with the patient but also family, significant others, community agencies, community care providers, as well as other staff. Some of the duties include, but are not limited to; Conducts full bio-psychosocial assessments utilizing evidence-based diagnostic interviews of the Veteran with specific examination of current coping skills, emotion regulation, and support networks in place. Will be providing care for BHIP enrolled Veterans with higher acuity of need/severity of symptoms he/she will provides two or more VA approved Evidence Based Psychotherapies (EBP) for Depression and related disorders, such as ACT-D, IPT-D, and CBT-D. Possesses the knowledge of advance interventions, as well as the ability to initiate treatment modalities in accordance with unique patient needs/treatment objectives. Will be tasked with cases with higher severity than the typical BHIP referral and will be expected to engage in practice that is expected of a Senior Social Worker. Assessment and treatment of these patients includes, but is not limited to, identification of differential diagnoses and the ability to make informed treatment recommendations for Veterans who have struggled to complete formalized outpatient treatments. Routinely and frequently use specialized outcome measures beyond the mandated Measurement Based Care requirements. Makes independent professional decisions and recommendations for agency action using a wide range of complex social work practice skills utilizing their advance practice skills, knowledge, and experience. Utilizes outcome evaluations to further treatment and designs system changes based on empirical findings and in consultation with other specialty team members. Serves as a representative of the BHIP program for outreach activities and/or serves as a guest speaker at community or university events. Will act as a consultant to other BHIP teams/staff members, other clinicians within the medical center, within the VISN, and/or nationally. Will act as a liaison and advocate for Veterans receiving care from an approved community care partner for Evidence-Based Psychotherapy and other psychotherapy services. Will coordinate with community care partners to ensure that Veterans being served in the community are receiving care that meets VA standards and that collaborative services that the VA provides are available to the Veteran receiving community care. Will provide individual, family and group counseling as appropriate for Veterans who are pre or post EBP interventions to address readiness to change and symptom relapse prevention respectively. Will address Advance Directives Discussion, Advance Directives, Goals of Care planning/conversations in accordance with the standards of their work area. May supervise the practice of social work students, or a less experienced social worker throughout the Orlando VA HCS when tasked to do so. Will coordinate treatment and communicate with the care lines to facilitate continuity of care for veterans. Will maintain data and statistical compilations to comply with Joint Commission, VA and medical center policy and procedures as well as assist program manager with clinical program development and evaluation of effectiveness of services/programing. Assists Veterans in transitioning from BHIP into other levels including MHRRTP or residential settings as well as assist in referrals to supportive community and peer support care options to promote safety and stability for the Veteran. Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: The primary tour of duty will be M-F 8am to 4:30pm. However, the selectee may also be required to work various shifts on a permanent or temporary basis, based on the needs of the service and patient care. Telework: May be available - Ad Hoc (when necessary or needed). Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: Senior Social Worker, Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) #81804F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required.

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/29/2023. 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 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: 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/. (NOTE: For those who have a Florida LCSW license, you must be registered with the state as a "Qualified Supervisor" in order to provide supervision for licensure or specialty certification. All others must meet the requirements of their state of licensure to be able to provide supervision for licensure.) English Language: Must be proficient in spoken and written English 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). All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all of the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure or certification, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. § 7401 (3) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. Grade Determinations: Senior Social Worker, GS-12 Experience: Must have a least two years of specialized 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. Licensure/Certification: Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California, which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure. References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39 Physical Requirements: The position requires performance of work which involves light physical effort, such as that involved in lifting light files, bending, standing, reaching, operating office equipment such as telephone, copier, fax machine, scanner, etc. The physical demands of the work requires use of fingers; moderate walking and standing; near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in on eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; hearing aid permitted; clear speech; emotional stability; moderate duty.

Education

Must 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.

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 Orlando VA Medical Center 13800 Veterans Way Orlando, FL 32827 US
• Name: Christopher Cacciapaglia
• Phone: (407) 631-8494
• Email: [email protected]