The incumbent serves as the Senior Social Worker - Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI), assigned to the Mental Health & Behavioral Health Service. Incumbent is assigned for both administrative and clinical responsibility and operates under the procedures and policies of VHA, VISN and medical center, as well as The Joint Commission, OIG and other regulatory agencies.

Duties

The incumbent tasks include, but are not limited to: Screening/Assessment -Provides brief intervention for behavioral/ mental needs in the Primary Care Setting. The PC-MHI SW uses population-based practice management strategies: conducting brief assessments, based on 30 minute appointments, referring to Mental Health care service as appropriate and using brief screening tools to track progress and inform care routinely.& brief screening tools to track progress & inform care routinely (PHQ-9, PCL, AUDIT C, etc.). SW provides functional assessments using Behavioral Health Laboratory measures. It is a responsibility of the social worker, working within the interdisciplinary treatment team to develop a treatment plan with the veteran based on this assessment. Treatment Planning/Goal Setting - Provides valuable input to PCMHI & PACT teams setting achievable treatment goals with Veteran/family. S.M.A.R.T goals closely monitored & updated every visit& adjust as patient's condition/ needs. Therapeutic Interventions - SW-PCMHI provides care management, same day and scheduled brief, time limited mental health and behavioral interventions face to face or via telephone. PCMHI SW see patients for time limited behavioral sessions for broad range including, but not limited to, mild to moderate depression & anxiety, grief/bereavement, pain, tobacco cessation, alcohol misuse, weight management, coping with chronic illness, stress management, sleep hygiene, relaxation training, non-adherence to treatment and interventions clinically based on patient need. Referral to service providers - Through functional assessments in collaboration with PCMHI &PC/PACT teams, the incumbent will assure linkage to level of care and resources. The incumbent is the subject matter expert on VA and/or community resources. Incumbent is responsible for educating Veteran and/or caregiver of the available services and assisting them in establishing the appropriate referrals based on the Veteran's preference or that of his surrogate decision-maker. Discharge Planning Coordination/Referral to service providers - Coordinates Discharge Planning activities as applicable on the assigned program involving patient and significant others in order to facilitate this process. Resource Usage/Development - Is responsible for using current social work resource file of VA and community social service program and enhancing the content to the benefit of veterans. The social worker will refer the veteran to needed services. Resource Usage/Development - Is responsible for using the current social work resource file of VA and community social service programs and enhancing the content to the benefit of veterans. The incumbent will refer the veteran to needed services. Advocacy - The social worker will educate and encourage the veteran/family to advocate on own behalf when appropriate and feasible, thus fostering a sense of independence and empowerment. Crisis Intervention - Experienced making rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans for admission to mental health inpatient programs. In the event of medical or psychiatric emergency, staff will follow the protocol of the mental health clinic at the VACHCS. In a case of involuntary admission, the incumbent is responsible to proceed with the proper communication with Court, in order to ensure State Mental Health Law requirements for involuntary admission. Education/Health promotion and prevention - Provides education related to VA and community resources, entitlements, Advance Directives/Living Will and will refer veterans/families to the appropriate interdisciplinary team member for identified health education needs. Coordination of non-institutional & institutional services - Will review the progress notes from the other provides to accurately determine the strengths and limitations of Veterans been referred for mental health services. Will educate Veteran, their families, and the team of all the options available to them and will collaborate with the veteran and family on the preferred option. Evidence Based Therapy/Supportive counseling - Incumbent will offer veterans and their caregivers Evidence Based Interventions/Supportive counseling to facilitate recovery and help them cope with the psychosocial impact of coping with persistent/disabling mental health conditions. Administrative responsibilities - Will enters Veteran/family contacts in electronic records. Will attends all appropriate staff meetings and perform other duties as required. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm, may include some evenings, weekends, holidays and on-call duties (Note: Incumbent may be required to work various shifts on a permanent or temporary basis based on facility/patient care needs)." Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 61027F PCMHI Program Senior Social Worker, GS-12 Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

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. English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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: In addition to meeting the basic requirements stated above, the following qualifications criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates. GS-12 Senior Social Workercandidates must have the following: Experience/Education: Must have at least two (2) years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which, one (1) 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: 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. While we no longer require essay-style responses to our Knowledge's Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics (KSAOs), you must be able to demonstrate that you possess the (below) competencies which are necessary to perform the work of the position. Please ensure your resume/CV/application contains sufficient information to support the level of experience/education/training; otherwise, we will not be able to award you credit for the experience/education/training you claim. These are the KSA's for this subject position: 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. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. 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. 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. 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. Preferred Experience: Extensive knowledge on Microsoft Programs: Excel, Power Point, Word. Knowledge on data dashboard management. Prior Mental Health experience. Experience in Quality Improvement activities (Mental Health System Redesigned, Performance Improvement Projects, Green Belt). Experience in providing presentations and educational activities. Experience in completion of Comprehensive Risk Assessments and management of crisis interventions in the VA facilities and in the community. Selective Placement Factor (SPF): This position includes a skill, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to -and essential for- satisfactory performance of the job. Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. Evidence of the Selective Placement Factor must be reflected in your resume. The SPF for this position is: In addition to the English Language Proficiency, you must also be proficient in basic written and spoken Spanish in order to perform the duties of this position. References: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39, Social Worker Qualification Standard. The full performance level of this vacancy is 12. Physical Requirements: 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

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.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address San Juan VA Medical Center 10 Calle Casia San Juan, PR 00921 US
• Name: Yolanda Ortiz-Davila
• Phone: (407) 631-7515
• Email: [email protected]