The incumbent serves as a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker providing Primary Care Mental Health Integration and Behavioral Health (PCMHI-BH) services to patients with complex bio-psycho-social issues enrolled at the Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VAMC. The Social Worker coordinates the day-to-day integrated mental health patient care treatment needs of the Community Based Outpatient Clinic

Duties

Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Social-Worker-Career-Flyer.pdf Duties include, but are not limited to: Develops an assessment of the veteran in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team, the Veteran, family members and significant others. Provides compassionate care to Veterans with serious medical and psychiatric problems thru crisis intervention, counseling, and/or referral. Highly developed professional, clinical, and advanced practice skills are routinely used to treat Veterans with complex problems. Assists Veterans to develop coping skills for multiple complex psychosocial issues which impact functioning through group classes on family life skills. Delivers psychosocial services via individual, couple, family, and group counseling utilizing face-to-face, telephone, or tele-mental health video conferencing. Provides the following integrated mental health service delivery in a Primary Care setting: Collaboration with PCP/Team, making "warm hand-off" a priority. Open Access format in place to address same day clinical issues, "Troubleshooting". Rapid evaluation and stabilization, consultation. Once stable, will work in collaboration with Primary Care Provider (PCP) and return patient to PCP for routine care. Refer and help facilitate transfer (Referral Management) to specialty mental health care when indicated. Develops the treatment plan in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team, the Veteran, family members, and significant others, setting achievable treatment goals with the Veteran/family and treatment team. Educates the 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 their surrogate decision-maker. Uses the social work resource file of VA and community social service programs to refer Veterans. Educates and encourages the Veteran/family to advocate on their own behalf, thus fostering a sense of independence and empowerment. Makes rapid assessments and develops crisis management plans for transfer to a safe and supportive environment. 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. Educates the 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. Provides Veterans and their caregivers with ongoing supportive counseling and evidence-based therapies as appropriate. Counseling support will be provided as individual, group, couple, and/or family based on the clinical treatment needs of the Veteran and their family. Ensures that communication is compliant with privacy, Release of Information and Health Information Portability and Accountability Act regulations. Establishes and maintains positive working relationships with employees, volunteers, consumers and stakeholders within the VA and outside community agencies. Participates in providing Tele-Mental Health Services to Veterans in rural remote areas as appropriate to address their specific psycho-social care needs. Work Schedule: 8AM - 4:30PM, Monday - Friday Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Available Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of existing pay, 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: Available (Ad-hoc), this is not a remote position. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 00000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. 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: 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). 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. (COPY OF TRANSCRIPT WITH CONFERRED DATE REQUIRED) Licensure/Certification. 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/. (COPY OF LICENSE REQUIRED FOR GS-11) Exception. 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 the GS-11 grade level and above, the candidate must be licensed or certified. At the time of appointment, the supervisor, chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification, including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline. 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-9 Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills. (b) 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. (c) 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. (d) Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. (e) 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. 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, and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level. (COPY OF LICENSE REQUIRED FOR GS-11) 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. (COPY OF TRANSCRIPT WITH CONFERRED DATE REQUIRED) 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. Preferred Experience: Experience conducting assessment pf patients' needs in a healthcare setting. Experience working with a multidisciplinary treatment team. Experience in electronic medial record documentation of health and behavioral issues References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39, September 10, 2019 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. 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: Use of fingers, both hands, ability to see computer screen, and hearing (aid may be permitted). Environmental factors include working closely with others and working alone.

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

Contacts

• Address Jonathan M Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center 77 Wainwright Drive Walla Walla, WA 99362 US
• Name: Gabriel Johnson
• Phone: (503) 220-8262 X53014
• Email: [email protected]