Summary

This Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) Social Worker is a full time position administratively aligned with the Mental Health Service and is assigned as a Colocated Collaborative Care (CCC) behavioral health consultant in Primary Care. PCMHI is a component of the interdisciplinary Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT). The PCMHI CCC social worker provides brief - evidence-based interventions - education - consultation services to Veterans - Primary Care Providers (PCPs) - & PACT members.

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
• 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 3 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
• English Language Proficiency: Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English
• 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: Grade Determinations: Social Worker - GS-09: Experience - Education - and Licensure
• None beyond the basic requirements
• Grade Determinations: GS-09 - The entry level grade and would be for social workers that are new graduates - those that have less than one year experience and are not licensed/certified - or social workers with experience but not licensed to practice at the independent practice level .Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills and Abilities for the grade level are as follows: Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socio-economic - 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 Veteran problems - strengths - weaknesses\s - copying skills and assistance needed
• Knowledge of human development and behavior (physical and psychological) - and the differential influences of the environment - society - and culture
• Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals - families - and groups to achieve treatment goals
• This requires judgment and skills 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
• Grade Determinations for 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 AND Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - candidates 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 - 7 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: Substance abuse / PTSD counseling is highly desirable Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy will be the GS-11
• Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary but also demands standing - walking - bending - twisting - and carrying light items.

Duties

• VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU VA Careers - Licensed Clinical Social Worker: https://youtube.com/embed/U_xC25QsN0w Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional This Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) Social Worker position is administratively aligned with the Mental Health Service and is assigned as a Colocated Collaborative Care (CCC) behavioral health consultant in Primary Care
• PCMHI is a component of the interdisciplinary Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT)
• The PCMHI CCC social worker provides brief - evidence-based interventions - education - and consultation services to Veterans - Primary Care Providers (PCPs) - and allied PACT members
• The PCMHI CCC social worker provides functional assessment - triage - brief intervention - education - and consultative services regarding a wide range of possible concerns
• Consistent with the VA Whole Health philosophy - the PCMHI social worker promotes awareness of the important mental and behavioral aspects of wellness and overall health outcomes
• The PCT Social Worker must have a fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses - disabilities - and treatment
• Collaborates with PCPs and the interdisciplinary PACT to support high quality - effective - and coordinated service delivery at the patient and programmatic levels Maintains daily open access slots and encourages same day warm handoffs within PACT Completes most individual appointments (e.g. - 75%) within 30 minutes Uses Measurement Based Care (MBC) in accordance with nationally recommended guidelines for PCMHI Conducts initial functional assessments that are focused on the main reason(s) for referral and are less extensive than traditional mental health intake evaluations Supports Stepped-Care principles to facilitate \"on-time - on target\" services to Veterans - matching the intensity of services with the level of clinical need Refers Veterans with more severe or complex needs to the appropriate general or specialty mental health program Provides time-limited - brief - evidence-based - individual or group interventions (e.g. - approximately 1-6 sessions) for a broad range of behavioral health and health behavior concerns within the primary care setting Utilizes intermittent visits and flexible patient contact strategies to support brief but longitudinal PCMHI care as part of PACT Ensures quality of care by successfully completing the national VA PCMHI Competency Training Program (or approved equivalent) and associated ongoing education modules Performs other related clinical duties - as assigned - to meet patient needs Engages in PACT huddles and meetings to cultivate collaborative team functioning and serve as a subject matter expert for behavioral health considerations Provides education to PACT on behavioral health and health behavior issues - as well as tips to promote effective patient communication - motivational enhancement - and behavior change Integrates self into routine workflow of Primary Care and seeks opportunities to offer expertise or direct patient care services to support team-based care
• Supervises SW students in accord with training program policies and accrediting agency requirements
• Provides staff and student didactic training and consultation as requested in content areas of scholarly and/or clinical expertise Work Schedule: (Monday-Friday) - 8:00am-4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of 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) Permanent Change of Station (PCS) Not Authorized This vacancy is a multi-disciplinary announcement
• If you are a Psychologist and are interested in applying - please apply to Vacancy 12840259 If you are a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and are interested in applying - please apply to Vacancy 12840261