Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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The BHIP Supervisory Social Worker oversees BHIP mental health services and a multidisciplinary team at Montana VA Healthcare System and CBOCs. Responsibilities include staff supervision, program administration, compliance with VA and accreditation standards, and ensuring high-quality, integrated behavioral health care for Veterans.

Major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Program Management Responsibilities

• Oversee and manage BHIP teams to ensure effective and efficient delivery of mental health services.
• Provide administrative and supervisory leadership for BHIP Team Leads.
• Promote a cohesive interdisciplinary team environment.
• Ensure compliance with Mental Health Performance Measures, SAIL, workload, VERA capture, quality assurance, and Veteran satisfaction standards.
• Interpret trends and patterns to recommend improvements for outpatient mental health services.
• Review Community Care consults.
• Facilitate BHIP staff meetings on administrative, staff development, and clinical care issues.
• Participate in VISN 19 and national VA committees as needed.
• Monitor and distribute provider workload reports; ensure adherence to workload standards among team leaders.
• Plan, prioritize, and adjust tasks for team leaders; set and monitor productivity targets and create action plans as needed.
• Ensure timely patient access in accordance with policies; maintain liaisons with VA programs for coordinated care.
• Provide clinical supervision to team leaders and members, ensuring adherence to policies, documentation standards, and clinical management of complex cases.
• Lead hiring and onboarding of new staff, including job announcements, functional statements, and candidate selection.
• Complete program evaluations and ensure documentation compliance with accrediting bodies (e.g., TJC, CARF).
• Perform other related administrative duties as assigned.

Clinical Responsibilities

• Diagnose mental disorders; conduct biopsychosocial assessments and screenings; provide evidence-based treatments and adjunctive interventions.
• Serve as a consultant and resource to other professionals on mental health service development.
• Resolve interdisciplinary treatment issues of a complex clinical nature.
• Educate Veterans and families on mental health concerns and interventions.
• Practice within the recovery model and utilize evidence-based practices (EBPs).
• Complete documentation accurately and in a timely manner, meeting all Service Line requirements.
• Adhere to facility clinical care policies, including suicide prevention, timeliness, access standards, and professional conduct.
• Meet established clinical workload expectations.
• Practice independently as a licensed member of MTVAHCS Medical Staff, assuming full responsibility for clinical assessments and documentation.

Education and Training

• Provide clinical supervision, consultation, and instruction to interns, trainees, and students.
• May hold a faculty appointment at a college or university.

Other Responsibilities

• Serve on Service Line and Medical Center committees, workgroups, and task forces.
• May participate in leadership roles in local, state, or national professional organizations.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 4:30 PM
Compressed/Flexible:May be available at supervisory discretion.
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact Rita.Owens@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
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)
Telework: Ad-hoc telework may be available at supervisory discretion.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 60519-A

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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:
Supervisory Social Worker, GS-12
Education and Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills in a specialty area or in administration demonstrating progressively more professional competency and judgment. Candidate may have certification or other post-master's degree training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship, or equivalent supervised professional experience.

Licensure/Certification. Individuals assigned as Supervisory Social Workers must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level, and must be able to provide supervision for licensure.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
(a) Ability to independently organize work, set priorities, and meet multiple deadlines.
(b) Knowledge of supervisory duties which includes clinical supervision, consultation, negotiation with other departments and quality improvement.
(c) Ability to ensure provision of clinical social work services.
(d) Ability to provide staff training and development.
(e) Skill in interpersonal relationships in dealing with employees, team leaders, and managers.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

This vacancy is being announced above the full performance level at a GS-12.

Physical Requirements: Physical demands of the work are generally minor, as the position requires sitting, standing, and walking. Some travel is required as the incumbent is required to conduct monthly in person supervision at different sites of care and community outreach which may require traveling long distances. The emotional demands can be stressful in working with high-risk for suicide veteran population and their families. A high level of self-awareness is essential. Work, divided between office and clinical settings, is primarily sedentary. May require prolonged standing, moderate walking, and manual dexterity. Requires carrying light items, such as books, files, or laptop computer.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.