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Senior Social Worker (PCMHI)

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This co-located, collaborative care Social Work position is administratively within Mental Health, with primary assignment to the Primary Care-Mental Health Integration (PC-MHI) program, located within primary care.

Position may be filled with a Social Worker or Psychologist.

Social Workers must apply via Vacancy Announcement CBSR-11355567-22-JMU.

Psychologists must apply via Vacancy Announcement CBSR-11355566-22-JMU.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
01/14/2022 to 01/24/2022
Salary
$87,327 to - $113,529 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Location
Detroit, MI
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
12
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
CBSR-11355567-22-JMU
Control number
631302000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

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Duties

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The duties of the position include:

  • Provides functional assessment, triage, brief intervention, education and consultative services regarding a wide range of mental health and behavioral medicine concerns, on referral from primary care providers and allied PACT members.
  • Provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including assessment and using the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care.
  • Performs routine brief assessments (ex. PHQ-9, PCL, AUDITC, GAD-7 etc.).
  • Provides brief mental health and behavioral interventions that are evidence based.
  • Triages appropriate and efficiently to specialty mental health services.
  • Provides behavioral medicine interventions: tobacco cessation, weight management, coping with chronic illness, sleep hygiene, etc.
  • Routinely consults with PCPs and other PACT team members about plan of care for patients.
  • Conducts effective curbside consultations.
  • Consults with medical center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues.
  • Provides clinical supervision to various disciplines and levels of training (social work interns, psychology practicum students, psychology interns/post-docs, psychiatry residents).
  • Provides leadership guidance and consultation to staffs of units to which assigned.
  • Is involved in the training of medical students, medical and psychiatric residents, nursing students, fellows and other graduate or post-graduate trainees, as appropriate.
  • Serves as a consultant to other medical center staff and trainees and assists in their formulation of the psychological characteristics and appropriate treatment expectations regarding their patients.
  • Provides leadership guidance and consultation to staffs of units to which assigned.
  • Social workers may be involved in research activities, such as preparing RFP's and grant proposal and/or presenting outcome data and research results at VA and regional or national scientific or professional meeting or peer-reviewed journals
  • Oversees the establishment of program monitors and outcome measurements within programs assigned using a data-driven quality assurance processes, in particular, monitoring outcome measures and metrics.
  • Is responsible for timely completion of all clinical charting and documentation required by the Medical Center.
  • Serves on Medical Center or Healthcare System, VISN, and/or National VA committees or task forces, as assigned by the Supervisor, Mental Health Outpatient Therapeutic Services or the Associate Chief of Staff, Mental Health.
  • Represents social work on decision-making committees at the Medical Center or Healthcare System, as assigned by the Supervisor, Mental Health Outpatient Therapeutic Services or the Associate Chief of Staff, Mental Health.
  • Actively participates in local, state and national professional organizations.
  • Represents the Medical Center or Healthcare System at professional/program community group/events and committees.
Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
Compressed/Flexible:Available
Telework: Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Title/Functional Statement #:Senior Social Worker (PCMHI)/PD91190
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
  • All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period
  • Subject to a background/security investigation
  • Must be proficient in written and spoken English
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
  • Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Personnel

Qualifications

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).
  • 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.
  • Experience/Education. The candidate must have at least two years of 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. 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.
  • United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
Grade Determinations: At the GS-12 grade, Senior Social Workers must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level. At least two years of 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. 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. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) 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.(b) Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.(c) 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.(d) 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.(e) 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.

References: VA Handbook 5005/120, PART II APPENDIX G39The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12.The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is the GS-12.

Physical Requirements: Requires ability to access various treatment settings within the facility. Ability to use computers throughout the day for data input. May require an individual to manage light lifting and carrying (under 10 pounds), climbing stairs as needed, and operation of a motor vehicle. Possession of current and valid driver's license is a requirement as incumbent is required to provider consultation services to one of the Vet Centers located in Detroit, Dearborn, Pontiac, or Macomb County.

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

As required by Executive Order 14043, Federal employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 regardless of the employee's duty location or work arrangement (e.g., telework, remote work, etc.), subject to such exceptions as required by law. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required exception from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

Due to COVID-19, VA is currently in an expanded telework posture. If selected, you may be expected to temporarily telework, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Once employees are permitted to return to the office, you will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement. Management officials will provide information about returning to the official, pre-pandemic worksite, when applicable. At that time, you may be eligible to request to continue to telework depending upon the terms of your organization's telework policy and the duties of the position.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

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, résumé, 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.

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.

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