Senior Social Worker Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP)

Full Job Description

The Senior Social Worker's primary assignment will be at the Santa Rosa Community Based Outpatient Clinic, Mental Health Clinic which serves veterans with mental health problems, emphasizing combat and sexual assault-related posttraumatic stress disorder, substance use disorders, anger management, late life depression, chronic mental illness, psychiatric illness co-occurring with medical illnesses, traumatic brain injury, and mental health problems associated with homelessness.

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). Experience/Education.

You must possess 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.

Note: A doctoral degree in Social Work may NOT be substituted for the master's degree in Social Work. 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/.

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).

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: Senior Social Worker GS-12 Specialized experience: 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.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 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.

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-12. Major Duties:

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The Senior Social Worker at this level may diagnose mental disorders, conduct psychological or neuropsychological assessments, treat mental disorders through a variety of modalities, and provide adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders.

Among the modalities provided are individual, family, and group psychotherapies and other interventions such as behavioral health and community interventions.

The incumbent may consult with medical center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues.

The Senior Social Worker may be involved in program evaluation, teaching, training, and research activities.

The incumbent understands and applies professional psychological treatments to the full range of patient populations; provides professional advice and consultation in areas related to professional psychology and behavioral health; and maintains knowledge of clinical research literature.

The incumbent does not administratively supervise staff or write performance appraisals. The incumbent may provide supervision of trainees.

Duties: Diagnoses mental disorders, conduct psychological assessments Treats mental disorders through a variety of evidence based psychotherapies, and provide adjunctive interventions for treatment of medical disorders Consults with medical center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues.

Serves as a consultant to other medical center staff and trainees and assist in their formulation of the psychological characteristics and appropriate treatment expectations regarding their patients.

May participate in mental health research or program development endeavors at CBOC.

May participate in the establishment of program monitors and outcome measurements using a data-driven quality assurance processes.

May present outcome data and research results at VA and regional and national scientific or professional meetings.

May hold a faculty appointment at University of California, San Francisco Provides clinical supervision to fellow social workers and social work interns.

Is involved in the training of medical students, medical and psychiatric residents, nursing students, fellows and other graduate or post-graduate trainees, as appropriate.

May serve on Medical Center or Healthcare System, VISN, and/or National VA committees or task forces. May participate in leadership roles on local, state and national professional organizations.

May represent the Health Care System at professional/program community group/events and committees.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 662-07318F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Physical Requirements: Light lifting (under 15 lbs), light carrying (under 15 lbs), use of fingers, far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and 20/40 in the other, hearing (aid permitted), emotional stability, mental stability, working closely with others, and working alone.