Social Worker - Mental Health Service

Full Job Description

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program.

You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment.

Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (1 to 5 years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

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 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/. (1) 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. English Language Proficiency.

Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

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.

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. *******Continued in Education Section******** Major Duties:

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional This Social Worker position is located at Community Based Care Clinic (CBOC) Douglas Fournet Clinic in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Duties include (but are not limited to): Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services.

Assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the patient's problems, strengths, weaknesses, and goals of therapy.

Demonstrate involvement of the patient/family in developing and implementing treatment/discharge plans that are realistic, achievable, and understandable through documentation and clinical practice.

Complete psychosocial assessments and provide psychosocial treatment to a wide variety of individuals with mental health diagnoses from various socio-economic, cultural, ethics, educational and other diversified backgrounds.

Work with patients and families who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems.

This requires independently judgment and skill in utilizing supportive therapy, problems solving skills, crisis intervention techniques and psychoeducation.

Provide counseling and/or psychotherapy services to individuals, groups, and families.

Incumbent will utilize evidenced based treatments including, but not limited to, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy and Behavioral Family Therapy/Family Psychoeducation Training.

Utilize DSM 5 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.

Use mental health screening tools such as Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Hopelessness Scale, Beck Scale for Suicide Intervention and PTSD Checklist.

Implement Safety Plans with individuals at high risk for harm to self.

Provide consultation services to other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients with mental illness, specifically PTSD, and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment.

Acts as an integral member of the interdisciplinary treatment team.

Establishes and maintains effective therapeutic relationships with colleagues to ensure full understanding of psychosocial factors affecting patients.

Provides staff education on issues related to social work as needed. Utilize computer applications for drafting documents, data managements, and tracking, especially those programs in use by VHA.

Knowledge of veterans' benefits and services relating to special programs, service connected compensation, non-service-connected pension.

Facilitates referrals based upon veterans needs and eligibility. Knowledge of end-of-life issues including advance directives, palliative care, and grief.

Consistently communicates and treats customers (veterans, their representatives, visitors, and all VA staff) in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner.

Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:30pm, Monday - Friday - subject to change based on the needs of the facility.

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 Raja Kedeem Raja.Kadeem@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: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 00894F, 00895F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized