Mental Health Social Worker

About This Role

This night-shift post on the cardiac ward pairs patient care with mentoring new nurses. The position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. The award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application.

Responsibilities

• Perform case finding functions and outreach, identifying and screening patients for psychosocial needs
• Independently implement treatment modalities, provide counseling or psychotherapy for individuals, families, and groups
• Conduct psychosocial assessments
• Develop treatment plans in collaboration with the veteran/family and with the interdisciplinary primary care team
• Offer psychosocial interventions, evidence-based therapies, and measured outcomes to intervention(s)
• Identify high-risk patients and provide case management services
• Provide crisis intervention services, seeking to address the cause as well as the presenting complaint
• Coordinate family conferences and serve as liaison to family members
• Coordinate community-based services, including information and referral for additional services from other programs, other government programs and community agency programs
• Provide consultation services to other staff regarding the psychosocial needs of veterans and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and adherence to treatment plan
• Evaluate own practice through professional peer review, case conferences and other organizational means
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds
• Meet the needs of customers while supporting missions
• Consistently communicate and treat customers (patients, their representatives, visitors, and all staff) in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner
• Provide the customer with consistent information according to established policies and procedures
• Handle conflict and problems in dealing with the consumer constructively and appropriately
• Use word-processing, data management and other computer systems, especially those programs in use
• Facilitate referrals based upon veterans needs and eligibility
• Perform additional tasks as necessitated by the supervisor or designee

Requirements

• United States Citizenship (non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy)
• Master's degree in social work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
• Licensure or certification by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level
• English Language Proficiency (spoken and written)
• For GS-09 level: Ability to utilize a Veteran centric approach when providing interventions and counseling for Veterans, their family members, caregivers, and survivors
• For GS-09 level: 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
• For GS-09 level: Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals, requiring judgment and skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving, or crisis intervention techniques
• For GS-09 level: Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies
• For GS-09 level: Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures, including acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses/injuries, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology
• For GS-11 level: 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
• For GS-11 level: 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
• For GS-11 level: Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services
• For GS-11 level: 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
• For GS-11 level: 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
• For GS-11 level: Skill in independently implementing different treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems to achieve treatment goals
• For GS-11 level: 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

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) - a student loan payment reimbursement program (up to $200,000)
• 37-50 days of annual paid time off per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
• 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)

Important Details

• Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
• Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary but also demands standing, walking, bending, twisting, and carrying light items.
• Grade Level: GS-09 to GS-11

About the Company

VA Careers offers opportunities in Social Work and Licensed Clinical Social Work.