Senior Social Worker (Behavioral Health Access Team) - EDRP Approved

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 (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The Behavioral Health Access Team (BHAT) Senior Social Worker is a senior practitioner that works as part of a multidisciplinary team comprised of Psychiatric providers, Psychologists, Nurses, Medical Support Assistants, and other Social Workers of varying practice levels, that provide immediate access, on demand, same day Mental Health Services to Veterans enrolled in the El Paso VA Health Clinic. The BHAT Senior Social Worker performs crisis intervention, same day assessments, biopsychosocial assessments, treatment planning, evidence-based group and individual psychotherapy, care coordination with other VA services, and referrals to community agencies and hospitals. The BHAT Senior Social Worker possesses independent practice skills and judgment in the field of social work practice. They are independently licensed, demonstrate highly effective social work practice, teach, guide, and mentor less experienced social workers, draft policies, procedures, functional statements, and proposals for management review, and take a lead role in continuous program improvement. BHAT treatment interventions are evidence-based and individualized to each veteran based on the presenting case complexity, mental illness acuity, co-morbidity, substance abuse disorders, resistance to standard treatments, and utilization of inpatient psychiatric resources. The BHAT Senior Social Worker orients, trains, and oversees new Social Work staff, as well as other interdisciplinary and allied staff in BHAT systems, processes, and workflows. provides clinical supervision and training to Social Work interns, graduates working toward as assigned serves as a mentor and coach to other Social Workers, assumes responsibility and shows initiative for their learning and professional development, evaluates BHAT social work practice through participation in professional peer reviews. Utilizes deescalation strategies, conducting suicide risk assessments, developing and implementing crisis management plans, establishing safety plans, coordinating admission to inpatient psychiatric programs, and coordinating after-care treatment. In the event of a medical or psychiatric emergency, staff will follow the protocol of his/her respective mental health clinic and the El Paso VA Health Clinic. completes same day triage assessments, crisis assessments, suicide risk assessments, and biopsychosocial assessments of Veterans in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team, the Veteran, and Veteran's family members/caregivers, in accordance with all applicable policies and procedures. collaborates with the veteran in treatment plan development, based on their biopsychosocial assessment, setting achievable treatment goals with the Veteran, and identifying outcome-based measures for each goal. Treatment goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound. Duties are continued in the Education Section. Work Schedule: Monday • Friday, 8 AM • 4:45 PM Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact the EDRP Coordinator at VHAEDRPProgramSupport@va.gov 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: This is an onsite position. Telework may be offered when deemed necessary by the department AD-HOC (Employees who telework on an occasional, episodic, or short-term basis, and have completed required telework training and telework agreement.) (Portion of day acceptable). Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 55957-F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized 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: You must be proficient in spoken and written English 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. License or Certification • You must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. 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). Grandfather Provision. A Social Worker employed in VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard (9/10/2019) who did not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply: Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level or changed to lower grade within the occupation but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. Employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/ registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/ certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. Grade Determinations: Senior Social Worker, GS-0185-12 Licensure Requirement: You 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 must be able to provide supervision for licensure. Advanced practice level social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which includes 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. All states except California use a series of licensure exams administered by the ASWB. Information can be found at https://www.aswb.org/. Experience Requirement: You must possess 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. Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to: assessing and documenting identified behaviors or symptoms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and/or intimate partner violence; use of clinical social work skills; maintaining patient privacy and confidentiality per policies, handbooks or directives; acting as an advocate with appropriate community service providers and agencies when it serves the best interest of the patient and family members/caregiver; independently assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members, identifying the patient's strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and psychosocial acuity. Applicable experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment. In addition to the experience above, you must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 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. Preferred Experience: Knowledge of Working with Veteran and/or Military Population Experience with crisis intervention and risk management Experience with Evidence-based psychotherapies Clinical Proficiency in Managing discharge planning Experience with admitting Patients into Hospital for Mental Health Treatment Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation and would generally not require a pre-placement examination. 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. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. 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): https://www.cswe.org/accreditation/program-directory. 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. NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application. NOTE: If your school was accredited by CSWE at the time of graduation but is no longer listed on the CSWE website, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet. Duties Continued: Utilizes a wide range of treatment modalities and skills needed for the effective treatment of a wide range of disorders for adult patients. educates patients in the differences between supportive psychotherapy and VA EBP treatments and makes referrals to the Substance Abuse Disorder Program (SUD), Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP), Intensive Community Mental Health Recovery Services (ICMHR) Program, Peer Support Program, and other Behavioral Health services as needed. collaborates with other service providers throughout the ongoing assessment of veteran needs. educates the veteran and, if requested, family members/caregivers about available services, and assists them in establishing appropriate referrals based on veteran needs and preferences. is responsible for identifying, understanding, and brokering available resources within the VA and community to meet veterans presenting needs. seeks to reduce the limitations of bureaucracy and acts as an advocate for veterans wherever needed. educates and encourages the veteran to advocate on his/her own behalf, thus fostering a sense of independence and empowerment. provides education to veterans and involved family/caregivers related to evidence-based psychotherapy treatments, group therapy treatment, and/or additional VA and community resources. reviews the progress notes from other multidisciplinary providers to accurately determine the strengths and limitations of each veteran. educates the Veteran and their family members/caregiver of all the options available to them and will collaborate with the Veteran and family members/caregiver on the available options. assists the BHAT Program Manager in drafting policies, procedures, functional statements, planning and conducting Department meetings, attends all required Behavioral Health staff meetings. enters all Veteran/family contacts in the electronic record using appropriate formats and templates. This information will be entered in a complete, confidential, and professional manner to ensure relevant clinical information about the Veteran is shared with other VA staff. This information will be reviewed on a regular basis. establishes and maintains positive working relationships with employees, volunteers, consumers/stakeholders within the VA, and outside the community agencies. collaborates in the performance improvement processes and comply with performance measures. participates in activities that obtain feedback from clients and work to enhance services as needed.