Social Worker - Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program/ Substance Use Disorders Provider

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Social Worker - Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program Substance Use Disorders Provider

Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration Alexandria VA Health Care System

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Summary

This job is open to

Duties

Requirements

How you will be evaluated

Required documents

How to apply

Summary

This Social Worker serves as a Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program BHIP and Substance Use Disorders SUD Provider independently providing expert clinical and case management services to Veterans served by the Lafayette Community Based Outpatient Clinic. This position fosters recovery-oriented patient-centered trauma informed and evidence-based mental health care for Veterans through the promotion of collaborative person-centered treatment plans and measurement-based care.

Learn more about this agency

Summary

This Social Worker serves as a Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program BHIP and Substance Use Disorders SUD Provider independently providing expert clinical and case management services to Veterans served by the Lafayette Community Based Outpatient Clinic. This position fosters recovery-oriented patient-centered trauma informed and evidence-based mental health care for Veterans through the promotion of collaborative person-centered treatment plans and measurement-based care.

Learn more about this agency

Overview Help Accepting applications

Location Lafayette LA 1 vacancy

No matching locations found.

Work site options Telework eligible: No Remote job: No Relocation expenses reimbursed: No

Salary $63,272 - $99,526 per year

Pay scale & grade GS 9 - 11 Promotion potential: 11

Learn more about pay scale and grade Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.

Work schedule: Full-time Travel Required: Not required Appointment type: Permanent

Occupations and job series 0185 Social Work

Supervisory status: No Federal service type: This job is in the Excepted Service Represented by a union: No Drug test: No Security clearance: Not Required Position sensitivity and risk: Non-sensitive NSLow Risk

Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.

Background check type: Credentialing Suitability Fitness

Financial disclosure required: No

Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.

Announcement number: CBST-13095027-27-TM Control number: 889835600

This job is open to Help The public U.S. Citizens Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S. Federal employees - Competitive service Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Managements hiring rules and pay scales. Federal employees - Excepted service Current federal employees whose agencies have their own hiring rules pay scales and evaluation criteria. Internal to an agency Current federal employees of the hiring agency that posted the job announcement.

Clarification from the agency This job is open to current permanent VA Nationwide employees Federal employees of other Agencies and U.S. Citizens.

NOTE The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.

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Duties Help

Duties include but are not limited to

• Utilizes the Collaborative Chronic Care Model CCM to facilitate coordinated proactive population based care.
• Adheres to referral management procedures focusing on timely and person-centered care coordination as well as continuity for Veterans.
• Utilizes procedures to promote re-engagement referral or transition to other levels of
• Case manages Veterans receiving Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program BHIP level of care to include collaborating with members of the treatment team in the provision of comprehensive health care services maximizing equity of access service benefit and quality to the population served.
• Independently performs case finding functions and outreach identifying and screening patients for psychosocial needs. Incumbent must possess the knowledge and ability to independently implement treatment modalities provide counseling or psychotherapy for individuals andor families.
• Independently conducts psychosocial assessments.
• Develops treatment plans in collaboration with the Veteran family and with the interdisciplinary treatment team.
• Possesses the skills to offer psychosocial interventions and measures outcomes to interventions.
• Able to coordinate community-based services including provision of information and referral for additional services from other VA programs other government programs and community agency programs.
• Independently identifies high-risk patients and provides case management services.
• Provides crisis intervention services seeking to address the cause as well as the presenting complaint coordinates family conferences and serves as liaison to family members.
• Working knowledge and experience in use 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.
• Establishes and maintains effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans and their families.
• Able to independently work with patients and families who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric medical and social problems utilizing individual and family counseling and therapy skills.
• Independently provides 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.
• General knowledge of Veterans benefits and services relating to special programs service-connected compensation non-service-connected pension.
• Facilitates referrals based upon Veterans needs and eligibilities.
• Consistently communicates and treats customers Veterans their representatives visitors and all VA staff in a courteous tactful and respectful manner.
• Handles conflict and problems in dealing with the consumer constructively and appropriately.
• Has working knowledge and skill in the use of word-processing data management and other computer systems especially those programs in use by VHA.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 800am - 430pm subject to change based on the needs of the facility. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement: 01036F 01037F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station PCS: Not Authorized

Requirements Help

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12311959.
• 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 forms of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements httpswww.uscis.govi-9-centralform-i-9-acceptable-documents. Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation.
• 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.

Qualifications

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 masters 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 masters degree in social work. Verification of the degree can be made by going to httpwww.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 masters degree level. Current state requirements may be found by going to httpvaww.va.govOHRM T38 Hybrid.

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. At the time of appointment the supervisor chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline.

a. For appointments at the GS-9 grade level VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent masters level within three years of their appointment as a social worker. Most states require two years of post-MSW experience as a prerequisite to taking the licensure certification exam and VHA gives social workers one additional year to pass the licensure certification exam. In states such as California Washington and others where the prerequisites for licensure exceed two years social workers must become licensed at the independent masters level within one year of meeting the full state prerequisites for licensure. b. A social worker who does not yet have a license that allows independent practice must be supervised by a licensed independent practitioner of the same discipline who is a VA staff member and who has access to the electronic health record. c. Different states have different levels of licensure or certification making it difficult for VHA staff to determine the independent practice level. Each state Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia completed surveys identifying the level of licensure or certification allowing independent practice. Copies of the surveys are on file in the VHA Office of Care Management and Social Work Services and a summary spreadsheet of the levels of licensure or certification is available to social work professional standards board members for purposes of determining whether the social workers level of licensure or certification meets the VHA qualification standards. All states except California use a series of licensure exams administered by the ASWB. Information can be found at httpswww.aswb.or_g. The ASWB is the association of boards that regulates social work. ASWB develops and maintains the social work licensing examination used across the country and is a central resource for information on the legal regulation of social work. The ASWB offers three examinations. The masters examination is generally used by states for the independent practice level of licensure or certification while the advanced generalist and the clinical examinations are used for the advanced practice level of licensure or certification. Differences between the masters and the advanced exams demonstrate the expectation that advanced practice social workers will have a more sophisticated knowledge of practice theory and its application.

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

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.

Social Worker GS-11 Experience and Licensure. Appointment to the GS-11 grade level requires completion of a 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. Education. In addition to meeting basic requirements a 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. Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: a. Knowledge of community resources how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services and ability to coordinate services. b. 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. c. 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. d. 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.

Continued in Additional Information Section

Additional information Continued from Qualifications Section

e. 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.

Reference For more information on this qualification standard please visit httpswww.va.govohrmQualificationStandards.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS9 to GS11.

Physical Requirements Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing lifting carrying sitting stooping bending puling and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment.

Work Environment Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions the area is adequately lighted heated and ventilated. However the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual Vacation Leave Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate 4 6 or 8 hours per pay period which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

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.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicants criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process visit Human Resources and Administration Operations Security and Preparedness HRAOSP at The Fair Chance Act.

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Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government passionate about the ideals of our American republic and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits Help

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How you will be evaluated You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Area of consideration - Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order

1st Area of Consideration - current permanent Alexandria VA Health Care System employees including satellites 2nd Area of Consideration - current permanent VA Nationwide employees 3rd Area of Consideration - current permanent Federal employees of other Agencies 4th Area of Consideration - all other applicants

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application resume C.V. and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please