Senior Social Worker (PCMHI)

Veterans Health Administration • Sierra Vista, AZ

5d • Remote

About The Position

The Senior Social Worker (SSW) is assigned to the Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) Program within Mental Health Service. The position supports integrated physical and mental health care in primary care settings, promoting effective treatment of common mental health conditions, patient engagement, and adherence to care. Services may be delivered face to face or via telework. The position is eligible for full-time telework but is not designated as a virtual position; remote-work arrangements are reviewed every six months and may change, and the employee may be required to report to an office in the future.

The Senior Social Worker provides advanced clinical social work, counseling, psychotherapy, psychosocial assessment, and case management to Veterans and their families. The role includes collaboration with health care providers, community agencies, suicide-prevention staff, and multidisciplinary teams, as well as documentation and reporting in accordance with applicable service policies. The role requires advanced practice clinical licensure and the ability to provide supervision for licensure.

The position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to individual eligibility and program approval. Approved reimbursement may be up to $200,000, with an eligibility period of one to five years. The employee must submit an application within four months of appointment. This is a permanent federal position, with a Monday–Friday schedule that may be adjusted to meet service needs.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in social work from a school fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE); a doctoral degree cannot substitute for the master’s degree.
• State license or certification to independently practice social work at the master’s degree level.
• At least two years of experience after advanced practice clinical licensure, in a specialized area of social work practice; one year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level.
• Advanced-practice-level state license or certification, including an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless covered by the applicable state grandfathering provision; California licenses must meet California’s advanced-practice examination requirements.
• Ability to provide supervision for licensure.
• Demonstrated skill in specialized interventions and treatment modalities, including individual, group, or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced psychosocial or case management.
• Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation into differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
• Knowledge of developing and implementing methods to measure social-work practice and service effectiveness, use outcome evaluations to improve treatment, and design system changes.
• Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students and to model effective social work practice.
• Ability to expand clinical knowledge and write policies, procedures, or practice guidelines for the service delivery area.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Current driver’s license and ability to drive a government vehicle when necessary.
• Meet applicable federal employment conditions, including background/security investigation, onboarding, and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements.

Nice To Haves

• One year of PCMHI experience and/or PCMHI fidelity training certification.
• Certification or post-master’s training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university in a specialty area, including a defined curriculum or course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience.

Responsibilities

• Implement treatment modalities independently and assess patients’ functioning and impairment across occupational, social, academic, interpersonal, and family domains.
• Perform mental status examinations and identify psychiatric manifestations of medical conditions.
• Assess and intervene in suspected abuse cases; apply knowledge of legal commitment criteria and state laws concerning involuntary hospitalization.
• Provide counseling and psychotherapy to individuals, families, and groups.
• Use medical and mental health diagnoses and treatment procedures with diverse populations experiencing acute, chronic, or traumatic illness or injury and psychiatric, medical, or social problems.
• Determine presenting problems and relevant in-home factors, and identify barriers to treatment or follow-through with recommended care.
• Collaborate with community agencies to develop effective and efficient health care services for Veterans.
• Establish collaborative working relationships with medical and psychiatric providers and other health care professionals, including physicians, social workers, nurses, psychologists, and pharmacists.
• Coordinate social work case management with treatment-team members to support Veterans’ treatment goals.
• Collaborate with the Suicide Prevention Team and Local Recovery Coordinator and follow suicide-prevention standard operating procedures.
• Provide advanced case-management interventions for Veterans with polytrauma, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, visual impairment, posttraumatic stress disorder, addictions, and serious mental illness.
• Maintain familiarity with applicable performance measures.
• Document interventions, activities, patient and family contacts, and care handoffs in the computerized patient record system (CPRS), using SBAR when transferring care.
• Complete statistical and other reports under SAVAHCS and professional-discipline service policies.
• Collaborate with SAVAHCS multidisciplinary teams and participate in committee assignments as needed.
• Travel within the medical center and community as required, including conducting interviews with Veterans, families, community agencies, and law enforcement representatives.
• Drive a government vehicle for professional duties when necessary.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) reimbursement, subject to eligibility and approval, of up to $200,000 over one to five years.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment, in connection with birth, adoption, or foster-care placement.
• Child care subsidy eligibility after 60 days for qualifying full-time employees and eligible children, subject to income and program limits.
• Traditional federal pension, with five-year vesting, and federal 401(k) with up to 5% in contributions by VA.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many programs may be carried into retirement.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual for qualifying prior federal or military service, subject to prior approval.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior