Senior Social Worker-Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP)

Veterans Health Administration • White City, OR

3d • Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Social Worker works in the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) Clinic and provides outpatient psychotherapy services to Veterans, including individual and group therapy using evidence-based practices. The role provides diagnostic and evaluation services, including evaluation of emotional and behavioral problems and suicide assessment, and delivers psychological interventions within the incumbent’s training and expertise. Treatment and Veteran response are documented and measured using clinical judgment and standardized assessment instruments.

The incumbent develops, implements, and documents treatment plans for an assigned caseload; completes clinical reminders promptly; performs administrative and documentation duties; and complies with applicable performance measures and electronic medical record procedures. Ongoing professional development is expected. The position may include clinical coverage for absent staff, supervision of unlicensed staff and students, training and education for clinicians and facility staff, and participation in administrative and training-related meetings. Other collateral duties may be assigned.

This is a permanent, Monday–Friday position scheduled from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is not virtual, and telework is not available. EDRP may be available to eligible applicants, subject to program approval and application requirements.

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.
• For the GS-12 Senior Social Worker grade: at least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure, including one year equivalent to the GS-11 grade level, in a specialized area of social work practice.
• Advanced-practice-level state licensure or certification, including an advanced generalist or clinical examination, subject to stated grandfathering exceptions; ability to provide supervision for licensure.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Demonstrated skill in specialized interventions and treatment modalities, including individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced psychosocial and/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 the effectiveness of social work practice and services, use outcome evaluations to improve treatment, and design system changes.
• Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on psychosocial treatment and to model effective social work practice.
• Ability to expand clinical knowledge in social work and write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the service delivery area.
• U.S. citizenship is required, except that non-citizens may be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Must meet applicable background/security investigation, onboarding, pre-employment physical, identification, and application requirements.
• Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to the stated evaluation and certification conditions.

Nice To Haves

• Certification or other post-master’s training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university, including a defined curriculum or course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience in a specialty.

Responsibilities

• Provide outpatient individual and group psychotherapy to Veterans using evidence-based practices.
• Provide diagnostic and evaluation services, including general psychological evaluation of emotional and behavioral problems and suicide assessment.
• Deliver psychological interventions consistent with training and expertise, documenting treatment and measuring effectiveness and Veteran response using clinical judgment and standardized assessment instruments.
• Develop, implement, and document psychotherapeutic treatment plans for an assigned caseload, including prompt completion of clinical reminders.
• Perform administrative duties, including scheduling Veterans, returning phone calls and secure messages, writing reports, and attending organizational meetings.
• Pursue ongoing professional training through workshops, intra-VA assignments, and distance learning.
• Provide clinical coverage for an absent staff member when deemed necessary by the supervisor.
• Comply with national and local performance measures, health care screening requirements, and clinical reminder completion standards.
• Follow electronic medical record documentation procedures, including timeliness standards and patient checkout procedures such as entering diagnostic and procedure codes.
• Attend and participate in administrative and informational meetings held by behavioral health leadership and facility leadership.
• Provide primary clinical supervision for unlicensed staff and/or students, and backup supervision in other rotations as directed by the Training Director.
• Provide group supervision to an intern or trainee cohort as needed and as determined by the Training Director.
• Provide up-to-date education to trainees, clinicians, and facility staff grounded in empirical science and culturally and ethically informed practice; this may include in-service or grand-round presentations.
• Attend meetings pertinent to training as directed by the Training Director, Direct Supervisor, Chief of Outpatient Behavioral Health, and/or BHSL ACOS.
• Perform other collateral duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to individual eligibility and program approval, with an award amount up to $200,000 and an eligibility period of one to five years.
• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, consisting of 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment in connection with birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
• Child care subsidy may be available after 60 days for eligible full-time employees, subject to income and other eligibility limits, up to 25% of eligible childcare costs and a monthly maximum of $416.66.
• 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 federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

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