Senior Social Worker-Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP)

Veterans Health Administration • White City, OR

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Social Worker works in the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) Clinic, providing outpatient psychotherapy to Veterans, including individual and group therapy using evidence-based practices. The role provides diagnostic and evaluation services, especially general psychological evaluations of emotional and behavioral problems and suicide assessments, and develops, implements, and documents treatment plans for an assigned caseload. Treatment effectiveness and Veteran response are documented using clinical judgment and standardized assessment instruments.

The position includes administrative responsibilities such as scheduling Veterans, returning calls and secure messages, writing reports, attending meetings, and completing clinical reminders and electronic medical record documentation in a timely manner. Ongoing professional training is expected through workshops, intra-VA assignments, and distance learning. The incumbent may provide clinical coverage for absent staff and performs other collateral duties as assigned.

The Senior Social Worker provides primary clinical supervision to unlicensed staff and/or students, may provide group supervision to interns or trainees, and delivers current education to trainees, clinicians, and facility staff. Educational activities may include in-service and grand-round presentations related to the Mental Health Service Line. The position also attends meetings related to training and behavioral health operations.

The schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telework and virtual work are not available. The position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to individual eligibility and program approval; reimbursement may be up to $200,000 over one to five years. Recruitment or relocation incentives are not authorized.

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 licensure or certification to independently practice social work at the master's degree level.
• Advanced-practice-level state licensure or certification, including an advanced generalist or clinical examination, with specified state exceptions; must be able to provide supervision for licensure.
• At least two years of experience after advanced-practice clinical licensure in a specialized area of social work practice, including one year equivalent to the GS-11 grade level.
• Demonstrated advanced practice skills and judgment in a specialized area of social work.
• Demonstrate skill in specialized interventions and treatment modalities, including individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced psychosocial and/or case management.
• Demonstrate ability to incorporate complex multiple causation into differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
• Demonstrate knowledge of developing and implementing methods to measure the effectiveness of social work practice and services and using outcome evaluations to improve treatment and design system changes.
• Demonstrate ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students and to model effective social work practice.
• Demonstrate ability to expand clinical knowledge and write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the service delivery area.
• Be a U.S. citizen, except that non-citizens may be appointed when recruiting qualified citizens is not possible under VA policy.
• Be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Meet applicable pre-employment requirements, including background/security investigation and physical evaluation, onboarding, and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements.
• Meet Selective Service registration requirements for males born after December 31, 1959.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to evaluation and written certification for continued employment.

Nice To Haves

• Certification or 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.
• Conduct diagnostic and evaluation services, including evaluations of emotional and behavioral problems and suicide assessments.
• Provide psychological interventions within training and expertise, documenting treatment and measuring effectiveness and Veteran response using clinical judgment and standardized assessment instruments.
• Develop, implement, and document treatment plans for an assigned caseload, including timely completion of clinical reminders.
• Schedule Veterans, respond to their calls and secure messages, write reports, and attend organizational meetings.
• Participate in ongoing professional training through workshops, intra-VA assignments, and distance learning.
• Provide clinical coverage for absent staff when deemed necessary by the supervisor.
• Comply with national and local performance measures, health-care screening requirements, clinical reminder completion, and electronic medical record documentation and patient checkout procedures.
• Attend administrative and informational meetings held by behavioral health leadership and facility leadership.
• Provide primary clinical supervision for unlicensed staff and/or students and, as needed, group supervision for interns or trainees.
• Provide current, evidence-based, culturally and ethically informed education to trainees, clinicians, and facility staff, including 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 approval, with an award of up to $200,000 over one to five years.
• Competitive salary and regular salary increases; a higher step rate may be considered based on qualifications or VA needs.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, including annual leave, sick leave, and paid federal holidays.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment for qualifying birth, adoption, or foster-care placement.
• Potential childcare subsidy after 60 days for eligible full-time employees, subject to family income and program limits.
• Traditional federal pension, with five-year vesting, and federal 401(k) with up to 5% in VA contributions.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many programs may be carried into retirement.
• Potential annual leave accrual credit for qualifying prior work or military service, subject to approval.

What This Job Offers

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