Senior Social Worker BHIP

Veterans Health Administration • Sepulveda, CA

8d

About The Position

The Senior Social Worker provides advanced clinical social work services within the Behavioral Health Integration Program (BHIP) as part of a multidisciplinary mental health team. The role serves Veterans and their families or significant others, including people with complex psychiatric conditions, serious medical illnesses, co-occurring disorders, high-risk diagnoses, and significant psychosocial stressors. The position involves independent clinical assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, psychotherapy, crisis response, care coordination, consultation, and clinical leadership.

The Senior Social Worker assesses psychosocial functioning, strengths, risks, needs, preferences, and supports; develops and modifies recovery-oriented treatment plans; and provides individual, group, and family psychotherapy, case management, supportive counseling, crisis intervention, and other behavioral health services. The role coordinates VA, community care, governmental, and social service resources, and collaborates with interdisciplinary colleagues and community partners. It also provides consultation, training, mentoring, and supervision; supports graduate student field education; and contributes to program development, quality improvement, peer review, research, and evaluation of clinical outcomes.

The position is scheduled Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Ad hoc telework may be available at the supervisor’s discretion and in accordance with VA guidelines; this is not a virtual position. Relocation and recruitment incentives and permanent change of station are not authorized. The position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to program eligibility and approval. The full performance level is GS-12.

Requirements

• Master's degree in Social Work from a school fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE); a doctoral degree may not substitute for the master's degree.
• Licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the advanced practice level, including an advanced generalist or clinical examination, subject to the stated state-specific exceptions.
• Able to provide supervision for licensure.
• At least two years of experience after advanced practice clinical licensure, including experience in a specialized area of social work practice.
• At least one year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level.
• Demonstrated advanced practice skills and judgment in a specialized area of social work practice.
• Skill in specialized interventions and treatment modalities, including individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced-level 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 methods to measure the effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area, and ability to use outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and design system changes.
• Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students regarding psychosocial treatment while modeling effective social work practice.
• Ability to expand clinical knowledge within the social work profession and write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the service delivery area.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• U.S. citizenship.
• Must meet applicable background/security investigation, pre-employment physical examination, onboarding, identification, and application-document requirements.
• Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program as a condition of employment.
• Must serve a 1- or 2-year trial period, subject to written certification for continued employment.

Nice To Haves

• Experience providing community-based and/or public mental health services.
• Competence using evidence-based treatment models.
• Ability to work effectively with a multidisciplinary treatment team.
• Ability to work with Veterans who have complex psychosocial needs.
• Experience with crisis management and care coordination.
• Certification or post-master’s specialty training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university, including a defined curriculum or course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide advanced clinical social work services within BHIP as a member of a multidisciplinary mental health team.
• Conduct comprehensive psychosocial and biopsychosocial assessments of Veterans and their families or significant others.
• Perform clinical assessments and psychosocial diagnoses for Veterans with complex psychiatric conditions, serious medical illnesses, co-occurring disorders, high-risk diagnoses, and significant psychosocial stressors.
• Assess suicide, violence, abuse, neglect, homelessness, functional impairment, and other high-risk factors; determine acuity, reporting requirements, and appropriate levels of care and intervention.
• Develop, implement, and independently modify Veteran-centered, recovery-oriented treatment plans in collaboration with Veterans, families, and interdisciplinary team members.
• Provide individual, group, and family psychotherapy using evidence-based and best-practice treatment models, as well as crisis intervention, triage, case management, supportive counseling, and other behavioral health interventions.
• Consult with psychiatry, psychology, nursing, medical providers, and other specialists regarding complex cases, co-morbidities, treatment planning, program assignments, and changes in clinical status.
• Coordinate VA, community care, governmental, and social service resources, including referrals for housing, shelters, transitional programs, institutional or nursing home care, benefits, and other supportive services.
• Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with community agencies and partner organizations; establish referral procedures and maintain a current network of community resources.
• Document assessments, diagnoses, treatment plans, progress notes, referrals, consultations, follow-up, and other clinical services accurately and promptly in electronic and/or paper medical records.
• Provide clinical consultation, orientation, training, mentoring, coaching, and supervision to social workers, Social Work Associates, interdisciplinary staff, new employees, and student interns.
• Serve as a field instructor or preceptor for graduate social work students and collaborate with academic field liaisons on student learning goals, clinical development, and professional practice.
• Lead or support clinical program development, quality improvement, process improvement, peer review, case conferences, research activities, and evaluation of social work practice and patient outcomes.
• Promote Social Work Service as an essential component of comprehensive mental health care and maintain professional standards, required licensure, continuing education, and current knowledge of treatment modalities.
• Participate in facility committees, work groups, task forces, staff development activities, and other organizational initiatives as assigned by Social Work Service leadership.

Benefits

• Eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to eligibility and program approval; awards may be up to $200,000, with an eligibility period of one to five years.
• Federal employee benefits package is available; specific benefits depend on position type and eligibility.
• Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior federal work or military service, subject to request and approval before appointment.

What This Job Offers

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