Senior Social Worker-Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI)

Veterans Health Administration • White City, OR

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Social Worker provides specialized social work and mental health services in a Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) program. The position delivers diagnostic and evaluation services suited to primary care, including psychological evaluation of emotional and behavioral problems and suicide assessment, as well as brief, evidence-based psychological interventions. The social worker develops and documents treatment plans for an assigned caseload, supports patient and family education, and consults with primary care providers to support clinical decisions and strengthen provider-patient working relationships. Interventions aim to enable patients to continue receiving appropriate care from their Primary Care Provider.

The role also includes supervising trainees and, as requested, students, interns, or unlicensed social workers; consulting and training primary care staff; contributing to clinical program design and implementation, program evaluation, and data-driven quality improvement; coordinating services with other health care programs; and completing administrative and documentation duties. The incumbent must complete VA National PCMHI Competency Training and maintain competency and fidelity to the PCMHI model. The position may be asked to provide full-time service at a community-based outpatient clinic in Grants Pass or K-Falls.

The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Ad-hoc telework may be available at the supervisor’s discretion; this is not a virtual position. The position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program, subject to individual eligibility and program approval. The announcement describes federal pay and benefits, including paid leave, parental leave, a childcare subsidy for eligible employees, retirement, and insurance options.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in social work from a school fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education; a doctoral degree cannot substitute for this requirement.
• State licensure 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 licensure or certification, including an advanced generalist or clinical examination, with stated exceptions for grandfathered licenses and California licenses.
• 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 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 for measuring the effectiveness of social work practice and services, using outcome evaluations to improve treatment and design system changes.
• Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students and model effective social work practice.
• Ability to expand clinical knowledge and write policies, procedures, or practice guidelines for the service delivery area.
• U.S. citizenship, except where appointment of a non-citizen is permitted under VA policy.
• Meet applicable background/security investigation, onboarding, identification, and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to written certification for continued employment.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in a primary care setting or working with same-day mental health needs or crisis management.
• 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 diagnostic and evaluation services appropriate to primary care, including evaluation of emotional and behavioral problems and suicide assessment.
• Provide psychological interventions consistent with training and expertise, emphasizing brief, evidence-based approaches effective in primary care.
• Develop, implement, and document treatment plans for an assigned caseload, including timely completion of clinical reminders.
• Facilitate patient and family education related to presenting mental and behavioral health issues.
• Consult with primary care providers to support decision-making, build on provider interventions, and improve provider-patient working relationships.
• Provide interventions that allow patients to remain with their Primary Care Provider for health care when clinically appropriate.
• Supervise trainees conducting direct clinical care and, as requested, students, interns, or unlicensed social workers.
• Complete administrative duties, including scheduling, returning calls and secure messages, writing reports, and attending organizational meetings.
• Complete VA National PCMHI Competency Training and maintain competency and fidelity to the PCMHI model through ongoing review of relevant data and metrics.
• Consult with and train Primary Care Service Line staff in identifying and managing common mental and behavioral health disorders when indicated.
• Assist the PCMHI Coordinator with designing, developing, and implementing clinical programs for the treatment team.
• Assist with ongoing program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement projects to monitor program effectiveness.
• Coordinate services through liaisons with other health care programs.
• Comply with national and local performance measures, including timely health screenings and clinical reminders.
• Follow documentation procedures and timeliness standards, including proper patient checkout procedures and entry of diagnostic and procedure codes.
• Attend and participate in administrative and informational meetings.
• May provide full-time service at a community-based outpatient clinic in Grants Pass or K-Falls.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to eligibility and approval, with an award amount of up to $200,000 and eligibility period of one to five years.
• Competitive salary and regular salary increases; a higher step rate may be considered for higher or unique qualifications or VA special needs.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, comprising 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.
• Child care subsidy for eligible full-time employees after 60 days of employment, subject to income and other eligibility 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 federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.
• Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to approval.

What This Job Offers

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