Social Worker (Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program) Care Coordinator

Veterans Health Administration • Ravenna, OH

2d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

The Social Worker (Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program) Care Coordinator duties include, but are not limited to: Coordinates care including serving as an advocate on behalf of the Veterans on BHIP teams to ensure delivery of comprehensive seamless mental health service. Provides a full range of services within commonly accepted standards of practice and prioritizes care coordination activities as the primary job function. Provides care coordination (including care management or case management) to Veterans and families, as needed, throughout the continuum of care. Collaborates with mental health Primary Care Management Module (PCMM) Coordinators and Clinic Practice Manager to facilitate timely assignment of a mental health treatment coordinator for all Veterans receiving BHIP care and update team member assignments as appropriate. Conducts biopsychosocial assessments to assess high risk factors, including suicidal and homicidal ideation, acute needs for VHA or community-based services, and to determine care coordination and treatment needs of Veterans. Provides crisis intervention, in collaboration with the multidisciplinary treatment team, for Veterans who are experiencing severe social or mental health crises. Provides consultation/education to Veterans and families on VA resources (including self-management tools), community resources, Advance Directives, VA benefits, and options for community care if appropriate. Participates in transition planning with other disciplines and will be responsible for ensuring that transition plans are executed in a manner that is timely and appropriate to promote care continuity. Acts as a clinical resource/point-of-contact to Veterans and other team/staff members. Provides consult triage and consult management duties to facilitate the timely provision of mental health services. Provides wellness/prevention education and may facilitate patient/family educational/bridging supportive sessions as appropriate.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements.
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.
• Citizenship. United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Education. Have a master's degree in social work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Graduates of schools of social work that are in candidacy status do not meet this requirement until the School of Social Work is fully accredited. A doctoral degree in social work may not be substituted for the master's degree in social work.
• Licensure. Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-0185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level.
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
• May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).
• Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills.
• Ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the Veterans problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed.
• Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals. This requires judgment and skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving, or crisis intervention techniques.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies.
• Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures. This includes acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses/injuries; common medications and their effects/side effects; and medical terminology.
• Appointment to the GS-11 grade level requires completion of a minimum of one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the field of health care or other social work-related settings, (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level.
• Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services.
• Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational and other diversified backgrounds.
• Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities and treatment procedures (i.e. acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology) to formulate a treatment plan.
• Skill in independently implementing different treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems to achieve treatment goals.
• Ability to provide consultation services to new social workers, social work graduate students, and other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment.

Nice To Haves

• Care Coordination
• Mental Health Assessment
• Crisis Intervention
• Intake Experience

Responsibilities

• Coordinates care including serving as an advocate on behalf of the Veterans on BHIP teams to ensure delivery of comprehensive seamless mental health service.
• Provides a full range of services within commonly accepted standards of practice and prioritizes care coordination activities as the primary job function.
• Provides care coordination (including care management or case management) to Veterans and families, as needed, throughout the continuum of care.
• Collaborates with mental health Primary Care Management Module (PCMM) Coordinators and Clinic Practice Manager to facilitate timely assignment of a mental health treatment coordinator for all Veterans receiving BHIP care and update team member assignments as appropriate.
• Conducts biopsychosocial assessments to assess high risk factors, including suicidal and homicidal ideation, acute needs for VHA or community-based services, and to determine care coordination and treatment needs of Veterans.
• Provides crisis intervention, in collaboration with the multidisciplinary treatment team, for Veterans who are experiencing severe social or mental health crises.
• Provides consultation/education to Veterans and families on VA resources (including self-management tools), community resources, Advance Directives, VA benefits, and options for community care if appropriate.
• Participates in transition planning with other disciplines and will be responsible for ensuring that transition plans are executed in a manner that is timely and appropriate to promote care continuity.
• Acts as a clinical resource/point-of-contact to Veterans and other team/staff members.
• Provides consult triage and consult management duties to facilitate the timely provision of mental health services.
• Provides wellness/prevention education and may facilitate patient/family educational/bridging supportive sessions as appropriate.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP)
• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave
• Child Care Subsidy
• Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting)
• Federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
• Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care insurance
• Federal benefits package

What This Job Offers

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