Social Worker (Care Coordinator BHIP)

Veterans Health Administration • Hampton, VA

5h • Onsite

About The Position

This Social Worker position is located at the Hampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center within the VA Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network, under the Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences Service Line. The role is aligned with the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) and Outpatient Mental Health Services. The full performance level is GS-11; the position may be filled at the GS-9 to GS-11 level.

The Social Worker independently provides case management, outreach, psychosocial assessment, counseling, psychotherapy, treatment planning, crisis intervention, and coordination of care for Veterans. The role includes serving as Mental Health Treatment Coordinator for patients on an assigned team, supporting Veterans identified as high risk for suicide, and coordinating services with VA, government, and community programs. The work schedule is 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Telework and virtual work are not available.

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 level for GS-11 and above. At GS-9, an otherwise qualified candidate may be appointed under the stated exception while completing state licensure or certification requirements; the license or certification must generally be obtained within three years of appointment.
• For GS-11 appointment, at least one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to GS-9 in health care or another social-work-related setting, plus independent-practice-level state licensure or certification; alternatively, a doctoral degree in social work may substitute for the experience requirement, while the applicable licensure requirement remains.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Ability to use a Veteran-centric approach when providing interventions and counseling to Veterans, family members, caregivers, and survivors.
• Ability to assess psychosocial functioning and needs and formulate and implement treatment plans that identify problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and needed assistance.
• Ability to implement treatment modalities with individuals, families, and groups using supportive, problem-solving, or crisis-intervention techniques as appropriate.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and community-agency representatives.
• Knowledge of community resources, appropriate referrals to community and government agencies, and service coordination (GS-11).
• Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and interventions with people from varied socioeconomic, educational, and other backgrounds (GS-11).
• Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, treatment procedures, illnesses and injuries, medications and their effects or side effects, and medical terminology.
• Skill in independently implementing treatment modalities with individuals, families, and groups experiencing psychiatric, medical, and social problems (GS-11).
• Ability to consult with new social workers, social-work graduate students, and other staff about patient psychosocial needs and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and treatment compliance (GS-11).
• U.S. citizenship is required, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with Selective Service.
• Must complete the required background/security investigation and online onboarding process, provide acceptable identification, and participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Applicants may be required to serve a one- or two-year trial period.
• Education used to qualify must be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and be from an accredited institution; foreign education requires a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency and transcript.

Responsibilities

• Independently perform case management and outreach, and identify and screen patients for psychosocial needs.
• Implement treatment modalities and provide counseling or psychotherapy to individuals, families, and groups.
• Conduct psychosocial assessments and develop treatment plans in collaboration with Veterans, families, and interdisciplinary treatment teams, as applicable.
• Provide psychosocial interventions and measure their outcomes.
• Coordinate community-based services and provide information and referrals to VA programs, other government programs, and community agencies.
• Identify high-risk patients and provide crisis intervention that addresses both underlying causes and presenting complaints.
• Coordinate family conferences and serve as a liaison to family members.
• Provide support to Veterans on the High Risk for Suicide list.
• Use knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, treatment procedures, illnesses and injuries, medications and their effects or side effects, and medical terminology.
• Develop patient education materials or modules and assist with Veteran Peer and Family activities as assigned.
• Consult with other staff regarding Veterans’ psychosocial needs and the effect of psychosocial problems on health care and treatment-plan adherence.
• Serve as Mental Health Treatment Coordinator for patients on the assigned team.
• Coordinate with other services, including Primary Care–Mental Health Integration, the MH Connect Team, the Inpatient Psychiatry Team, and the Substance Use Disorder Outpatient Program, to ensure Veterans’ needs are met.
• Participate in and assume responsibilities for committee assignments, including Performance Improvement, Peer Review, and Performance Measures.
• Assist with staff education and training on assigned topics.

Benefits

• 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.
• Eligible employees may receive credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to request and approval.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster-care placement of a child.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify for a childcare subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to family-income and other eligibility limits.
• Traditional federal pension, with five-year vesting, and a federal 401(k) with up to 5% in VA contributions.
• 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: Entry Level