Social Worker

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Help VA Careers - Licensed Clinical Social Worker

The position is located in the Clinical Behavioral Health Service line. CBH provides ambulatory care services to mentally ill and/or substance abusing male and female Veterans and their significant others. Patients that receive services can have concurrent psychiatric disorders, personality disorders, substance use, medical conditions, and multiple psychosocial stressors. The Behavioral Health Social Worker must have the knowledge and skills to make independent decisions regarding the assessment, treatment, and case management of the diagnostically diverse BHC patient population. Must form and maintain effective working relationships with staff from the Behavioral Health Clinic, Medical, Nursing, Social Work, Rehabilitation, Chaplain, and Dietetic Services in order to provide patients with an integrated and comprehensive treatment program.

Major duties include but are not limited to:

• Assessment: Conducts intake screenings and evaluations of Veterans and their significant others. Uses the established biopsychosocial admissions criteria to determine the appropriateness of Veterans referred to the CBH for service in the different treatment components. Provides clinically meaningful information related to the specific cognitive - social learning treatment approach.
• Treatment: The Care Manager assists members of the BHIP and suicide prevention team by providing same-day assistance to Veterans experiencing urgent or non-urgent needs. Provides crisis intervention and stabilization to patients and significant others. Function with a high degree of independent judgment in responding appropriately and quickly to unique needs/dangers in crisis situations. Assist the suicide prevention team by providing telephone outreach services to Veterans following non-emergent/urgent calls to the Veterans Crisis Line. The BHIP care manager social worker may provide brief, solution-focused psychotherapy and crisis intervention. When providing treatment, relies on own clinical judgment to address patient problems in a fashion that is consistent with the knowledge and skills of other professional staff. Provides education to Veterans and follows up with them on treatment recommendations and need for further services.
• Care Management: Coordinate treatment activities to ensure that patients are provided with an individualized, integrated, biopsychosocial approach to care. The Social Worker will provide assistance to Veterans within the BHIP team by: making referrals to community-based programming which may include intensive case management, acute inpatient, and residential care. Coordinates with inpatient/residential providers to assist in discharge planning. Ensures mandated follow-up services are scheduled and Veteran attends appointments. Demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served on caseload. Demonstrate knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span and possess the ability to assess data reflective of the patient's status and interpret the appropriate information needed to identify each patient's requirements. As clinically indicated, provides input into the development of comprehensive, individualized treatment plan specific to the CBH treatment model. Assess patients, to determine the status of current clinical problems, current needs, and responses to treatment. Takes action to communicate findings with relevant BHC staff and initiates action to modify treatment. Handle requests of an administrative nature and act as patients' primary contact person, recommend actions concerning necessary controls and restrictions to enhance therapeutic effectiveness for individuals, groups, and the patient community.

Program and Staff Development: Supportive role in the administrative/clinical functions of the program such as quality assurance, policy and procedure development, program planning, preparation of reports, and other duties as assigned. Actively participates in CBH committees; provides training to Medical Center and CBH staff through patient review conferences, CBH in-service programs, and medical education presentations

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm

Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized

EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact View email address on click.appcast.io, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position