Social Worker - Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI)

Summary

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.

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Duties

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The incumbent functions as a part of an interdisciplinary primary care team, serving Veterans, primary care providers, and allied Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) members. The incumbent will also function as either a Collaborative Care Manager (CoCM) or Co-located Collaborative Care (CCC) to assist in the delivery of evidence-based care for primary care patients identified with a variety of emotional, psychiatric, and behavioral medicine concerns. These responsibilities include functional assessment, monitoring patients, providing education, intervention, and support, influencing adherence to guidelines by providing "on-time, on-target" information and consultation to primary care providers, and collaboratively making appropriate care decisions.

• Screening/Assessment - Functional assessments based on 20-30-minute appointments and triage/referral to specialty care services as appropriate. Routine, brief assessments (e.g., PHQ-9, PCL, AUDIT C, etc.) as available in Behavioral Health Laboratory Software (BHL - Web, Touch, or other iterations) or Mental Health Assistant.
• Treatment Planning/Goal Setting - From screening/assessment information, the PCMHI Social Worker develops appropriate treatment goals in collaboration with the Veteran/family and with the PACT. PCMHI works with the PCP's treatment plan and is not expected to write independent treatment plans that may be seen in other sections within Psychiatry Service.
• Referral to service providers - Maintains knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services when appropriate. Triaging appropriately and efficiently to specialty mental health services.
• Resource Usage/Development - Maintains a professional knowledge of the theories, principles and values of social work required to develop and maintain social work programs in assigned areas. Maintains state of the art capabilities in systems of service delivery to individuals, families, and groups. Exercises judgment; program planning, development, and implementation; identifies problems and the need for policy changes and program direction that should be brought to the attention of the section Program Coordinator.
• Advocacy - Participates in multi-disciplinary conferences in assigned areas. Assists Veterans and families in obtaining medical, financial, and social resources in the community that will enhance the Veteran's recovery and/or adjustments. Assesses the Veteran's and family's need for an advocate and acts on the patient and family's behalf when needed. PCMHI Social Workers must be willing to address barriers to service with and for Veterans using a broad range of psychosocial theories and principles and specific to social work values.
• Crisis Intervention - The PCMHI Social Worker will assess and intervene in crises presented by the Veteran and/or family and participate in developing crisis management and safety plans to minimize the event of future crises. PCMHI Social Workers are expected to perform risk assessments whenever the potential for self-harm is suspected, to provide information on available safety resources, and to evaluate the Veteran's ability to access necessary resources and supports. As necessary, PCMHI Social Workers are also expected to initiate intake procedures for inpatient psychiatry whenever it is deemed necessary for the Veteran's safety or for the safety of others (i.e., ED, A&R, voluntary or involuntary admission, etc.).
• Education/Health promotion and prevention - The PCMHI Social Worker will provide education to Veterans with incomplete or erroneous understanding of their mental illness and consults with physicians and other members of the clinical staff regarding patient needs in this area. Provides consultation services to other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment.

Work Schedule : Monday-Friday, day shift, no holidays/weekends Compressed/Flexible :Not eligible Telework : Eligible, within VA policy and at management discretion (AtHoc)

• An exemption for Return to Office has been submitted for review. If approved the agency will act in accordance with the determination issued. The VA will categorically exempt military spouses authorized to engage in remote work and spouses of U.S. Foreign Service members from Agency plans to return all eligible employees to in-person work instead of remote or telework arrangements. Any selected candidate must live within 50 miles of a VA Medical Center.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position

Functional Statement # : 91993-A & 91994-A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

VA Careers - Social Work :

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You 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. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements :

• 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. Verification of the degree can be made by going to to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of 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. Indiana requires Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
  
  
  • Exception. VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level. For the GS-11 grade level and above, the candidate must be licensed.

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).

Grade Determinations :

Social Worker, GS-9

Experience, Education, and Licensure - None beyond the basic requirements.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate, in their resume, all of the following KSAs:

1. Ability to utilize a Veteran centric approach when providing interventions and counseling for Veterans, their family members, caregivers, and survivors.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies.
5. 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.

Social Worker, GS-11

Experience and Licensure . Appointment to the GS-11 grade level requires completion of a minimum of one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to the GS-9 (graduate/developmental) 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. OR Additional Education. In addition to meeting basic requirements, a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required one year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate, in their resume, all of the following KSAs:

1. Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services.
2. Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, educational, and other backgrounds.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS9 to GS11.

Physical Requirements: The physical demands of the position involve standard office requirements such as using the telephone, retrieving files, writing reports, data entry and maintenance of computer databases, etc. Work is typically performed sitting at a desk and using a computer. This position may require occasional travel. The position requires periods of walking, standing, sitting and bending.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit:

* Transcripts must be submitted with application

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Whole Health Statement

VA Healthcare System Serving Ohio, Indiana and Michigan (VISN 10) advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.