Social Worker - Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI)

Summary

The incumbent is assigned to Primary Care Mental Health Integration / Behavioral Health at the Evansville, Indiana Healthcare System and surrounding VA locations. The incumbent is member of the Behavioral Medicine Service (BMS) embedded into Primary Care (PC) clinics providing the full range of psychological services to Veterans.

Duties

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VA Careers - Social Work :

VA Careers - Licensed Clinical Social Worker :

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

• The incumbent is assigned to Primary Care Mental Health Integration / Behavioral Health at the Evansville, Indiana. Healthcare Center and surrounding VA locations.
• The incumbent is member of the Behavioral Medicine Service (BMS) embedded into Primary Care (PC) clinics providing the full range of psychological services to Veterans referred by the clinic staff members including rapid assessment, diagnosis and (where appropriate) referral for specialized psychiatric services; brief individual, family or couples counseling, time-limited psychotherapy or psychoeducational groups and consultation for the PC team in the clinical management of their patients.
• The incumbent will work within the Behavioral Health Laboratory (BHL) to assist in the delivery of specific evidence-based services to PC patients. These services will involve working with other supportive services, assisting with adherence to national guidelines by providing PC physicians with "on-time, on-target" information and collaborating in making appropriate evidence-based care decisions.
• The incumbent will also provide outpatient services to include clinical assessment and treatment including individual, group or family psychotherapy, crisis intervention, advocacy, and coordination of linkages to other VA or community service providers / agencies as needed by the Veteran.
• Social Workers at the GS-09 entry level are closely supervised, as they are not functioning at the independent practice level conferred by independent licensure or certification, or they possess less than one year of post-MSW experience. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) assigned within Primary Care Mental Health Integration / Behavioral Health Lab will closely monitor, supervise, and provide the necessary guidance while at this level.

Work Schedule : Monday - Friday 8 : 00am - 4 : 30pm. May be responsible for a tour of duty that includes early morning, evenings and / or weekends and participation in the On-Call rotation schedule to accommodate Veteran care needs during weekends, holidays, evenings, and nights.

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus) : Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance) : Not Authorized

EDRP Authorized : Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VISN15EDRP@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions / assistance. Learn more

Pay : Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).

Paid Time Off : 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). Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.

Parental Leave : After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.

Child Care Subsidy : After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66 .

Retirement : Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA

Insurance : Federal health / vision / dental / term life / long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)

Telework : Not Available

Virtual : This is not a virtual position.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) : Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

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 :

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

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification / licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements :

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 : GS-9 :

Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills.

Grade Determinations : GS-11 :

OR

Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services.

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-09 to GS-11

Physical Requirements : Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation and would generally not require a pre-placement examination.

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 4 accreditation standards for a masters of social work

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or 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.

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.