Social Worker Primary Care Mental Health Integration

We're Looking for a skilled Social Worker Primary Care Mental Health Integration in the Veterans Health Administration based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Read through the job description to see if it matches your current experience.

The Successful Applicant

BASIC REQUIREMENTS a. Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. b. Education. Have a masters 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 masters degree in social work. c. Licensure. Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the masters degree level. d. English Language Proficiency. Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English. Creditable Experience (1) Knowledge of Current Professional Social Work Practices. To be creditable the experience must have required the use of knowledge skills abilities and other characteristics associated with current professional social work practice. The experience or education must be postMSW degree. Experience and education satisfying this requirement must be active professional practice which is paid/nonpaid employment as a professional social worker as defined by the appropriate state licensing board. (2) Quality of Experience. Experience is only creditable if it is obtained following graduation with a masters degree in social work and if it includes work as a professional social worker directly related to the position to be filled. Qualifying experience must also be at a level comparable to social work experience at the next lower level. (3) PartTime Experience. Parttime experience as a professional social worker is creditable according to its relationship to the fulltime workweek. For example a social worker employed 20 hours a week or on a 1/2time basis would receive 1 fulltime workweek of credit for each 2 weeks of service. (4) Fellowships or PostGraduate Training. Fellowship and postgraduate training programs are typically in a specialized area of clinical practice i.e. group or family practice. Training as a fellow or postgraduate may be substituted for creditable experience on a yearforyear basis. (5) Practicum in a VA Setting. A VHA practicum experience may not be substituted for experience as the practicum (field placement) is completed prior to graduation with a masters degree in social work. Grade Determinations GS9 Social Worker Experience Education and Licensure. GS9 is the entry level grade for the GS185 social work series and is used for social workers with less than one year of postMSW experience and for social workers who are not yet licensed or certified at the independent practice level. Social workers at the GS9 level are working toward completion of prerequisites for licensure or certification. Assignments. Individuals assigned as GS9 social workers are considered to be at the entry level and are closely supervised as they are not yet functioning at the independent practice level conferred by independent licensure or certification.GS 11 Social Worker Experience Education and Licensure. Promotion to the GS11 full performance level requires completion of a minimum of 1 year of postMSW degree experience in the field of health care social work (VA or nonVA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level (NOTE: For appointment licensure or certification at this level please see exception clause under basic requirements section). This experience must have been in a clinical setting and must have demonstrated the potential to perform advanced assignments independently. A clinical setting is a medical center clinic medical or psychiatric residential treatment center or any other type of facility where the social worker participates in a collaborative treatment and is identified with the medical profession. Experience must have been obtained AFTER earning a Masters Degree in Social Work. OR in addition to meeting basic requirements a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required 1 year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting. Assignments. This is the full performance level for social workers. GS11 social workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work. They are assigned to all program areas including inpatient or outpatient medicine surgery mental health neurology rehabilitation medicine and geriatrics. Employees provide professional independent social work services in the assigned area. In addition the candidate must demonstrate the Knowledge Skill and Abilities below. 1. Knowledge of community resources how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services and ability to coordinate services. 2. Ability to independently assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members and to formulate and implement a treatment plan identifying the patients problems strengths weaknesses coping skills and assistance needed in collaboration with the patient family and interdisciplinary treatment team. 3. Ability to independently conduct psychosocial assessments and provide psychosocial treatment to a wide variety of individuals from various socioeconomic cultural ethnic educational and other diversified backgrounds. This requires knowledge of human development and behavior (physical and psychological) and the differential influences of the environment society and culture. 4. Knowledge and experience in the use 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. 5. Knowledge of psychosocial treatment and ability to independently implement treatment modalities in working with individuals families and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric medical and social problems to achieve treatment goals. This requires independent judgment and skill in utilizing supportive problem solving or crisis intervention techniques. 6. Ability to independently provide counseling and/or psychotherapy services to individuals groups and families. 7. Ability to provide consultation services to other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment. Ability to provide orientation and coaching to new social workers and social work graduate students. Ability to serve as a field instructor for social work graduate students who are completing VHA field placements. 8. Ability to independently evaluate his/her own practice through participation in professional peer review case conferences research studies or other organized means. 9. Knowledge and skill in the use of computer software applications for drafting documents data management and tracking. Reference: VA HANDBOOK 5005/50 APPENDIX G39 Physical Requirements: The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium dementia or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature flexible sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations able to shift priorities based on patient needs. Travel is required therefore a drivers license is required for the duties of this position

What’s on Offer

The role offers excellent opportunities for top performers to further develop their competencies as a social worker and improving the lives of people.