Social Worker (Mental Health Intensive Case Management)

The Behavioral Health Care Line (BHCL) at New Mexico VA Health Care System (NMVAHCS) is one of the largest clinical care lines within the Southwest Region Veterans Integrated Service Network. The BHCL provides medical and mental health services to Veterans state-wide and the VA catchment area of SW Colorado. It is an affiliated training site for the University of New Mexico Campus and Medical School.

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:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Licensure: Candidate must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California, which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure.
• Education: Master's degree in social work (MSW) 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 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 master's degree in social work.

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-12 Senior Social Worker Experience: In addition to the basic requirements, applicants must have at least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which, one year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level.

In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

1. Skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations. This includes individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management.
2. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
3. Knowledge in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to design system changes.
4. Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients in the service delivery area, as well as role modeling effective social work practice skills.
5. Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession, and to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area.

References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G39 - Social Worker Qualification Standard.

Physical Requirements: The work involves standing, stooping, lifting (perhaps greater than 50 pounds), sitting, pulling, assisting patients as needed. Additionally, moving patient and supplies and pushing patient as needed. The Social Worker is required to work at a computer work station to complete his/her documentation of incidents involving patients and the progress in the patient's overall program.

Responsibilities:

VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU

The Mental Health Intensive Case Management (MHICM) - RANGE (Rural Access Network for Growth Enhancement (MHICM - RANGE) Program is a comprehensive, intensive case management program for Veterans with a diagnosis of serious mental illness such as Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder with Psychosis or Major Depressive Disorder with Psychosis. The goal of MHICM - RANGE is to provide intensive clinical case management services to Veterans who have chronic, severe and persistent psychiatric illnesses. The program is characterized by high staff to patient ratios, service delivery in the community, practical problem solving approach to the work and offers a high degree of continuity of care. The program utilizes an interdisciplinary team treatment approach and MHICM - RANGE clinicians serve as the primary outpatient psychiatric providers.

The Senior Social Worker functions as a highly experienced subject matter expert on a multidisciplinary case management team within the New Mexico VA Healthcare System. This senior social worker serves assigned Veterans, and provides ongoing, intensive psychotherapeutic case management services to reduce inpatient medical and psychiatric hospitalization, while optimizing the Veteran's ability to function independently in the community. The client population's illness is chronic in nature, refractory to resolution and requires ongoing monitoring to maintain stability. This Senior Social Worker exercises independent judgment and functions autonomously in providing individually tailored services to meet the needs of the veterans on a one-on-one basis or in a group setting. This Senior Social Worker functions as the immediate and most visible point of contact to assure continuity of care and will initiate contact with other disciplines and teams regarding the coordination and delivery of services to the Veterans enrolled in the MHICM - RANGE Program.

This Senior Social Worker possesses and utilizes advanced knowledge and mastery of theories and modalities used in specialized treatment and provision of complex clinical services to clients with serious psychological problems on a regular and continuing basis. This Social Worker exercises advanced and expert skills in specialized interventions and treatment modalities to include individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management interventions, crisis intervention and suicide prevention. This Social Worker employs independent judgement in the performance of program goals through frequent home visits, provides medication monitoring, crisis/stress management as well as develops, collaborates and fosters linkages to community resources and can creatively develop resources necessary to maintain Veterans in the community. This Senior Social Worker demonstrates advanced practice skills and abilities to independently provide veterans and their family members with community outreach, counseling, therapy, treatment and direct services and referral to VA and community resources. All work is conducted by the incumbent independently, without oversight or monitoring, by supervisory or managerial staff. This Social Worker demonstrates a professional mastery of knowledge and skill to provide a variety of psychological, rehabilitation, social work, counseling and mental health techniques including but not limited to individual, group, vocational, educational, substance abuse and readjustment counseling. This Social Worker will be skilled in developing treatment/recovery plans which focus on strengthening the Veteran's ability to address acute and chronic problems and will use recovery-based clinical skills to enhance Veteran's ability to direct care. This treatment/recovery plan will then be presented and discussed with the treatment team.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 08:00 AM - 04:30 PM
Compressed/Flexible:Not Available
Telework: Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Available
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Available
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Available
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Salary : $35,143 - $64,564