Social Worker - (PCMHI) Collaborative Care Manager

Summary

The VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System is actively recruiting for a Social Worker to act as a Collaborative Care Manager within Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI). PCMHI is a component of the interdisciplinary Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) located at the Community Based Outpatient Clinics. The incumbent provides brief evidence-based, condition specific protocol-driven services in treating common mental health and health behavior concerns in primary care.

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Duties

The Social Worker duties include, but are not limited to:

• Provides collaborative assistance to PC providers to help manage mild to moderate cases of but not limited to depression, anxiety, PTSD, substance misuse within the primary care setting.
• Utilizes an informatics tool, the Behavioral Health Lab (BHL) software, to assist in the delivery of measurement based care, panel management, and program quality assurance/improvement.
• Completes patient outreach and engagement in treatment. Patient contact is frequently provided face to face, via telephone, tele video, and written correspondence
• Completes initial assessment of the Veteran, including the following:
• Administration of validated patient reported outcome measures.
• Reviews of assessments and documentation completed by others.
• Obtains missing pertinent information from providers, patients, and medical records.
• Develops individualized treatment plans using standardized algorithms to guide treatment recommendations and support evidence-based decision making.
• Keeps current with knowledge of the variety of clinical options available through the medical center and local community about how to refer/engage Veterans.
• Reviews of initial assessment and treatment plan with the PCMHI Providers and PCP, incorporating modifications of the plan as recommended.
• Completion of initial 5 element screening note for patients that are new to mental health services.
• Participates in weekly caseload consultation with the consulting PCMHI Provider.
• Provides education and brief interventions using evidence-based techniques such as behavioral activation, motivational interviewing, and other focused treatment strategies.
• Assesses lethality of suicidal and homicidal risk utilizing screening/assessment tools, risk stratification, and clinical judgment. Intervene and document appropriately per VACO and local guidance.
• Monitors Veteran progress using validated patient reported outcome measures.
• Reviews progress and recommendations for changes in treatment, including medication adjustments, utilizing evidence-based algorithms in consultation with the PCMHI Providers.
• Provision of same-day access for PACT clinics.
• Collaborates with and coordination of the Veteran's care with the treating PCP, PACT, and other healthcare professionals.
• Communicates with patients, families, caregivers, VA leadership, and members of the interdisciplinary team.
• Performs consult triage and management for PC-MHI services as well as timely completion of consults.

Work schedule: 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday

Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Not Available



Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Virtual: This is nota virtual position.

Functional Statement Title: Social Worker - (PCMHI) Collaborative Care Manager

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

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Requirements

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.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.
  
  

Qualifications

In order to qualify for this position, you must meet the requirement below within 30 calendar days of the closing date listed on the announcement.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS. The basic requirements for employment as a VHA social worker are prescribed by statute in 38 U.S.C. 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 or certified. At the time of appointment, the supervisor, chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification, including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline.

• 7402(b)(9), as amended by section 205 of Public Law 106-419, enacted November 1, 2000. To qualify for appointment as a social worker in VHA, all applicants must meet the following:
• Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g this part).
• 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 http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify that the social work degree meets the 3 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. Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/.
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C.
• 7403(f).
  
  

Failure to Obtain License or Certification. In all cases, social workers must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure or certification starting from the date of their appointment. Failure to become licensed or certified within the prescribed amount of time will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment.

Grade Determinations:GS-9 Experience, Education, and

Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills.
• 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.
• 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.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies.
• 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.
  
  

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 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

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

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

References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39.

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: Performance activities include sitting, walking, standing, bending, and lifting/carrying light objects under 15 pounds using two hands, walking for up to two hours. Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination, correctable vision, hearing with or without aid, depth perception and ability to distinguish basic colors, and emotional and mental stability.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

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.Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

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.

VA Healthcare System Serving Ohio, Indiana and Michigan (VISN 10) advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers.

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.

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