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.
Duties
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The Behavioral Health Access Team (BHAT) Senior Social Worker is a senior practitioner that works as part of a multidisciplinary team comprised of Psychiatric providers, Psychologists, Nurses, Medical Support Assistants, and other Social Workers of varying practice levels, that provide immediate access, on demand, same day Mental Health Services to Veterans enrolled in the El Paso VA Health Clinic. Duties include but are not limited to: Under the direction of the BHAT Program Manager, the BHAT Senior Social Worker orients, trains, and oversees new Social Work staff, as well as other interdisciplinary and allied staff in BHAT systems, processes, and workflows. Serves as a mentor and coach to other Social Workers, assumes responsibility and shows initiative for their learning and professional development, evaluates BHAT social work practice through participation in professional peer reviews. Utilizes deescalation strategies, conducting suicide risk assessments, developing and implementing crisis management plans, establishing safety plans, coordinating admission to inpatient psychiatric programs, and coordinating after-care treatment. Completes same day triage assessments, crisis assessments, suicide risk assessments, and biopsychosocial assessments of Veterans in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team, the Veteran, and Veteran's family members/caregivers. Collaborates with the veteran in treatment plan development, based on their biopsychosocial assessment, setting achievable treatment goals with the Veteran, and identifying outcome-based measures for each goal. Collaborates with other service providers throughout the ongoing assessment of veteran needs. Educates the veteran and, if requested, family members/caregivers about available services, and assists them in establishing appropriate referrals based on veteran needs and preferences. Identifies, understands, and brokers available resources within the VA and community to meet veterans presenting needs. Provides education to veterans and involved family/caregivers related to evidence-based psychotherapy treatments, group therapy treatment, and/or additional VA and community resources. Review the progress notes from other multidisciplinary providers to accurately determine the strengths and limitations of each veteran. Assists the BHAT Program Manager in drafting policies, procedures, functional statements, planning and conducting Department meetings, attends all required Behavioral Health staff meetings, and performs other duties as required. Enters all Veteran/family contacts in the electronic record using appropriate formats and templates. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 10:00am - 06:30pm or Monday - Friday, 11:00am - 08:00pm Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact [email protected], 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) 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: Ad-Hoc telework available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 55957F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized
Requirements
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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). 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.
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/. IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application. 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. If your school was accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) at the time of graduation but is no longer listed on the CSWE website, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet. Verification of the degree can be made by going to http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of social work.
How you will be evaluated
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.