| The Social Worker - Patient Aligned Care Team position that is assigned to the Montevideo Community Based Outpatient Clinic-Mental Health Service Line of the St. Cloud VA Health Care System. The incumbent will also provide mental health services via telehealth to the St. Cloud, Brainerd Community Based Outpatient Clinic, and Alexandria Community Based Outpatient Clinic as needed. The incumbent will be responsible to provide psychotherapy and mental health treatment coordination services to Veterans and their families assigned to the incumbent's caseload. The social worker provides individual, couples, family, and group psychotherapy/counseling services to Veterans for issues related to mental health and behavioral issues, substance use disorders, and other complex and diverse psychosocial problems. The incumbent serves as a resource regarding social work services to other members of the assigned multi-disciplinary team and other health care providers in the Health Care System. The incumbent social worker will also be assigned to provide up to .2 FTEE PACT social work services to Veterans and their families receiving Primary & Specialty Medicine care at the Montevideo CBOC, depending on clinic need. The Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) model is a comprehensive team which delivers primary care to Veteran patients in a longitudinal rather than episodic fashion and which has as its focus: prevention; health promotion, coordination and chronic disease management. The PACT social worker in this Veteran-Centric approach often functions as a care coordinator with a panel of Veterans to ensure that health care meets the needs, as defined by the Veteran. Social workers are uniquely prepared for this role by virtue of their education, training, and experience which prepares them to understand the person-in-situation and the influences that family and community have in impacting the health care needs of Veterans. Individuals assigned as GS-9 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. For appointments at the GS-9 grade level, VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent, master's level within three years of their appointment as a social worker. In all cases, social workers must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure or certification starting from the date of their appointment. Individuals assigned as GS-11 social workers possess a high level of skill and expertise to establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans in the PSM Clinic and/or their families. The incumbent is able to independently work with Veterans and their families who are experiencing a wide range of complicated medical, psychiatric, emotional, behavioral, financial, legal and psychosocial problems. Effective social work in the Patient Aligned Care Team context often occurs over a series of several visits. SCOPE OF ASSIGNED DUTIES: Clinical mental health social work functions include the following tasks: Conduct behavioral health and mental health biopsychosocial assessments of Veterans Make Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) diagnoses of Veterans Create comprehensive, recovery-focused behavioral health and mental health treatment plans for Veterans Complete suicide/homicide risk assessments and safety plans as required Provide clinically efficacious, evidence-based therapeutic services to include individual, couples, family and group psychotherapy/counseling services for Veterans Interview Veterans and their families to develop/complete psychosocial assessments utilizing knowledge of human development and behavior and the differential influences of the environment, society, and culture Establish and maintain therapeutic alliances with Veterans and their families Analyze complex psychological problems Ability to understand mental health and medical diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures, including acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology Coordinate with internal and external and ancillary mental health professionals to ensure appropriate transitions of care and that appropriate and necessary treatment is provided/offered to Veterans Develop and provide psychoeducational groups Learn to utilize assessment and documentation processes for integrated models of care, including determining the appropriate level of care for Veterans not in specialty mental health treatment. Educate and train other professionals and students in effective treatment modalities Establish/maintain expertise on VA services and benefits, and community resources Establish/maintain effective relationships with various Veteran agencies and coordinate care with appropriate community services Complete 24-hour Assessment Calls as assigned Work Schedule: Full Time Monday- Friday 8:00a.m. - 4:30p.m. Evening and Weekends May Be Required. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required |
