Social Worker (BHIP Therapist)

The Social Worker serves as a full-time member of the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) within the Mental Health ICC at the Syracuse VA Medical Center. This position provides outpatient mental health services to Veterans connected with the Syracuse VAMC and its Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) and is based at the Oswego VA CBOC.

The Syracuse VAMC is a large complexity level 1C facility serving Veterans families and caregivers across thirteen counties including seven CBOCs. As an affiliated tertiary care system it offers a broad range of specialized programs. Primary responsibilities include delivering psychiatric interventions mental health treatment and stabilization services in an outpatient setting. The Social Worker provides recovery-oriented trauma-informed psychotherapy for individuals and couples conducts psychosocial assessments crisis interventions and treatment planning and employs measurement-based care and other evidence-based practices. Group therapy may be facilitated as needed. Services are delivered both in person and via telehealth to ensure access to care. Collaboration with Veterans caregivers and interdisciplinary team members is essential to providing comprehensive mental health services. The Social Worker is required to maintain an unrestricted clinical license and adhere to the NASW Code of Ethics and all applicable local Social Work policies.

Major Duties and Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

- Provide individual and couple psychotherapy using evidence-based recovery-focused and trauma-informed approaches.
- Complete psychosocial assessments and collaboratively develop treatment plans using Measurement Based Care.
- Apply knowledge of psychiatric conditions evidence-based treatment protocols (including CBT and CPT) and common psychotropic medications including their effects and side effects.
- Use appropriate mental health and medical diagnostic terminology to maintain clear effective communication with the healthcare team
.- Participate in collaborative clinical discussions and advocate for Veterans psychosocial and mental health needs including factors influencing treatment adherence.
- Routinely assess Veterans mental health needs in outpatient settings coordinate care with the clinical team and support smooth transitions to the least restrictive level of care including timely discharge and transition planning.
- Document all clinical services in the electronic health record and review provider notes to ensure coordinated comprehensive care.
- Conduct rapid assessments and develop crisis management plans including evaluation for psychiatric hospitalization or residential program admission.
- Have some basic knowledge of Veteran benefits services and specialized programs.
- Perform additional duties as assigned to support service and organizational needs.
- Engage in ongoing professional development through self-assessment supervision and clinical consultation.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Pay: Competitive salary regular salary increases potential for performance awards
Paid Time Off: 50 days of paid time off per year (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 $144000 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)
Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• 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 ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers 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.

• 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.

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.
• 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. Verification of the degree can be made by going to to verify that the social work degree meets the 4 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 masters degree level. Current state requirements may be found by going to 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).
  
  GS-11 Grade Determinations:
  
  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 nonVA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level.
  
  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.
  
  Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
  (a) Knowledge of community resources how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services and ability to coordinate services.
  (b) Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic educational and other backgrounds.
  (c) 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.
  (d) 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.
  (e) 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.
  
  
  Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
  
  ***This vacancy is a multi-disciplinary announcement.***
  
  ***If you are a Psychologistand are interested in applying please apply to Vacancy . If you are a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor and are interested in applying please apply to Vacancy .
  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: 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:

  Additional information

  Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
  
  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.
  
  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.
  
  Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicants 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.

  Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government passionate about the ideals of our American republic and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

  A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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  Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.