Social Worker (Program Manager) Outpatient Mental Health Section

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

The Outpatient Mental Health Service at the American Lake Division is comprised of six distinct clinical programs providing comprehensive integrated mental health treatment and services to Veterans with a broad spectrum of mental health and co-occurring substance use disorders. The Director must also coordinate care and services between acute and inpatient mental health services residential care services primary care mental health integration services and outpatient mental health services to ensure that Veterans have access to the highest quality care as they move through different sections of the Mental Health Service to receive care.

Clinical skills include but are not limited to:

• Comprehensive mental health and psychosocial assessment and diagnostic services for Veterans with a broad range of mental health issues including those with complex psychopathology and psychosocial needs requiring advanced diagnostic and intervention skills.
• Evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions as indicated and appropriate for the specific job setting and duties of the social worker which may include individual family and group psychotherapy and psychoeducation.
• Provides consultation to health care providers about assessment findings and treatment plan for patients to ensure that care is coordinated collaborative and integrated within the Medical Center.
• Develops implements and documents the mental health treatment plan for an assigned caseload of patients as indicated and appropriate for the specific job setting and duties of the social worker.
• Coordinates community-based services including information and referral for additional services from - other VA programs other government programs and community agencies.

• 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 ( 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.

To qualify for this position applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

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.
• 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.
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).

• Experience and Education: One year of experience equivalent to the GS- 13 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment demonstrating progressively more professional competency. Individual may have certification or other post-masters degree training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience.
• Licensure/Certification: Individuals assigned as social worker program manager must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level and must be able to provide supervision for licensure.
• Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and addition to the experience above the candidate must demonstrate all the following KSAs:
  • Skill in large scale program coordination and administration across multiple sites which includes consultation negotiation and monitoring.
  • Ability to translate management goals and objectives into well-coordinated and controlled work operations.
  • Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems and to develop and implement solutions that result in sound operation of the program.
  • Ability to collaborate with internal and external partners to further program goals and enhance patient centered care.
  • Ability to provide the full range of supervisory duties which would include responsibility for assignment of work to be performed; performance evaluations; selection of staff training and recommendation of awards advancements and when appropriate disciplinary action.
  • Ability to oversee the fiscal matters of the functions supervised (including fund controls contracts and equipment expenditures) forecast resource and equipment needs and administer the allocated budget.
  • Skill in developing policies procedures and/or practice guidelines for the program and in participating in national program development.
  • Ability to collaborate with internal VHA partners locally and on a national level as well as external community partners to further program goals and enhance patient centered care.