Career Center

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. 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. Learn more To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/30/2022. 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 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 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/. Individuals assigned as social worker program coordinator must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level, and must be able to provide supervision for licensure. Physical Requirements. Please see "Physical Requirements" listed below. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). May 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). Social Worker (Program Coordinator), GS-12 Grade Determination: Experience and Education. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency. Candidate may have certification or other post-master's 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. Specialized experience also includes 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. Licensure/Certification. Individuals assigned as social worker program coordinator must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level, and must be able to provide supervision for licensure. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: a. Knowledge of program coordination and administration which includes consultation, negotiation, and monitoring. b. Knowledge and ability to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program. c. Ability to supervise multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program. d. Skill in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating assigned program area(s). e. Ability to provide training, orientation, and guidance within clinical practice. Assignments. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Program coordinators at the GS-12 grade level are administratively responsible for a clinical program providing treatment to Veterans in a major specialty area, such as but not limited to: Spinal Cord Injury, Homeless Continuum Veteran Program, Hospice and Palliative Care Program, Suicide Prevention Program, Veterans Justice Outreach, Caregiver Support Program and Community Nursing Home Program. The program coordinator may be the sole practitioner in this specialty at the facility and typically provide direct patient care services in the program area. The program coordinator oversees the daily operation of the program, develop policies and procedures for program operation, and prepare reports and statistics for facility, VISN, and national use. They may be responsible for the program's budget, developing and monitoring staff compliance with practice, standards and guidelines on documentation, workload, data entry, ethical practice and service delivery. The program coordinator provides analysis and evaluation of clinical program data and computerized programs to identify system-wide trends and needs to enhance the quality of service. They may be responsible for, or contribute to, the program's resource and fiscal management, monitoring control points developing the annual budget, operating within that budget, and accounting for appropriated funds. The program coordinator is administratively responsible for the clinical programming and prepares reports and statistics for facility, VISN, and national use. They provide leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs for assigned staff. They initiate and conduct a variety of program or service audits and complete designated clinical practice audits and reports, including productivity assessments. They oversee program operations and evaluations, identifying areas for improvement, gathering relevant data, assessing the data, developing and implementing ideas for improvement and evaluating efficacy of improvement efforts.] Preferred Experience: Knowledge in developing, implementing and evaluating guidelines and protocols of program effectiveness Experience building VA and/or non-VA community coalitions with hospitals, nursing homes, Veteran organizations, SCI/D HUBS and TBI Treatment clinics Experience providing case management and discharge planning of complex co-occurring diagnosis of the specialized TBI/SCI Veteran population. Experience providing individual, family or group counseling that will assist Veteran and family in finding practical solutions to complex problems. Experience working with multiple inter disciplinary providers to address medical, mental, social needs of the Veterans served. References: VA Handbook 5005 Part II Appendix G39 Social Worker Qualification Standard dated September 10, 2019. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds. Light lifting (Under 15 lbs); Light carrying (under 15lbs). ["This vacancy will remain open until filled. The first cut-off date is August 24, 2022. Additional applications will be referred as needed. (NOTE: Applications expire after 90 days. Please update application thru USAJobs if you wish to be reconsidered.) *** Bargaining Position ***\nThe Social Worker serves as program coordinator and is administratively responsible for a clinic program providing treatment to patients in a major specialty area. The Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) is one of six nationally recognized VHA special disability programs. VHA facilities without SCI centers appoint SCI program coordinators to oversee access to care, referrals for treatment services and case management services for spinal cord injured veterans. The Social Worker (SCI Program Coordinator): administers information and analytical systems to evaluate and enhance the quality of service provided to patients. develops and implements information systems to track service activities including visits, referrals inpatient days, patient demographics, equipment utilization and patient satisfaction. develops, implements and evaluates clinical guidelines and protocols to establish appropriate utilization of services and program's effectiveness. serves as point of contact for all inquiries regarding the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)/SCI programs. This may include stakeholders (e.g. veterans, families, community hospitals and nursing homes, Paralyzed Veterans of America and other Veterans Service Organizations), Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders Strategic Healthcare Group and Congressional inquiries, SCI/DHUBS, and TBI Treatment Clinics. manages the nationwide Spinal Cord Injury Dysfunction (SCD) Registry for the facility to include the entering, editing, compiling, analyzing, and updating of registry data. ensures proper registration of appropriate Veterans for clinical, administrative, and outcome purposes. establishes collaborative relationships with physicians, nurses, and other disciplines to foster their involvement in care of Veterans with SCI and/or TBI. identifies gaps in services and develops a plan, in consultation with SCI/D and TBI staff and other departments as appropriate. identifies unmet needs of the SCI/D and TBI populations, works collaboratively with community agencies, i.e. assisted living facilities, nursing homes, handicapped accessible housing and state's veterans' homes. manages and coordinates provision of the following services as appropriate: Activities of daily living (ADL); Home Health Services; Prosthetic Appliances; Medical Supplies; Vocational Rehabilitation; Peer Counseling, Transportation and Finances, Home Evaluations, Housing Alternatives and Development and Utilization of Community Resources. makes home visits independently or with members of the SCI interdisciplinary team to assess the home environment when appropriate to ensure that services are provided that will enable the veterans to live safely and independently. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (Alternate schedules may be necessary to meet the needs of the organization.)\nTelework: May be eligible for 50% telework for highly qualified applicants based on needs of the organization.\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized to a highly qualified candidate.\nEDRP Authorized: Contact VISN17EDRP2@VA.GOV, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]