Career Center

***This announcement is open to all U.S. Citizens. Current, permanent VA employees and employees of other Federal agencies, please apply to announcement number: CBSS-11593616-22-KCN.*** 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 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. In addition, individuals assigned as social worker program coordinator GS-12 must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level, and must be able to provide supervision for licensure. Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/. Exception. VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level. For the GS-11 grade level and above, the candidate must be licensed or certified. At the time of appointment, the supervisor, chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification, including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline.] 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). Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements as stated above, the GS-12 Social Worker (Program Coordinator) must meet the following requirements: 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. 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.] References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II Appendix G39 Physical Requirements: The position may require some lifting (under 15 lbs); light carrying (under 15 lbs), reaching over shoulder; walking (4-6 hours per day),standing (up to 6 hours per day); near vision correctable to 13-16, far vision correctable in one year to 20/20 and 20/40 in the other, hearing (aid permitted). The incumbent may be exposed to infectious diseases and medical/psychiatric emergencies. ["Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) is one of six nationally recognized Veterans Health Administration (VHA) special disability programs. VHA facilities without SCI centers should appoint SCI program coordinators to oversee access to care, referrals for treatment services, and case management for spinal cord injured veterans. This position is based at Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center within the Heartland Healthcare Network (VISN 15), where the incumbent will serve as the SCI Coordinator. The SCI Coordinator is a social worker with responsibility for managing the facility's SCI program and for coordinating SCI treatment services for veterans. The SCI Coordinator facilitates efficient and appropriate delivery of care within the \"Hub\" (SCI Center) and \"Spokes\" (VA facilities where locally accessible primary care is provided) System of Care. The \"Hub\" is the SCI Center where comprehensive interdisciplinary specialty and primary care are located. The \"Spokes\" are other VA facilities within specified catchment areas that provide locally accessible primary care. Major duties include but are not limited to: Serves as the point of contact for all inquiries regarding the SCI programs. Develops a system to identify SCI patients served by the facility. Coordinates an annual comprehensive preventative health evaluation for each enrolled SCI patient at the SCI Center or at an appropriate SCI Outpatient Support Clinic. Prepares SCI program reports for the SCI Center, SCI Support Clinic, the SCI&D, SHG Group in VA Central Office, Congress, and other stakeholders. Establishes performance standards for the SCI program that promote quality and efficiency in service to the veterans in coordination with the overall goals of the medical center and national SCI&D program. Develops policy and procedures to ensure compliance with Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and other accrediting bodies and regulatory standards as needed. Responsible for management of the nationwide SCD Registry for the facility to include the entering, editing, compiling, analyzing, and updating the Registry data. Ensures registration of appropriate veterans for clinical, administrative, and outcome purposes. Explores and analyzes long term care placement options in the community. Completes psychosocial evaluation and assessment and periodic reassessments of each patient served, which provides a comprehensive social database to identify psychological, social, and vocational needs and the appropriate treatment an services to be provided. Other duties as assigned. May be required to provide supervision to social work students. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 8:00 am - 4:30 pm; on-call may be required.\nTelework: Adhoc\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nPosition Title/Functional Statement #:Social Worker (Program Coordinator) (Spinal Cord Injury)/PD000000\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized\nPermanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required\nNPI/Taxonomy code: Required; must be eligible for an NPI number as a condition of employment."]