Social Worker (Program Coordinator)

Full Job Description

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.

Program 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.

Basic Requirements: The basic requirements for employment as a VHA social worker are prescribed by statute in 38 U.S.C.

§ 7402(b)(9), as amended by section 205 of Public Law 106-419, enacted November 1, 2000. To qualify for appointment as a social worker in VHA, all applicants must meet the following: Citizenship.

Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g this part). 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/. Loss of Licensure or Certification.

Once licensed or certified, social workers must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment.

Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment. Grandfathering Provision.

The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all title 38 hybrid qualification standards.

Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/registration requirements that apply to this occupation.

(1) All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation.

For employees who do not meet all of the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: (2) Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure or certification, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.

(3) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.

(4) Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.

(5) If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C.

§ 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

NOTE: If social workers covered under the grandfathering provision of the 1991 Federal law regarding licensure or certification of VHA social workers leave the GS0185 social work series, they lose the grandfathering protection.

If they choose to return at a later date to the GS-0185 series, they must be licensed or certified to qualify for employment as a social worker. English Language Proficiency.

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

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

Social Worker (Program Coordinator), GS-12 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.

Preferred Experience: The Social Worker Coordinator practices in the Emergency Department to provide psychiatric emergency services as a licensed mental health provider.

The Social Worker also provides traditional social work services in the Emergency Department setting for Veterans.

There are some coordinator responsibilities with data collection but the role is non-supervisory. Previous experience working in an emergency department is preferred.

Mental Health experience would be ideal.

Senior Social Worker must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which includes an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California, which administers its own clinical examination for advanced for advanced practice).

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services. Major Duties:

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The Social Worker Program Coordinator practices in the Emergency Department to provide psychiatric emergency services as a licensed mental health provider.

The Social Worker (Program Coordinator) also provides social work services in the Emergency Department setting for Veterans and, at times, humanitarians.

The Social Worker is required to work non-traditional shifts, which could include weekends and holidays as required.

The employee may also be required to completely alter their tour when coverage is required for either the day shift or the night shift when no other coverage options are available as determined by the immediate supervisor, his/her designee or the chief of service.

He/she may be the only Social Worker on duty during those shifts and must function at a highly independent, advanced level. b.

In addition to clinical duties, the Social Worker Program Coordinator will collect, and track data related to the VA's Suicide Prevention Efforts, specifically the SPED data and SPED follow up.

The incumbent will also track and analyze data for mental health admissions from the Emergency Department to both VA and Non-VA hospitals for trends/barriers. c.

The incumbent also covers social work needs for Veteran's admitted to the medical acute care/critical care and inpatient mental health units during the evening and weekend hours as needed.

Coverage includes completing social work psychosocial assessments and offering assistance with any emergent issues that arise after hours.

The incumbent serves a patient population with highly complex medical and mental health issues.

The Social Worker Program Coordinator is accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns. d.

As a Social Worker Program Coordinator, the incumbent has experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competence.

The incumbent must be licensed at the advanced practice level. e. The incumbent requires specialized knowledge of psychiatric emergency diagnosis, intervention, and treatment.

She/He must also be skilled in the areas of post-traumatic stress disorder, interpersonal violence, sexual assault, child, elder, and dependent abuse, substance abuse, grief and bereavement, and end of life issues.

f.

The advanced practice Social Worker Program Coordinator demonstrates an ability to expand clinical knowledge in the profession, provide consultation and guidance to colleagues, role model effective social work practice skills, teach or provide orientation to less experienced Social Workers, develop innovations in practice interventions, and provide clinical supervision for social work licensure or certification Work Schedule: Tour of duty is based on a 10-hour work day: Tuesday through Friday 11:00am-9:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Available Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.

Contact vhaedrpprogramsupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 60220F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized