Social Worker (Program Coordinator)

Summary

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.

Qualifications

*** This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until March 31 - 2026 or until position is filled. The initial cutoff date for referral of eligible applications will be November 04 - 2025. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as needed basis until positions are filled. ***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: 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 https://dvagov.sharepoint.com/sites/OCHCOStaffing
• 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: 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: Knowledge of program coordination and administration which includes consultation - negotiation - and monitoring
• Knowledge and ability to write policies - procedures - and/or practice guidelines for the program
• Ability to supervise multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program
• Skill in organizing work - setting priorities - meeting multiple deadlines - and evaluating assigned program area(s)
• 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: Experience in mental health care coordination - program coordination - and case management
• Familiarity with Suicide Prevention and mental health crisis stabilization
• Experience in working with PTSD - Substance Use Disorders - Co-occurring mental health disorders - Serious Mental Illness - and homelessness
• Able to work within an interdisciplinary team (medical providers - psychiatrists - nursing staff - case managers)
• Selective Placement Factor: Experience in mental health care coordination - program coordination - and case management 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: This position provides direct services to patients and their families through casework
• Incumbents must be physically and mentally able to efficiently perform the essential functions of the position without hazard to themselves or others
• Normal work of the position requires visual acuity (with the ability to read typewritten characters without strain - corrective lenses are permitted) - keen hearing (aid permitted) - clear - distinctive speech - and manual dexterity
• This position requires potentially moderate levels of lifting and carrying (15-44 pounds)
• The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium - dementia - or psychiatric disorders
• The incumbent must be a mature - flexible - sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations - able to shift priorities based on patient needs
• The incumbent must be able to move within ADA-compliant workspaces - including travel between buildings
• Must complete annual Employee Health requirements - such as annual TB screening or testing - as a condition of employment
• This position also requires close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures
• transcribing
• viewing a computer terminal
• extensive reading
• and repetitive motions of the wrists - hands - and/or fingers.

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Clinical Functions The incumbent: Is a Licensed Independent Provider (LIP) assigned to the Sheridan Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (RRTP) - functioning as the clinical program coordinator for admissions
• Will provide direct clinical care - coordination - and treatment as needed to Veterans during the preadmission term through admission to the treatment program
• Coordinates the pre-admissions process for Veterans referred for treatment through the Centralized Screening Team at the VISN 19 Clinical Resource Hub (CRH) Coordinates the pre-admissions process for Veterans referred for treatment through Clinical Resource Hubs (CRH) from all other VISNs within VHA Coordinates the pre-admissions process for Veterans referred for treatment through the Department of Defense Coordinates the pre-admissions process for Veterans referred for treatment through the public sector or community-based agencies Coordinates the pre-admissions process for Veterans referred for treatment with referring providers Coordinates the pre-admissions process for Veterans referred for treatment through self-referrals Coordinates the pre-admissions process for Veterans referred for treatment through various travel touch points - such as flight - bus - lodging - and VHA practices Maintains case managers and ensures coordination of all services for those with pending admission Administrative Functions The incumbent: Complies with national and local performance standards of clinical practice - including timely healthcare coordination and completion of clinical reminders for all patients
• Coordinates the care of those with approved screening acceptance for RRTP level of care - to include coordination of referral - communications with the Veteran and their chosen support team - travel coordination - and pre-admission support via clinical contacts weekly
• Tracks and manages the Bed Management System (BMS) and NEPEC to ensure that Veterans who have been referred for admission are accurately tracked at the facility - VISN - and National level while waiting for admission
• Maintains communication with leadership to address concerns with the coordination of care for any Veterans with a pending consult or upcoming admission bed date
• Complies with all CPRS documentation procedures - including timeliness standards for documentation and proper patient check-out procedures (e.g. - entering diagnostic and procedure codes)
• Attends daily RRTP huddles and any other mandatory meetings regularly
• Is responsible for supporting the mission - policies - and procedures of the Department of Veterans Affairs - the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) - the appropriate Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) - and the facility
• Is willing to serve on committees - work groups - and task forces at the facility as deemed appropriate by the supervisor and Chief of Social Work Services
• Is mindful of keeping their supervisor apprised of problems and recommended solutions to problems encountered in the line of the incumbent's area of responsibility
• Is responsible for furthering one's own professional growth through continuing education appropriate to the area of assignment
• Performs other related duties as assigned
• Work Schedule: M-F - 0730-1600 Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): May be Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov - the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
• Learn more Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)
• Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave - 13 days of sick leave - 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual - based on prior [work experience] or military service experience
• 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 $144 -000 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) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 56659-0 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized