Social Worker-Program Coordinator PCMHI/PAWS

Summary

This position is eligible for 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 your start date. Approval - award amount (up to $200 -000) and eligibility period (1 to 5 years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov for questions.

Qualifications

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
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• 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
• 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
• 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
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12
• Physical Requirements: Light lifting - under 15 pounds - moderate carrying - 15-44 pounds - use of fingers - walking - standing - near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4 - far vision correctable in one eye 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other - both eyes required - hearing (aid may be permitted) and emotional/mental stability
• Environmental Factors include working outside and inside - dry atmospheric conditions - working closely with others and working alone.

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Primary Care- Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) Duties: Provides functional assessment - triage - brief intervention - education and consultative services regarding a wide range of mental health and behavioral medicine concerns - on referral from primary care providers and allied PACT members
• Uses population-based practice management strategies and maintains competences in the following core domains
• Conduct functional assessments - based on 30-minute appointments - and will triage/refer to specialty care services as appropriate
• Demonstrates expertise in using contemporary interview and psychometric assessment methods for mental disorders or behavioral health conditions
• Provides evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions and behavioral medicine interventions - which may include individual - family - and group psychotherapy and psychoeducation
• Develops comprehensive treatment plans in collaboration with interdisciplinary team members documenting patient-generated concerns and goals - measurable objectives - and interventions for clinical treatment
• Provides psychological assessment - triage - intervention - education - and consultative services
• Documents independently in the medical records utilizing paper or electronic formats - including psychosocial assessments - diagnostics - treatment - progress notes - follow up - and referral
• Routinely consults with PCPs and other PACT team members about plan of care for patients
• Integrates within primary care team and works closely in collaboration with PACT team - attending daily and regularly recurring meetings and huddles
• Actively engages and provides feedback to PCP and other PACT team members with same day referrals and warm hand-offs
• Provides education to PACT on MH issues as well as consultation on tips for successful management of mental health symptoms and concerns impacting medical conditions
• Serves as a mentor to other Psychologist colleagues - particularly those at the entry level
• Is viewed by colleagues and interdisciplinary team members as a senior clinician with advanced practice skills and expertise
• May provide clinical supervision for unlicensed Psychologists or Psychology trainees at the practicum or internship level
• May participate in Psychology Training Committee
• Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) Duties: Provide education and outreach regarding the PAWS Pilot and develop resources for the local Pilot program working closely on program evaluation - in consultation with VACO PAWS Pilot Program Coordinator and conduct continuous quality improvement activities
• Develop and implement information systems to track service activities
• Responsible for ensuring the facility is executing the PAWS Act - and report to the National PAWS Program Manager on the overall administrative oversight - the clinical programming and daily operations of the program
• Responsibilities will require the gathering of data and other requested information - developing and monitoring staff compliance with practice - standards and guidelines on documentation - workload - data entry - ethical practice - and service delivery
• Provide training to VA staff and the community on the PAWS portal
• Create educational tools - develop programs and implement training related to PAWS
• Work Schedule: Monday Thru Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not 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: AD-HOC Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #:000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS):