Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) - a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval - award amount (up to $200 -000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

Qualifications

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/
• Physical Requirements
• See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - Employee Occupational Health Services
• 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 - candidates 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 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 5005/120 Part II Appendix G39 - Dated September 10 - 2019
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12
• Physical Requirements: The physical demands of this position involve primarily walking - sitting - talking - driving - use of the telephone - etc
• Light lifting - under 15 pounds - Light carrying - under 15 pounds - Hearing (aid permitted).

Duties

• Clearlake - Eureka - Ukiah: $107 -351 - $139 -562 Oakland - San Bruno - Santa Rosa - San Francisco: $120 -002 - $156 -009 The Community Placement Social Work Coordinator provides social work services to the Veteran population seen in Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) clinics at the San Francisco VA Medical Center or in the Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC)
• These services include but are not limited to placements in skilled nursing or other specialized settings - assessment of levels of care needed and available options - considering insurance benefits and family preference
• Services are at the advanced practice level and include high quality case management - advocacy - and coordination of linkages to other appropriate VA or community service providers and/or agencies as needed by the client
• The Social Worker will also collaborate with the PACT Team to provide direct clinical services to patients and their families/significant others as needed
• The Social Worker may follow certain patients who have been placed in specialized settings - coordinating with staff at those settings for long-term planning and re-connection with VA services
• This position is seen as the specialist in facilitating complex community placements
• Advanced practice social work assessment and intervention skills assure patient safety - completion of referrals - and firm hand-offs to resource agency programs and providers in the setting of complex - high risk patient presentation and care
• Volume and/or acuity require social work expertise in geriatrics including management of competency and functional decline - multiple medical and high-risk psychosocial issues
• The ability to practice independently within this context is critical
• Additional services consist of high quality assessment and intervention: assessment of coping in the community - including assessment of suspected abuse - especially elder abuse and issues related to capacity
• interventions such as counseling to patients and families around adjustment to disability - illness and loss
• crisis intervention
• advance directive education
• coordination of linkages to other appropriate VA or community service providers/agencies
• clinic-based - short-term - focused case management
• and consultation to multidisciplinary team members on the psychosocial aspects of individualized patient care
• Services are timely - comprehensive and effectively coordinated with all other healthcare providers Psychosocial assessment and intervention is integrated within a complex treatment plan
• Continuity of care is key
• The Social Worker 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 mentorship to less experienced social workers - develop innovations and practice interventions - and provide clinical supervision for social work licensure and certification
• Activities may include outreach into the community to link Veterans to VA care
• Systems management to support social work services delivery is also a responsibility
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm or as determined by supervisor
• Compressed: Compressed tours will be considered Telework: Ad-Hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact v21ccoedrp@va.gov - the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
• Learn more