This position is located at the Coatesville VA Medical Center in Coatesville, PA. CVAMC is a Level 3 medical center with general medicine, psychiatric, rehabilitation, homeless services and nursing home care. It also encompasses outpatient clinics in Norristown, Pennsylvania and Newton Square, Pennsylvania.
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 4 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/. English Language Proficiency: Licensed practical or vocational nurses appointed to direct patient care positions must be proficient in both spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(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: Supervisory Social Worker GS-13 Experience/Education: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills in a specialty area or in administration demonstrating progressively more professional competency and judgment. 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 supervisory social workers 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: Ability to independently organize work, set priorities, and meet multiple deadlines. Skill in a range of supervisory duties which includes clinical supervision, consultation, negotiation with other departments and quality improvement. Ability to ensure provision of clinical social work services by supervised social workers. Ability to delegate authority, manage priorities, coordinate work, and follow up on pending issues to complete duties in an accurate and timely fashion. Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems, develop and implement solutions that result in efficient operations, and use data effectively to manage workload, quality, performance, and productivity within the service. Ability to provide staff training and development. Preferred Experience: Minimum 2 years full time experience in homeless services is preferred 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-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-13 Physical Requirements: Physical demands of the work are generally moderate. The work may be performed 50% or more of the time in the community. Physical activity involves driving, getting in and out of vehicles, sitting, standing, walking, bending, stooping, climbing stairs (generally no more than 3 floors), and carrying light items such as papers, books or other supplies. Due to the community- based nature of the work and the unpredictable population, staff must be CPR/BLS and PMDB certified. The incumbent uses a computer and standard office equipment to complete tasks. The emotional demands can be stressful in working with the patient population and their families. A level of self-awareness is essential.
The Housing and Urban Development-VA Supported Housing (HUD-VASH) program is a collaborative effort, supported through HUD Section 8 rental assistance vouchers and VA's provision of intensive case management services. The primary goal of HUD-VASH is to move veterans and their families out of chronic homelessness. The primary component of the program is VA case management services, designed to improve veteran's health and mental health, enhancing their ability to remain stable, housed and community-integrated. The Supervisory Social Worker has responsibility and authority for the planning, coordination, management, and oversight of all relevant elements in HUD-VASH. The Supervisory Social Worker is responsible for the professional and administrative management of social work programs within HUD-VASH. Duties include, but are not limited too: Provides both clinical and administrative supervision necessary to accomplish the work of the unit Collaborates with others in negotiating, deciding upon, and/or coordinating social work-related changes affecting other programs Advises relevant stakeholders on issues and problems that involve the relationship of social work programs, services, and activities to the various units and areas of care where they are located Responsible for overseeing the implementation of fidelity to the HUD-VASH directive within the framework of the Housing First, Recovery and Harm Reduction model as well as compliance with associated standards and guidelines set forth in relevant VA policies and memorandums Recruits, screens, and interviews applicants and makes recommendations regarding selection to Chief of Social Work Ensures that provisionally licensed social workers have access to clinical supervision for licensure and that new employees are partnered with a peer mentor Provides orientation and training to new clinical staff regarding HUD-VASH roles and responsibilities including social work functions Provides intensive clinical and administrative oversight of peer support specialists ranging from weekly supervision for and co-signing notes of GS-6 peer support specialist to monthly supervision for GS-9 peer support specialists Develops and monitors staff compliance with social work practice, standards and guidelines on documentation, workload, data entry, ethical practice, and service delivery Establishes guidelines and performance expectations for staff which are clearly communicated through the formal employee performance management system Assigns coverage and delegates duties so that consistent treatment and services are continuously provided Builds strategic partnerships with community agencies and providers that contribute to these efforts Coordinates with HCHV supervisor to ensure seamless transition of homeless Veterans form one support service to another Must possess a current, valid driver's license as driving is an essential function of this role. Employee will be required to drive off site to various locations within the community and use an agency-provided vehicle. Varied frequency of transportation of Veterans in a government vehicle is also an essential job function. Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Social Work: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Social-Worker-Career-Flyer.pdf Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8am- 4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases 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. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized