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.
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. 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. English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services. Grandfathering Provision: May qualify based on being covered in the VA Title 38 Hybrid Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation series, 0185, with permanent appointment and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: GS-12 Social Worker (Program Coordinator) 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. References: See Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) website for VA specific qualification standards: VA Qualifications Standards - Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO). Physical Demands: The physical demands of this position involve primarily walking, talking, driving, use of the telephone, etc. Strenuous physical activity is not required although the incumbent is expected to withstand pressure and stress as part of their daily activities. Light lifting and carrying - under 15 pounds.
This position is required to provide the inpatients and outpatients in all areas of acute care, including but not limited to medicine, inpatient/outpatient surgery/specialty clinics, ARC, Renal, Hem/Onc, SCI, DPC, and the ED. Services are timely, comprehensive, and effectively coordinated with services provided by other health professionals. The incumbent works as a part of a multi-disciplinary team. Services consist of high-quality psychosocial assessment and intervention: assessment of coping in the community; coordination of linkages to other appropriate VA or community service providers/agencies; short-term focused case management; consultation to interdisciplinary teams on the psychosocial aspects of individualized patient-care plans; discharge planning to ensure safe, efficient discharges to the appropriate level of care. This position is seen as a specialist in facilitating complex discharges and with generalist knowledge of all services in the acute care section. This position also coordinates aspects of acute care section management, including but not limited to providing consultation to other team members within Med/Surg/ARC, training new social workers in the section in general skills of Med/Surg/ARC social work, VA and community resources, and the role of Social Worker on the interdisciplinary team, and serving as mentor for other social workers in the section, and coordinating team section meetings/education/in-services. As program coordinator is administratively responsible for a clinical program providing treatment to Veterans in a major specialty area and 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, regional, 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. To 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. This position is also provides leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs for assigned staff. developing and monitoring staff compliance with practice, standards and guidelines on documentation, workload, data entry, ethical practice and service delivery.