The Integrated Healthcare Program Coordinator is responsible for developing and implementing integrated psychosocial and behavioral healthcare services in outpatient specialty care clinics in Department of Hospital and Specialty Medicine (DHSM) and in Operative Care Division (OCD), with special attention to DHSM and OCD clinics which do not have assigned social workers or behavioral health care staff.
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/. (1) Exception. VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level. For the GS-11 grade level and above, the candidate must be licensed or certified. At the time of appointment, the supervisor, chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification, including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline. (a) For appointments at the GS-9 grade level, VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent, master's level within three years of their appointment as a social worker. Most states require two years of post-MSW experience as a prerequisite to taking the licensure/certification exam, and VHA gives social workers one additional year to pass the licensure/certification exam. In states such as California, Washington, and others where the prerequisites for licensure exceed two years, social workers must become licensed at the independent, master's level within one year of meeting the full state prerequisites for licensure. (b) A social worker who does not yet have a license that allows independent practice must be supervised by a licensed independent practitioner of the same discipline who is a VA staff member and who has access to the electronic health record. (c) Different states have different levels of licensure or certification, making it difficult for VHA staff to determine the independent practice level. Each state, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia completed surveys identifying the level of licensure or certification allowing independent practice. Copies of the surveys are on file in the VHA Office of Care Management and Social Work Services, and a summary spreadsheet of the levels of licensure or certification is available to social work professional standards board members for purposes of determining whether the social worker's level of licensure or certification meets the VHA qualification standards. All states except California use a series of licensure exams administered by the ASWB. Information can be found at https://www.aswb.org/. The ASWB is the association of boards that regulates social work. ASWB develops and maintains the social work licensing examination used across the country and is a central resource for information on the legal regulation of social work. The ASWB offers three examinations. The master's examination is generally used by states for the independent practice level of licensure or certification, while the advanced generalist and the clinical examinations are used for the advanced practice level of licensure or certification. Differences between the master's and the advanced exams demonstrate the expectation that advanced practice social workers will have a more sophisticated knowledge of practice theory and its application. Grandfathering Provision. The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all title 38 hybrid qualification standards. Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/registration requirements that apply to this occupation. 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 (1) 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. (2) 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. (3) 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. Preferred Experience: 2 years Specialty Care experience 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. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-12 to GS-12.
Duties included but are not limited to: Program Coordination The Integrated Healthcare Program Coordinator is responsible for clinical and administrative programming and operations; developing policies and procedures for program operation; and preparing reports and statistics for facility, VISN, and national use. The incumbent manages the use of program data for oversight and evaluation. The incumbent provides focused assessment, brief evidence-informed interventions, education, and consultation services to Veterans, and education, training, and consultation for specialty care providers and allied team members. The incumbent works collaboratively with outpatient specialty care clinics to promote prevention, assessment, early identification, and treatment of psychosocial and behavioral health care concerns. Psychosocial Treatment and Intervention The incumbent uses knowledge of theories and modalities required for the integrated healthcare needs of Veterans in the above assigned clinics and patient populations. The social worker works closely with clinic staff and Veterans to identify and support preferences in care and personal treatment goals, and offers resources and support tailored to the uniquely expressed needs and desires of the Veteran. The social worker serves as the key link for integrative psychosocial and behavioral healthcare support for Veterans, families, and caregivers across the continuum of care. Staff Supervision The Program Coordinator has supervisory and administrative responsibility for the management of assigned staff in the Department of Social Work Service. The incumbent supervises a group of employees performing work at various GS levels up to their own grade and provides administrative, technical, and clinical supervision necessary for accomplishing the work of the unit. The incumbent assists in planning, establishing, and implementing policies and procedures; developing individual and/or group goals and objectives; and monitoring, evaluating, coordinating, and overseeing the professional and administrative staff of the assigned program. The incumbent ensures staff are aware of and adhere to current VHA directives, Joint Commission standards, state licensure standards, VA-OIG expectations, and related regulatory statutes and professional requirements. The incumbent will conduct ongoing reviews and appraisals to ensure the accomplishment of objectives and adherence to standards set by governing and oversight bodies. The incumbent supervises employees to accomplish the work of the organizational unit and the department. The incumbent provides guidelines and performance expectations for staff, clearly communicated through the formal employee performance management system; completes annual competencies; observes staff performance; provides formal and informal feedback; evaluates employee performance; and completes annual and mid-year performance appraisals. The incumbent works to resolves informal complaints and grievances; develops performance improvement plans and/or recommends personnel actions; provides advice and counsel to workers related to work and administrative matters; effects disciplinary measures; and reviews and approves or disapproves leave requests. The incumbent ensures staff are trained and comply with safety regulations. Administrative Duties and Systems Improvement The social worker collaborates with the assigned specialty care program directors in developing, implementing, and managing a complete specialty care program. The social worker participates in expanding clinical knowledge related to the specialty program and population to which they are assigned. The incumbent participates in clinical program and intervention development, evaluation, and modification in collaboration with the specialty care clinic and program staff. The incumbent identifies specialty treatment and population needs, identifies, and implements opportunities to enhance existing interventions, and/or develops new interventions that meet program and patient needs and addresses identified systems of care issues. The incumbent documents this work, tracks outcomes, and participates in dissemination of clinical knowledge. The incumbent assists in developing policy, procedures, and/or practice guidelines related to the specialty program and population to which they are assigned. The incumbent provides subject matter expert consultation to staff and provides teaching and mentoring to staff and trainees in the specialty area of practice. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 0800-1630, 0730-1600 Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Telework: ???????Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized