Clarification from the agency

This job is open to Current permanent Department of Veteran Affairs (Agency - VHA, VBA, NCA) Employees, Current permanent Federal employees of other agencies, and all US Citizens. This is a shortage occupation and Veterans Preference is WAIVED (does NOT apply). Facility Employees will have FIRST consideration, followed by Agency Employees, Federal Employees, and US Citizens.

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Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

The Supervisory Social Worker-Mental Health Section Chief serves in a full-time administrative position with full authority and responsibility for providing administrative support to the Chief. The Social Work Supervisor will participate in overseeing the practice of all the Mental Health Program social workers throughout the JAHVH catchment areas. The Social Work Supervisor will perform assignments that are collateral to primary duties but deemed necessary to meet the needs of the organization and VISN. The Social Work Supervisor makes independent professional decisions and recommendations to the Chief. The Social Work Supervisor serves as a liaison to other Services within the organization related to Social Work.

As a supervisor, the Mental Health Section Chief plays a key role in planning, establishing, and implementing policies and procedures. This includes developing individual and group goals and objectives as well as monitoring, evaluating, managing, and coordinating the social work staff. The Section Chief ensures that the social workers under their supervision are informed of and comply with all current directives from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), as well as meeting the standards set by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), state licensure requirements, and expectations from the VA Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG). The Social Work Supervisor will conduct ongoing, thorough reviews and appraisals to ensure that objectives are met and that all standards set by governing bodies are followed.

Additional duties include but not limited to:

• Supervises employees assigned to the Mental Health Programs performing work at the GS 12 levels and below, including GS 12 Social Work Supervisors, GS 12 Seniors, GS12 Coordinators, GS 11 and GS 9 Social Work staff in a large, complex, 1-A facility.
• Makes selections for supervisory and non-supervisory positions, hear group grievances and serious employee complaints, review serious disciplinary cases (i.e., those proposing suspensions and removals), and disciplinary problems involving key employees.
• Consults with specialists regarding training needs and decide types of training problems related to the identified problems of the supervised wards/units.
• Makes recommendations for recruitment of staff and ensures responsibilities for orientation and continuing education of staff.
• Evaluates and consults on the social work role in various programs.
• Manages and directs social work activities in the Care Lines including interventions to resolve administrative problems and participates in program evaluations.
• Briefs management orally and in writing on a regular basis concerning matters related to Social Work in Mental Health to provide information required to make effective decisions for program planning.
• Oversees development of measurable social work treatment protocols and practice models to facilitate the use of statistical processes and analysis tools.
• Compiles and disseminates social work quality management findings, actions, and outcomes to social workers, medical center staff, and leadership personnel.
• Has responsibility for the preparation of reports, as assigned by the Assistant Chief, Chief, Medical Center Director, or Central Office.
• Serves the Medical Center at large in a variety of capacities, such as committee assignments, investigations, personnel matters, and special projects.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, with rotating tours of duty as needed.
Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
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)
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.
Functional Statement #: Supervisory Social Worker-Mental Health Section Chief
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

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.
• 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/.

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: In addition to meeting the basic requirements stated above, the following qualifications criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates.

GS-13 Supervisory Social Worker candidates must have the following:

Education and Experience: 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.

While we no longer require essay-style responses to our Knowledge's Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics (KSAOs), you must be able to demonstrate that you possess the (below) competencies which are necessary to perform the work of the position. Please ensure your resume/CV/application contains sufficient information to support the level of experience/education/training; otherwise, we will not be able to award you credit for the experience/education/training you claim. These are the KSA's for this subject position:

1. Ability to independently organize work, set priorities, and meet multiple deadlines.
2. Skill in a range of supervisory duties which includes clinical supervision, consultation, negotiation with other departments and quality improvement.
3. Ability to ensure provision of clinical social work services by supervised social workers.
4. Ability to delegate authority, manage priorities, coordinate work, and follow up on pending issues to complete duties in an accurate and timely fashion.
5. 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.
6. Ability to provide staff training and development.

Assignment. 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. Supervisory social workers at the GS-13 grade level typically supervise professional and non-professional staff. They are responsible for the professional and administrative management of an area in a social work service, in a care/product line, or across multiple sites, (e.g., multi-division facilities and CBOCs). Incumbent may also provide direct clinical services.

References: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39, Social Worker Qualification Standard.
For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: The physical demands of the work requires use of fingers; moderate walking and standing; near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in on eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; hearing aid permitted; clear speech; emotional stability; moderate duty. Ability to drive a government vehicle.

Preferred Experience: 5 years of mental health experience preferred, 3-5 years of mental health, program coordination and supervisory experience.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Area of Consideration-Eligible applicants will be reviewed and referred in the following order:

1. Current permanent VA employees of the facility.
2. All other VA Employees.
3. Current permanent Federal employees of other agencies.
4. All other applicants.

Veterans' Preference is not applicable.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.