Clarification from the agency

This job is open to current permanent Department of Veteran Affairs employees, current permanent Federal employees of other agencies and all US Citizens. This occupation is listed on the OIG Determination of Veterans Health Administration's Occupational Staffing Shortages Fiscal Year (FY25). Therefore, this vacancy announcement is exempt from Veterans Preference.

Videos

The Supervisory Social Worker plans, organizes and coordinates administrative, operational, clinical and personnel activities for assigned programs. The Supervisory Social Worker is the subject matter expert (SME) to VA Facility leadership and staff for all Social Work Service Community Nursing Home (CNH), Community Care Network Community Nursing Home (CCN CNH), or Community Adult Day Health Care (CADHC) related issues and serves as a consultant to other VA professionals, administrators on program specific functions and specialized clinical practice.

The Supervisory Social Worker is responsible for all operational, administrative, and clinical aspects of assigned programs, to include, but not limited to CNH, CCN CNH, and CADHC. The Social Worker is responsible for direct supervision of approximately 3+/- Program Support Assistants, 4+/- clinical social workers, and 3+/- nursing staff , which includes program coordinators for assigned programs. The Social Worker is responsible for coordinating interdisciplinary staffing and work assignments, as well as leading regular daily huddles, office hours and staff meetings on a regular basis. The Social Worker provides case consultation and responds to a crisis in a calm and direct manner.

The Social Worker chairs a monthly interdisciplinary CNH/ADHC Oversight Committee Meeting. This requires extensive planning, to include maintaining data, collecting new data, ongoing evaluation of data to use in preparing of agendas, preparing, and presenting reports, reviewing significant data changes and making decisions that are sensitive in nature and may significant affect/change program operations.

The Social Worker builds and maintains effective rapport with internal and external customers to ensure effective communication is maintained and relationships are preserved with all customers for information sharing purposes. The Social Worker has ability to develop and provide training for internal and external stakeholders. The Social Worker functions as part of the local emergency preparedness team. In the role of emergency preparedness, the incumbent will be required to work off tour hours and stay in the assigned medical center overnight, possibly multiple nights to support service and facility operations.

The Social Worker is responsible for billing and payment processes. Serves as the Contracting Off icer Representative (COR) for all assigned programs and fulfills all COR obligations. The Supervisory Social Worker obtains and maintains all COR obligations, including COR Level I Certification. The Social Worker is responsible for required performance evaluations for assigned contracts, ensures timely submission of new and renewal acquisition packages to Network Contracting Off ice, and collaborates with the assigned Contracting Off icer(s). The Social Worker ensures claims are reviewed and approved in a timely manner. The Supervisory Social Worker ensures separation of duties for all programs are maintained.

The Supervisory Social Worker assists in planning, establishing, and implementing policies and procedures for the CNH, CCN CNH, and CADHC Programs. In addition, the Supervisory Social Worker is responsible for developing individual or group goals and objectives as well as monitoring, operating, evaluating, coordinating, and overseeing the staff under their direct supervision. The Supervisor is responsible for clinical and administrative program development/evaluation and service delivery.

• The Supervisory Social Worker has ability to independently organize work, set priorities, and meet multiple deadlines.
• The Supervisory Social Worker has skill in a range of supervisory duties which includes clinical supervision, consultation, negotiation with other departments and quality improvement.
• The Supervisory Social Worker has 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.

The Supervisory Social Worker is required to travel between all locations. The Supervisory Social Worker is required to drive and/or travel using personal vehicle or government vehicle to other sites of care within the NF/SGVHS, as well as, to community partners, as necessary to accomplish work assigned. Travel may be for long periods of time, up to three hours each way. Travel may be expected up to 25% of the work week.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm
Functional Statement #: 51923F

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

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 trial 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

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.
• 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.

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.

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.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Preferred Experience: Knowledge of social work research concerns, health services research, peer review processes, experience in the preparation of study proposals meeting the guidelines of various funding agencies and preparing and managing research project budgets. Prefer previous experience as a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) Level 1. Prefer previous experience in in completing evaluations for contracts, submitting new and renewal acquisition packages, and collaborating with Contracting officer (s). In addition, previous experience in understanding payment processing is preferred. Anything about years experience as a supervisor, ability to manage and delegate work assignments, understanding of VA VERA and managing staff workload and productivity, training and experience of lean six sigma and preferred experience at a minimum of yellow belt level with successful projects, experience with Veteran geriatric population and addressing their unique needs regarding independent living to long term care, experience in building and maintaining positive professional relationships with internal and external stakeholders, demonstration of ability to work with staff at all levels and management/facilitate meetings, understanding and experience with data and managing by use of data.

Physical Requirements: Able to meet the physical demands of the position which would be light lifting/carrying/pushing/pulling, continuous to limited sitting, standing, walking, bending or stooping. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. They must have good manual dexterity. Must be able to express or exchange ideas by means of spoken and written word. Must be able to view and read information on computer screens. Day-to-day work involves driving, sitting, walking, standing and carrying light objects. Must have good manual dexterity. Must be able to express or exchange ideas by means of spoken and written word. Must be able to view and read information on computer screens. Work is typically performed in a solitary clinical setting that is not fully known or controllable, exposing the Supervisory Social Worker to communicable diseases and behavioral problems of the client population. The Supervisory Social Worker is required to drive and/or travel using personal vehicle or government vehicle to other sites of care within the NF/SG VHS, as well as, to community partners, as necessary to accomplish work assigned. Travel will be for long periods of time, up to three hours each way. Travel is expected at least 20% of work week. North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System is a very large level 1a facility serving approximately 138,000 unique Veteran each year at two VA Medical Centers (VAMCs), three large Outpatient Clinics (OPCs) and nine Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs).

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 applications 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.

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.