Clarification from the agency

This position is ONLY open to current, permanent Department of Veterans Affairs employees under the VHA administration. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Videos

VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU
VA Careers - Licensed Clinical Social Worker: https://youtube.com/embed/U_xC25QsN0w
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

The Social Worker Program Manager functions as the Section Chief, Primary Care and Specialty Care for Social Work Service and has full oversight of the staff and responsibility for the provision of social work practice for the Survivor Assistance Memorial Services (SAMS), Care Coordination and Integrated Case Management (CCICM), Post 9/11 Military to Veteran (M2VA), Acute Medicine, Specialty Care Services, and Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) along with the Fisher House

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Accountable for all aspects of the clinical care provided to Veterans receiving services under the Primary and Specialty Care umbrella, including psychosocial, mental health, and physical medicine services
• Coordinates interdisciplinary staffing, work assignments, program budget, treatment services provided, and program evaluation.
• Ensures compliance with national, VISN, and local policies and procedures
• Manages and uses data related to programs regarding day-to-day functioning and program evaluations
• Plans, organizes, and directs administrative operations, Veteran, and personnel activities for the program
• Develops and maintains high-quality case management and care coordination of programs while meeting individual programmatic requirements
• Oversees and manages quality control concerns and performance measures with consultation and support from the Service Chief.
• Oversees and coordinates continuous readiness of Joint Commission and other accrediting bodies
• Supports and contributes to social work goals and programs to lead integration with overall Medical Center goals and programs
• Reviews programs for adequacy and recommend or initiate changes for improvement or realigning priorities within constraints of available resources
• Ensures that staff are educated on and understand associated performance measures, SAIL data, workload, and VERA capture as it relates to practice
• Provides regular updates on performance metrics and program achievements and challenges to include actions taken to remedy concerns or barriers
• Completes strategic planning, set of operational priorities and allocation of resources, engage in quality improvement, monitor and address performance measure outcomes, and promote interdisciplinary care for Veterans served
• Utilizes service recovery with stakeholders, including Veterans, who express dissatisfaction or concerns regarding their care
• Participates in community meetings, as needed, to support an integrated system of care to meet the needs of Veterans
• Responsible for clinical practice, program management, education, human resource management and supervision, and organizational stewardship for all programs within the Primary Care and Specialty Care Section
• Oversees the functioning of these programs while monitoring their quality and service delivery
• Be involved in addressing grievances and serious employee complaints, participating in the review of serious disciplinary cases and disciplinary problems involving key employees
• Provides clinical supervision for social work licensure as needed
• Reviews programs for adequacy and recommend or initiate changes for improvement or realigning priorities within constraints of available resources
• Develops the annual operating budget in conjunction with the Chief of service, administrative officer, and Fiscal Service
• Develops policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program and in participating in national program development
• Conducts psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to Veterans from various socio economic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds
• Provides comprehensive, evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions, including individual, family, and group psychotherapy and psychoeducation
• Provides crisis intervention services, seeking to address the cause as well as the presenting complaint
• Develops, implements, and documents treatment plans in accordance with local, VISN, and national standards
• Develops appropriate action plans and remediations to address adherence to local, VISN, and national program expectations to ensure the best care possible
• Provides consultation to health care providers about assessment findings and treatment plan for patients to ensure that care is coordinated, collaborative, and integrated

Work Schedule: M-F 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact , the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Telework: May be Authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 61162-O
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• 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.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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: Be a citizen of the United States. 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/

Drivers License: A valid state drivers license is required as this position requires local travel to provide community-based care to Veterans through the use of a government vehicle or other individual arrangements.

Grade Determinations:
GS-14 Social Worker (Program Manager)

Experience and Education. One year of experience equivalent to the GS- 13 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency. Individual 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 manager 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 the following KSAs:

• Skill in large scale program coordination and administration across multiple sites, which includes consultation, negotiation, and monitoring.
• Ability to translate management goals and objectives into well-coordinated and controlled work operations.
• Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems and to develop and implement solutions that result in sound operation of the program.
• Ability to collaborate with internal and external partners to further program goals and enhance patient centered care.
• Ability to provide the full range of supervisory duties which would include responsibility for assignment of work to be performed; performance evaluations; selection of staff, training, and recommendation of awards, advancements, and when appropriate, disciplinary action.
• Ability to oversee the fiscal matters of the functions supervised (including fund controls, contracts, and equipment expenditures), forecast resource and equipment needs, and administer the allocated budget.
• Skill in developing policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program and in participating in national program development.
• Ability to collaborate with internal VHA partners, locally and on a national level, as well as external community partners to further program goals and enhance patient centered care

Preferred Experience: Supervising primary care and specialty care programs for Social Work. Experience with SAMS and Fisher House programs.

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

Physical Requirements: Must be in overall good health, able to sit at a desk working at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies. Social Worker must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions, with reasonable accommodation, if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the social worker or others. Incumbent must possess and maintain a current valid state driver's license and local travel to provide community- based care to Veterans. The position requires significant travel in the community, through use of a government vehicle or other individual arrangements, to meet with representatives/stakeholders who provide assistance and support to Veterans in clinics, medical centers, Community Clinics, etc. This position also requires close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; and repetitive motions of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.

How you will be evaluated

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

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.