Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The area of consideration is open to current, permanent RCS employees. NOTE: The candidate must live within the geographical boundaries of District 3 to include: Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois or Wisconsin NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. NOTE: Veterans Preference does not apply to internal announcements.

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Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Social Work: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Social-Worker-Career-Flyer.pdf

Typical assignments require providing broad and complex support for implementation of the full array of services across the mental health care continuum, as well as developing detailed plans on goals and objectives for the implementation, administration, and delivery of training in support of services delineated in the Uniform Mental Health Services Handbook, other national directives/memorandums/policies, and related national VA and RCS healthcare initiatives.

The ADD/C provides leadership and managerial oversight in the following areas but are not limited to:

Quality Assurance, Clinical Crisis Management, Staff Development and Education and Outreach.

Quality Assurance:

• Oversees the administrative and clinical aspects of a major specialty treatment program for quality assurance in RCS.
• Ensures clinical quality assurance utilizing various clinical modalities and evidence-base practices.
• Performs onsite or remote evaluations of contract providers on the Contract for Fee program in their respective RCS Zone.

Clinical Crisis Management:

• The ADD/C develops, reviews, and analyzes a clinical crisis reporting system that accurately tracks critical incidents to improve Vet Center services.
• Collaborates and coordinates with VA entities to facilitate and ensure that a Mortality & Morbidity (M&M) quality review panel is conducted when Vet Center clients die by suicide.
• has primary responsibility to ensure the Peer Review process is completed at Vet Centers when the outcome of the Self-Directed Violence Assessment tool indicates a suicide attempt.

Outreach:

• Monitors Vet Center outreach to ensure outreach activities are strategically planned and adjusted to ensure market penetration of the local eligible individual population.
• Reviews and advises the Deputy District Director as to the appropriateness and effectiveness of outreach efforts, strategies, and activities.
• Promotes the sharing of successful outreach strategies among the Vet Centers in a best practices model.

Staff Development and Education:

• Has primary responsibility to ensure that the clinical staff in their respective RCS Zone is adequately trained to address the needs of Vet Center clients.
• Develops educational activities, training curriculum in conjunction with District Office for all clinical trainings.
• Oversees the fiscal matters of the functions supervised forecast resource and equipment needs and administer the allocated budget.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
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)
Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
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: May be available on an ad-hoc basis
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 795820
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

NOTE: Open to current, permanent Readjustment Counseling Service employees. Selected employee must be located within 50 miles of a VA facility within the District 3 catchment area and have space available for assignment. (Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Illinois or Wisconsin.)

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.
• 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 identification 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: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in both spoken and written English in accordance with VA policy.
• Education: Must 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 the CSWE website to verify if that social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a Master of Social Work.
• Licensure: Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. 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.
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

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:

Social Worker (Program Coordinator), GS-13

Experience/Education. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency. Candidates 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, candidates must demonstrate all of the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):

• Skill in coordinating and implementing one or more specialty program(s), across the facility.
• Skill in local policy and practice development, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program as prescribed by the program handbook or national directive.
• Skill in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating assigned program area(s).
• 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 including assignment of work to be performed; performance evaluations; and 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.
• Knowledge of organizational structure and impact on program operations.

Reference: VA Handbook 5005/50 Part II, Appendix G39, Social Worker Qualification Standard.

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

Physical Requirements: The work does not inherently include physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with a workplace accommodation.

NOTE: Readjustment Counselors are multi-disciplinary and can be filled by: Social Worker, Psychologist, Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, and Marriage & Family Therapist. Each discipline is announced separately, and applicants must apply to the announcement for which they are qualified.

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.