Clarification from the agency

This job is open to current permanent employees of the facility/CBOCs where this vacancy is located Alexandria VA Health Care System NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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The Social Worker (Program Coordinator) serves as the Polytrauma/SCI Coordinator and is assigned to work on the Polytrauma Support Clinic Team. The Alexandria VA Health Care System Polytrauma Support Clinic Team's mission is to provide coordinated health and rehabilitation services to active duty service members and Veterans who have experienced severe injuries resulting in multiple traumas, including spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, visual impairment, amputations, combat stress, and post-traumatic stress disorder. He/She provides care management to these Veterans based on the severity of the trauma and identified needs and coordinates services provided by the Polytrauma Support Clinic Team.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Serves as the facility Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Care Liaison, coordinating MS care referrals to the facility and providing direct care when appropriate; serving as the point of contact for the MS Center of Excellence to resolve issues relevant to Veterans with MS and communicating with providers about matters affecting Veterans with MS. Attends on-line MS training opportunities that occur throughout the year.
• Provides Advance Directive (Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care) information and education to Veterans and family, assisting the Veteran in preparations of such documents, as requested.
• Demonstrates innovation in the creation of new models of psychosocial assessment or intervention to identify and address specialized clinical needs.
• Incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of Veteran patients, including making psychosocial and mental health diagnoses within the approved scope of practice.
• Determines priority for services and provides specialized treatment services.
• Adjusts interventions and treatment plans based on specific challenges of the population served.
• As a member of the health care team, participates fully in developing, planning, implementing and evaluating the interdisciplinary treatment plan, including provision of care management services.
• Participates in the orientation, training, and teaching of social work graduate students and other trainees and staff, providing subject matter expertise to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients treated in the specialty area, rendering professional opinions based on experience and knowledge, role modeling effective social work practice skills.
• Conducts program evaluation by developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm; subject to change based on the needs of the facility
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
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 #: 00993F
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.
• 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: 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 tohttp://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 tohttp://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 the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. (KSAs must be clearly reflected in the resume under description of duties in order to be found qualified for this position/grade level).

Social Worker (Program Coordinator), GS-12:
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.
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, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
(1) Knowledge of program coordination and administration which includes consultation, negotiation, and monitoring.
(2) Knowledge and ability to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program.
(3) Ability to supervise multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program.
(4) Skill in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating assigned program area(s).
(5) Ability to provide training, orientation, and guidance within clinical practice.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience working with complex patients with multiple traumas, spinal cord injuries and/or traumatic injuries
• Experience interfacing with multidisciplinary teams across locations to meet treatment goals of patients

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.

Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, puling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment.

Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.

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.