Clarification from the agency

Open only to current employees of the Albany, NY facility. 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

The Social Worker (Program Coordinator) for the Inpatient Mental Health Unit and Social Work Emergency Department On-Call program has the following duties:

• Responsible for planning, establishing, and implementing policies and procedures for the SW On-Call/MHU:
  • Develop policies, procedures, and guidelines related to the management and provision of care of patients related to the management of care. Supports implementation of policies as well and is responsible for implementation and planning.
  • Responsible for all program planning and development, advising facility and VISN leadership of shifting trends and identifying the need for and making recommendations on program operations or policy changes based on work experience.
  • Works collaboratively with internal/external stakeholders to expedite service delivery. Includes community partners.
• Develops, enhances, and tracks new initiatives, monitors effectiveness, and modifies as needed to meet care needs.
• Co-leads development and maintenance of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) required to meet Joint Commission standards.
• Ensures all required environment of care (EOC) standards are met for the Inpatient Psychiatry Unit through coordination of EOC rounds, submission of MHEOC reports to the service line, VISN, and VACO and close coordination with the facility quality, safety and value services to ensure Joint Commission standards are continuously met.
• Coordinates the planning, development and implementation of the group programming treatment for the Inpatient Mental Health Unit.
  • The primary source of evidenced based therapy on the inpatient unit is recovery-oriented group therapy and is a core treatment priority for the Veteran Health Administration. Recovery oriented group programming is comprehensive and extensive with an average of 20-30 group therapy sessions per week. These contributions enhance patient care, reduce restraints/seclusions, reduce 30-day readmission rates and improve staff satisfaction within VA inpatient mental health units and is therefore vital to the unit.
  • Provides education, training, supervision, and scheduling of group facilitators from a wide variety of clinical backgrounds including trainees and permanent staff from social work, nursing, psychology, psychiatry, occupational therapy, and chaplain services. In all, approximately 40 VA staff may be supervised and managed in this area.
  • Awareness of inpatient cost factors that align with facility budget and discharge care coordination
    • Ensures appropriate staffing to include moving or requesting additional FTE to provide appropriate clinical care
    • Identifies and requests appropriate equipment or supplies to ensure effective clinical care and/or meet the EOC standards on the inpatient psychiatry unit.
    • Approves education or training request expenses for supervisees.
• Serves as a critical member of the Mental Health Service Leadership Team:
  • Monitors quality and performance metrics at the direction of Mental Health Service Chief or designee.
  • Coordinates weekly mental Health/Social Work On-Call huddle
  • Alerts Mental Health/Social Work Service Chiefs, ED staff and telephone operators of the On-call schedule weekly.
  • Provides assessment and acute clinical interventions in settings throughout the VA including: Emergency Department, Inpatient units, and outpatient clinics.
  • Responsible for Suicide Prevention metrics throughout the facility including SPED.
• Provides individual psychotherapy to patients on the inpatient mental health unit.
  • Coordinates psychotherapy needs with the inpatient and outpatient treatment teams for continuity of care.
  • Provides evidence-based psychotherapies when trained in them.
• Provides a full range of supervisory duties, to include:
  • Ensures staff supervised are aware of and adhere to all current VHA directives and meet relevant accreditation standards.
  • Performs the administrative and personnel management functions relative to staff supervised including personnel actions, clinical supervision, consultation, work assignment, negotiation with other departments, and quality improvement. Develop performance improvement plans, recommending personnel actions as necessary (i.e. disciplinary action, when appropriate).
  • Recognizes gaps in workforce competencies and ensures supervised staff who require knowledge and skill development receive the training necessary to execute their duties. Certifies staff completion of all required annual and ad hoc training.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: 8am - 4:30pm Monday -Friday
Telework: Ad-hoc per agency policy
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
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.
• Must pass pre-employment health assessment.
• 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.
• 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/.
• 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).

GS-13 Grade Determination:

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.
AND
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.
AND
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following 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.

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. At this grade level, social worker program coordinators oversee the administrative and clinical aspects of a major specialty treatment program, such as, but not limited to: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Substance Abuse Treatment Program, Home-Based Primary Care, Mental Health Intensive Case Management, Caregiver Support Program or Transition and Care Management Program, or a combination of programs located at one facility or multiple divisions of a facility. They are responsible for coordinating interdisciplinary staffing, work assignments, budget, treatment services provided, and admission criteria for the program. The program coordinator may or may not have supervisory responsibilities. They have full responsibility for all phases of service delivery for a major specialty program. The program coordinator is responsible for the program's resource and fiscal management, monitoring control points developing the annual budget, operating within that budget, and accounting for appropriated funds. They are administratively responsible for the programming and operations of the program assigned, develop policies and procedures for program operation, and prepare reports and statistics for facility, VISN, and national use. Program coordinators provide leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs for assigned staff. They initiate and conduct program or service audits and complete designated clinical practice audits and reports, including productivity. Program coordinators oversee program operations and evaluations, identifying areas for improvement, gathering relevant data, assessing the data, developing and implementing ideas for improvement, and evaluating efficacy of improvement efforts.

Preferred Experience: Experience in a medical setting/inpatient psychiatry, crisis management, and supervisory experience.

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-13.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019

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.