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Social Worker (Program Coordinator)

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Veterans Health Administration

Summary

The Program Coordinator, Care Coordination and Integrated Case Management (CC&ICM) Social Worker (SW) for Outpatient Primary Care Services, is assigned to the Office of the Chief Nurse Executive at the James A. Lovell FHCC in North Chicago, IL. The CC&ICM SW Program Coordinator will partner with the CC&ICM RN to implement framework to serve a Veteran population with highly complex health and mental health problems to ensure they receive the level of care coordination based on their current need.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted yesterday · Apply by 06/22/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on June 22, 2026
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$102,216 - $132,883 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Not required
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Excepted Service
Represented by a union
Yes
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Other
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
CAZP-12985269-26-JMT
Control number
872869100

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Duties

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The primary function of the CC&ICM SW is to provide the clinical programming and daily operations of the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center (FHCC) CC&ICM initiative. The incumbent is responsible for the planning, development, implementation, facility wide education, monitoring, and evaluation of initiative operations. The incumbent manages and controls the use of data related to this initiative regarding day-to-day functioning and evaluation.

Functions of the position include, but are not limited to the following:

Practice

  • Demonstrates expertise in development, implementation, and evaluation of the CC&ICM initiative; collects Veteran specific data, and information needed to access and assign a Lead Coordinator (LC) as indicated.
  • Identify cohort of Veterans across FHCC with the highest opportunity and highest need.
  • Develop, implement, and monitor process for ongoing screening of identified cohort.
  • Develop and co-facilitate a care coordination review team (CCRT) to integrate communication, collaboration, and coordination when assigning a lead Coordinator to Veterans identified as needing moderate or complex care coordination services.
  • Integrate inpatient and outpatient care coordinators, care managers, and case managers for seamless continuity of care.
Professional Development
  • Maintains professional knowledge and skills based on current evidence-based practice.
  • Self-directed in evaluating progress toward professional career goals.
  • Demonstrates leadership by sharing knowledge with colleagues and/or students to enhance professional growth, development, and practice.
  • Formally shares information gained from continuing education experiences within or across unites and/or within the facility.
  • Acts as a role model in fulfilling work commitments, seeking out and assuming additional responsibilities and assisting others with career development.
Collaboration
  • Provides orientation to CC&ICM and ongoing training to collaborative CC&ICM staff.
  • Collaborates practice among multiple healthcare professions that provides structure and standards to support inter-professional collaboration throughout the continuum of care and optimal utilization of healthcare resources.
  • Promotes the benefits of case management and develops and facilitates educational programs informing the Veteran consumer and family members regarding available case management services.
  • Demonstrates ability to collaborate with all disciplines and levels of service.
  • Collaborates with community access contacts, case managers, and internal professional resources demonstrating leadership in addressing complex patient care issues using a Veteran centered care framework.
Scientific Inquiry
  • Initiates/actively participates in interdisciplinary opportunities to improve Veteran care at the national, VISN and program level.
  • Formulates and remains current with FHCC goals, objectives and initiatives.
  • Initiates/participates in performance improvement activities that result in improved outcomes.
  • Utilizes aggregate and trended data to identify significant Veteran care problems related to the admission/transfer process to make improvements.
  • Uses a body of research to validate and/or change work group practice.
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 0800-1630
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
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: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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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.
  • 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/.
    • Exception. VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level. For the GS-11 grade level and above, the candidate must be licensed or certified. At the time of appointment, the supervisor, chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification, including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline.
  • English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. ยง 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-12
  • Experience and Education: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade 12 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:
    • Knowledge of program coordination and administration which includes consultation, negotiation, and monitoring.
    • Knowledge and ability to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program.
    • Ability to supervise multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program.
    • Skill in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating assigned program area(s).
    • Ability to provide training, orientation, and guidance within clinical practice.
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.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

Veterans Health Administration

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans?

Agency contact information

Jessica Thompson
Phone
757-722-9961 X11553
Email
Jessica.Thompson@va.gov
Address
Captain James A Lovell Federal Health Care Center
3001 Green Bay Road
North Chicago, IL 60064
US

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