Clarification from the agency

This position is open to Montana VA Healthcare System Employees. 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
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Duties and skills needed to be successful in this position include, but are not limited to:

• The incumbent establishes and maintains an ongoing education program for Veterans, caregivers, community agencies, students, and staff to facilitate understanding of clinical practice guidelines, mental health issues, readjustment issues and psychosocial issues facing caregivers.
• The incumbent develops and facilitates CSP program focused direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs for VA facility staff and the community.
• The incumbent develops and implements a plan for outreach to Veterans and Veteran caregivers who may benefit from the CSP program services (but who do not presently use VA for their health care needs). This includes outreach to current PGCSS and PCAFC participants to inform them of available services. Outreach requirements include but are not limited to event planning for National Family Caregiver Month.
• The incumbent maintains a current network of referral resources to include peer support mentoring groups, caregiver skill building and self-care educational opportunities, mental health support, legal and financial services.
• The incumbent directly supervises the Montana VA HCS Caregiver Support Coordinators, Clinical Assessors, and, Administrative Support Assistant (ASA) and other interprofessional staff assigned to Caregiver Support Program.
• The incumbent coordinates program implementation with multiple clinical services across all campus locations within the Montana VA facility, including but not limited to: nursing; physical, occupational, and speech therapists; mental health and primary care providers.
• The incumbent may provide clinical interventions to the Veteran and caregiver populations served by the programs.
• The incumbent is the subject matter expert (SME) to Montana VA Facility leadership and staff for all CSP related issues and serves as a consultant to other Montana VA professionals and administrators on program specific activities.
• The incumbent serves as a liaison to Veterans Integrated Service Network Program (VISN) CSP Program and the VA Central Office (VACO) Program.
• The incumbent serves as the Montana VA HCS Point of Contact (POC) for all inquiries and outreach requests regarding eligible PCAFC and PGCSS caregivers. This includes a wide variety of stakeholders (e.g., Veterans, family's members, state and community agencies, Veterans Service Organizations [VSOs], military support programs, Post Deployment Events, Yellow Ribbon events, National Guard and Reservist Units).
• The incumbent identifies unmet needs of the caregiver population, their families/significant others, and caregivers.
• The incumbent works collaboratively with facility, VISN, and VA Central Office staff to develop and implement solutions-participating in national, regional, and VISN operational calls; contributing to national leadership council committees; and implementing cultural transformation initiatives (e.g., Elizabeth Dole Foundation's Campaign for Inclusive Care (CIC), the Rosalyn Carter Institute).
• The incumbent performs the administrative and personnel management function relative to staff supervised including personnel actions, clinical supervision, consultation, negotiation with other departments, and quality improvement. Works collaboratively with internal staff, VISN and VACO leadership, and external stakeholders to expedite service delivery. Provides consultation and briefings to other staff and internal/external stakeholders on the special needs of caregivers.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
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: Ad-hoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 436-6144040
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.
• 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 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 4 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/.

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, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs.

1. Skill in coordinating and implementing one or more specialty program(s), across the facility.
2. Skill in local policy and practice development, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program as prescribed by the program handbook or national directive.
3. Skill in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating assigned program area(s).
4. Ability to collaborate with internal and external partners to further program goals and enhance patient centered care.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Knowledge of organizational structure and impact on program operations.

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

This vacancy is being announced above the full performance level at a GS-13.

Physical Requirements: This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stopping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. Transferring patients and objects may be required. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. The incumbent may be required to travel in GSA-vehicles. The incumbent must possess and maintain a current, valid state driver's license.

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.