Clarification from the agency

This job is open to current permanent VA Nationwide employees, Federal employees of other Agencies, and U.S. Citizens 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 Work Discipline Lead facilitates the practice reviews and ongoing privileging of MHS Social Workers, with a majority being licensed independent practitioners (LIPs). The incumbent is responsible for the professional development, practice, and clinical privileging of MHS Social Workers and coordinates quarterly Clinical Pertinence Reviews and biannual Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluations (OPPE) for all LIP Social Workers including developing, analyzing, and maintaining practice data, peer review analysis, and action plans to address clinical inconsistencies and outliers.

The Social Work Discipline Lead for Mental Health Service with the local title of Mental Health Service Deputy Associate Chief of Staff Social Work Discipline Lead. This position has two distinct but interrelated functions serving as a member of the MHS Executive Leadership Team and serving as the Discipline Lead for Mental Health Social Workers.

Duties will include but are not limited to:

• Serves as a member of the MHS Executive Team collaboratively working with the MHS ACOS and other MHS DACOS Discipline Leads to make informed, service-level decisions compliant with national, VISN and local facility directives, handbooks, policies, and procedures.
• Serves as a champion for all National Directives related to patient care ensuring on-going service-level compliance to National Directives (i.e., same-day access to care, suicide prevention, etc.)
• Provides oversight/technical assistance to Mental Health Program Leaders on performance measures across MHS (i.e., SAIL, ORYX, HEDIS, etc.)
• Provides administrative oversight to assigned programs within MHS including a large Domiciliary, CAVHS' Comprehensive Homeless Center and Day Treatment Center, PRRC, Recreational Therapy Services and Intensive Community Mental Health Recovery Services. This includes advising, developing, educating, monitoring, and working collaboratively with Program Leaders to develop action plans, program criteria, evaluate programs, improve processes, and negotiate with other internal/external departments and partners. Conducts regular briefings with assigned MHS Program Leaders to stay current on the status of assigned program and provide updates to MHS Executive Team and leadership.
• Serves as a second-, third- and fourth-line supervisor to staff in assigned programs.
• Advises service-level and executive management on clinical or administrative issues within the assigned MHS programs and serves as a mentor to subordinates and peers and as a consultant to Mental Health and CAVHS Management.
• Serves as an ambassador for MHS frequently representing MHS Leadership in facility meetings, functions, and committees. Working with internal/external stakeholders to gain feedback, problem solve processes and improve services. Disseminates information in a timely, efficient manner.
• Frequently organizes congressional and White House responses and assists program leaders with complaint resolution.
• Monitors the Patient Advocate Tracking System (PATS) daily; facilitating resolution of patient concerns, suggestions, and complaints.
• Serves as the fiscal backup for the MHS Business Manager as an alternate Approving Official for purchase card holders, IPPS payment system for contracts and approving official for contracting services.

The MHS/DACOS Social Work Discipline Lead reports directly to the Associate Chief of Staff of Mental Health Service. Consultation is available upon demand, but is expected to function independently carrying out the duties and responsibilities of the position with a high level of autonomy and administrative skill.

Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm, subject to change based on the needs of the service.
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized.
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized.
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 #: 01555F
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 physical evaluation.
• 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/.

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.

Social Worker (Program Manager), GS-14

• Experience and Education. One year of experience equivalent to the GS- 13 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency. Individual 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 manager 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 the following KSAs:
  1. Skill in large scale program coordination and administration across multiple sites, which includes consultation, negotiation, and monitoring.
  2. Ability to translate management goals and objectives into well-coordinated and controlled work operations.
  3. Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems and to develop and implement solutions that result in sound operation of the program.
  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 which would include responsibility for assignment of work to be performed, performance evaluations, 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. Skill in developing policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program and in participating in national program development.
  8. Ability to collaborate with internal VHA partners, locally and on a national level, as well as external community partners to further program goals and enhance patient centered care.

Preferred Experience:

• Large scale program administrative experience.
• Program Management experience.

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

The above full performance level of this vacancy is GS 14.

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.

Area of Consideration - Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:

1. Current permanent VA employees of the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare Systems.
2. All other VA employees.
3. Current Permanent Federal employees of other agencies.
4. All other applicants

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.