Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to current, permanent Veterans Health Administration (VHA) employees ONLY. 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 Chief, Social Work is responsible for developing, planning, clarifying, administering, overseeing, and managing Social Work within all areas of the Medical Center to include Primary Care, Inpatient, Extended Care, and Behavioral Health Services and maintains overall responsibility for specialty programs such as Spinal Cord Injury (SCI), Caregiver Support, Visual Impairment Services Team (VIST)/Blind Rehabilitation Service (BRS), and the Hoptel programs. Primary duties include, but are not limited to:

• Interprets VHA and other relevant policies and ensures compliance.
• Identifies service priorities and objectives and makes independent, professional decisions regarding work problems.
• Serves as a liaison with other Services, government agencies, and the community.
• Advises Care Line Managers/Chiefs of specific clinical or administrative problems involving the relationship of behavioral health activities to various units and programs.
• Collaborates with others in negotiating, deciding upon, and/or coordinating clinical practice and related changes affecting other programs.
• Provides consultation and guidance on Social Work qualification standards, practice, competency, productivity, and continuing education.
• Ensures establishment and maintenance of accurate, detailed position descriptions/functional statements of duties performed by assigned staff.
• Ensures establishment and maintenance of performance requirements and standards and communicates such standards to assigned staff.
• Supervises and evaluates the performance of assigned staff.
• Participates in recruitment of qualified Social Work professionals to include interviewing, selection, and orientation and recommends appropriate adjustments to staffing levels.
• Tracks credentialing, required licensure and/or certification, continuing education, and other clinical requirements for all assigned providers.
• Develops and maintains standards of clinical practice for Social Work Clinicians, including the development of care guidelines, manuals, standard operating procedures, and guides to professional practice.
• Ensures personnel management to include resolving employee complaints, grievances, or other related matters within the context of the union contract, local policy, and appropriate personnel policies, procedures, and requirements.
• Reviews serious disciplinary cases.
• Manages and directs activities in Social Work including interventions to resolve administrative and clinical problems.
• Assesses trends in provided treatment and promotes evidence-based practice.
• Consults with specialists regarding training needs and determines appropriate types of training based on identified problems.
• Participates in the development and coordination of the medical center plan for patient care.
• Develops processes for and ensures the implementation and achievement of the provision of mental health services for medical facility patients in inpatient and outpatient programs.
• Ensures the provision of advice, assistance, and consultation to community health and welfare agencies, councils, and other community groups to enhance the provision of mental health services to Veteran patients in the community.
• Briefs facility leadership concerning matters related to Social Work in order to provide information necessary to make effective decisions for program planning.
• Serves as a vital professional influence and resource to local leadership in their compliance with standards defined by accrediting organizations such as the Joint Commission (JCAHO) and Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) standards applicable to Social Work and Mental Health Services.
• Consults with other Services, program managers, clinicians, or care line managers on issues pertaining to ethics, ethical dilemmas in the delivery of care, and ethical issues within the larger organization.
• Provides consultation to medical center leadership on implementation of special VHA programs for Post 9/11 Military Veteran Affairs Case Management Team.
• Ensures that regular scheduled Social Work Staff Meetings are convened and include review and evaluation of the quality monitoring activities within the service.
• Educates regarding the psychosocial issues and needs of patients.
• Performs other related duties, as assigned.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Permanent Change of Station (PCS)/Relocation Assistance: NOT Authorized
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): 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:

• Citizenship: Citizenship of the United States in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(c). Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.
• Education: Must possess 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. 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. NOTE: A doctoral degree in Social Work may NOT be substituted for the master's degree in Social Work.
• License: Must be licensed or certified be a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level.

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 to qualify at the GS-14 grade level.

• Experience and Education: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level. The chief social work service must evidence possession of supervisory and management skills. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills in administration, demonstrating progressively more professional competency skills and judgment. 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: The Chief Social Work 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:
  • Skill in providing the full range of supervisory duties across multiple service divisions/sections, which would include responsibility for assignment of work to be performed, performance evaluation, selection of staff, and recommendations of awards, advancements, and when appropriate, disciplinary actions.
  • Skill in applying legal, ethical, and professional standards to social work practice.
  • Skill in developing, maintaining, and managing social work services in multiple divisions/sections.
  • Ability to ensure compliance with social work practice, policy, and accreditation standards across the continuum of health care.
  • Skill in providing consultation to facility leadership, managers, and other staff on social work qualification standards, practice, competency, productivity, and continuing education requirements.
  • Skill in administrative oversight to ensure compliance with social work licensure requirements.

Preferred Experience:

• Minimum of five (5) years of clinical experience
• Minimum of five (5) years of supervisory experience
• Experience as an Assistant Chief/Chief of a service line

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services.

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

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Area of Consideration
Veterans' Preference is not applicable for this specific occupational series per the Office of Chief Human Capital Officer Bulletin "FY2025 Annual Determination of Staffing Shortages". Eligible and qualified applications will be reviewed and referred in the following unranked order by grade level:

1. Current Permanent VA employees of the facility.
2. All other VA employees.
3. 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.