Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to (Current & Permanent) Employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs and (Current & Permanent) Federal Employees of other agencies. 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 Chief defines the mission and vision for Social Work Service, establishes service priorities, and ensures consistent application of standards of care, policy, and professional practice. The position involves collaborating with various internal and external partners and providing expert guidance on social work standards, competencies, productivity, and ongoing education. The incumbent is responsible for a range of duties, including but not limited to the following:

• Lead strategic planning, operations, and administrative and clinical supervision for Social Work Service.
• Oversee professional social work activities across CTVHCS to ensure educational, psychosocial, case management, and quality-of-care needs are met.
• Establish social work objectives based on healthcare system mission, goals, programs, and psychosocial and health related social needs.
• Evaluate program effectiveness through internal reviews, corrective actions, audit responses, and follow-up procedures; report results to senior leadership.
• Manage the Social Work Associated Health Trainee Program and maintain compliance with VA, Joint Commission, and affiliated School of Social Work standards.
• Establish and maintain partnerships with affiliated schools, universities, community agencies, local and state organizations, healthcare partners, and other VA facilities.
• Prepare annual service line briefings, budget projections, expenditure monitoring, and fund reallocation recommendations.
• Applies legal, ethical, and professional standards to social work practice.
• Maintains advanced skill to ensure oversight and compliance with social work licensure, practice, policy, competency, productivity, and accreditation requirements.
• Oversee development of measurable treatment protocols and practice models to support data analysis, quality improvement, and program evaluation.
• Draft or assign healthcare system policies, procedures, functional statements, and performance standards for social work positions.
• Communicate performance expectations to employees and approve social work functional statements across the healthcare system.
• Maintains advanced skill to ensure oversight and compliance with social work licensure, practice, policy, competency, productivity, and accreditation requirements.
• Recommend recruitment, orientation, staffing, and continuing education actions based on program needs.
• Brief leadership orally and writing on Social Work Service matters affecting program planning and decision-making.
• Maintain reporting systems to ensure timely and accurate recurring, non-recurring, periodic, and locally required reports.
• Convene regular social work discipline and service line meetings and ensure quality monitoring activities are reviewed.
• Review clinical performance, schedules, staff meetings, and complex or unusual case consultations.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm
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) 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.
Functional Statement #: 55685-F
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

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.
• English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• 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.
• Licensure or Certification: Must be licensed or certified by 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: Social Work (Service Chief), GS-14
Experience/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 Requirement: The chief social worker 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:

• 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:

• Experience leading a large, complex social work program across multiple care lines or sites.
• Deep knowledge of social work practice, policy, and accreditation standards across the continuum of health care.
• Competence in providing consultation to facility leadership, managers, and other staff on social work qualification standards, practice, competency, productivity, and continuing education requirements.
• Progressive supervisory and administrative leadership experience.
• Experience overseeing accreditation or regulatory compliance.

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

The grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-14. This position is above the full-performance level for this occupation.

Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation and would generally not require a pre-placement examination

How you will be evaluated

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

Area of Consideration
1. Current permanent VA employees of the facility.
2. All other VA employees.
3. Current permanent Federal employees of other agencies.

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.