Clarification from the agency

This position is ONLY open to current, permanent VA Western Colorado Health Care System Employees. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.

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Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

• Directs the administrative and clinical aspects of the Workplace Violence Prevention Program across the WCHCS System.
• Responsible for coordinating interdisciplinary staffing by Chairing the Disruptive Behavior Committee (DBC), Employee Threat
  Assessment Team (ETAT), Workplace Behavioral Risk Assessment (WBRA) team and Prevention and Management of Disruptive Behavior (PMDB) Coordinator.
• Implements VHA Directive 1160.08(1) VHA Workplace Violence Prevention Program and associated Compliance Checklist, as well as for informing and writing policies, procedures, and program guidelines in the development, planning, operations, and continuous performance improvement of all components of the WVPP in the WCHCS.
• Responsible for coordinating the inter/multidisciplinary Behavioral Threat Assessment Teams including the DBC and the ETAT. The Program Coordinator demonstrates experience in leading diverse and interdisciplinary teams. The Program Coordinator must form and maintain a cohesive team of staff from a variety of disciplines and supervisory chains of authorities to ensure targeted and evidence-based efforts to promote the safety of beneficiaries and personnel of the WCHCS.
• Maintains a close partnership with the national WVPP. In this role the Program Coordinator is responsible for aligning local program implementation with the best national practice guidelines. The incumbent seeks national guidance regarding disruptive individuals in the workplace, behavior risk and threat management recommendations, and strategies to promote a culture of safety in VHA. The Program
  Coordinator also maintains a close working relationship with community partners in public safety and organizational safety.
• Provides supervisory duties over the PMDB Coordinator, Program Support Assistant and other support staff.
• Provides quarterly updates to the Executive Leadership Board and submit WVPP-related work products directly to the Chief of Staff and/or Facility Director.
• Collaborates effectively with the facility's Executive Leadership, VA Police, the VA Office of Inspector General, the national WVPP Office, and other key stakeholders on an ongoing basis.
• Manages practice and oversees the day-to-day business of the inter/multidisciplinary committees that reviews incidents of Patient-Generated Disruptive Behaviors, Visitor-Generated Disruptive Behaviors, and Employee-Generated Disruptive Behaviors. This role involves conducting and delegating behavioral threat assessments to inform recommendations for individualized risk
  management strategies; consulting with VA Providers, clinical staff and DBC and ETAT members; informing and providing risk relevant clinical interventions in cases of disruptive or violent behavior history; providing and overseeing education to staff; providing timely and accurate responses to action items and recommendations made by the DBC and ETAT.
• Trains of team members in evidence-based threat assessment and threat management practice. The Program Coordinator collaborates with leadership to ensure facility policies are compliant with The Joint Commission, Office of Inspector General, and OSHA requirements regarding workplace violence prevention training.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (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: Available on an ad-hoc basis.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 58380-0
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. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

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/.

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 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.

Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to: Serving as the sole practitioner in a specialty program and typically provide direct patient care services in the program area; oversees the daily operation of the program, develop policies and procedures for program operation, and prepare reports and statistics; may be responsible for the program's budget, developing and monitoring staff compliance with practice, standards and guidelines on documentation, workload, data entry, ethical practice and service delivery; provides analysis and evaluation of clinical program data and computerized programs to identify system-wide trends and needs to enhance the quality of service. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency.

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 (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs.

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

Preferred Experience: Knowledge of practices associated with violence prevention, threat mitigation and management and training of the Workplace Violence Prevention Program to include Disruptive Behavior and risk assessment.

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-13.

Physical Requirements: Must be in overall good health, able to sit at a desk working at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies. The incumbent must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions, with reasonable accommodation, if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the social worker or others. This position requires a valid state driver's license and local travel to provide community-based care to
Veterans. The position requires significant travel in the community, through use of a government vehicle or other individual arrangements, to meet with representatives/stakeholders who aid and support Veterans in clinics, medical centers, Community Clinics, etc. This position requires close visual acuity to perform activities like preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; and repetitive motions of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.

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.