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Social Worker (Program Coordinator)

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Tomah Veterans Health Administration (Wausau VA Clinic)
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
08/16/2023 to 09/05/2023
Salary
$82,830 to - $107,680 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Wausau, WI
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
CAZP-12071603-23-RLD
Control number
743678000

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to the Public. If you are a current permanent VA or Federal employee please apply to announcement CAZP-12071604-23-RLD.

Videos

Duties

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VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU

The Suicide Prevention Program Coordinator (SPC) is located in the Mental Health Outpatient Clinic at the Wausau Community Based Outpatient Clinic as part of the Tomah VA Medical Center. The Suicide Prevention Program Coordinator (SPC) will serve to facilitate implementation of suicide prevention strategies at a local level through education, monitoring, and coordination activities.

The primary responsibilities of the Suicide Prevention Program Coordinator include: Monitoring list of Veterans determined to be at high risk for self-harm; providing education to all front line and clinical staff regarding risk factors and protective factors for suicide; educating clinical staff regarding safety planning with their patients; networking with community partners; providing programmatic guidance for the team of suicide prevention specialists; providing timely and accurate responses to all action items regarding suicide prevention program in collaboration with the Suicide Prevention Program Lead.

Duties of Position:

  • Develops and implements information systems to track services including visits, referrals, inpatient days, patient demographics, and patient satisfaction. The incumbent provides programmatic guidance including technical and clinical assistance to other staff in the Suicide Prevention Program. As a Senior Social Worker the Suicide Prevention Coordinator is responsible for data collection and monthly reports on all Veterans who have had a recent suicide attempt and monitors the completion of the Suicide Behavior Report by other providers.
  • Responsible for data collection, administrative record keeping, monitoring of patient or program clinical indicators, and performance measurements.
  • In coordination with the rest of the provider staff, interprets and implements the philosophy and goals of the program to which they are assigned to others in the work setting; functions within established guidelines and demonstrates the ability to work effectively and develop sound relationships with their patients, other caregivers, professional staff, and supportive personnel who provide patient care.
  • Responds to consults from the National Suicide Prevention Hotline and coordinates the follow up care for these Veterans and families.
  • Responsible for reviewing all Veterans whose electronic medical record has been flagged due to being at risk for self-harm. Assure that all Veterans on the facility tracking list are being followed closely by the appropriate provider on a regular basis as determined by the coordinator and the provider(s).
  • Work with community resources such as County Veteran's Service Officers (CVSO) and other community groups to assure that they are aware of how to recognize Veterans at risk for suicide and their options for getting these Veterans assistance.
  • Develop and implement an ongoing education plan for providers, Veterans, families, and members of the community on risk factors and warning signs for suicide, and treatment options.
  • Assure that all these patients have a 24-hour resource number to call and ways to get assistance if an immediate crisis should occur.
  • Provide referrals to VA medical and mental health treatment and to other VA services including VA benefits, as well as community-based social services or other non-VA entitlement programs.
  • Assess high risk factors, acuity, and the need for services. The Suicide Prevention Program Coordinator has the ability to serve Veterans who tend to have frequent and severe crises, or an inadequate community support network, those that frequently fail to comply with instructions and treatment or have significant deficits in coping and require continuing professional psychosocial support.
  • Participate in the assignment of Veterans to treatment teams and programs. Consults with other specialists in planning treatment for Veterans and with co morbidities.
  • Develop working relationships with other organizations having responsibility for the same patient population. Maintain a current and productive network of referral resources.
  • Develops professional, clinical, and advanced practice skills are routinely used to treat Veterans with complex problems. Monitors Veteran's progress, and maintains comprehensive documentation, ensures expert diagnosis and treatment of clinical disorders, and shows competent discretion in decision to adjust treatment. Makes recommendations for and changes to treatment plans with coordination from other providers and programs.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 8:00am-4:30pm
Telework: Telework May be Available based on organizational needs.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized to highly qualified individuals.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Contact emily.pabon@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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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.
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period.
  • Subject to background/security investigation.
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
  • Must pass pre-employment physical examination/screening.
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
  • Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

  • United States Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g this part).
  • Education. 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/.
  • English Language Proficiency. Social Workers Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. ? 7403(f).

Grade Determinations:

GS-12 Social Worker (Program Coordinator):
Experience/Education:
One year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency. Candidate 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, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
  • Knowledge of program coordination and administration which includes consultation, negotiation, and monitoring.
  • Knowledge and ability to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program.
  • Ability to supervise multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program.
  • Skill in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating assigned program area(s).
  • Ability to provide training, orientation, and guidance within clinical practice.
Preferred Experience:
Experience working with Behavioral Health

Assignments:
For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Program coordinators at the GS-12 grade level are administratively responsible for a clinical program providing treatment to Veterans in a major specialty area, such as but not limited to: Spinal Cord Injury, Homeless Continuum Veteran Program, Hospice and Palliative Care Program, Suicide Prevention Program, Veterans Justice Outreach, Caregiver Support Program and Community Nursing Home Program. The program coordinator may be the sole practitioner in this specialty at the facility and typically provide direct patient care services in the program area. The program coordinator oversees the daily operation of the program, develop policies and procedures for program operation, and prepare reports and statistics for facility, VISN, and national use. They 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. The program coordinator provides analysis and evaluation of clinical program data and computerized programs to identify system-wide trends and needs to enhance the quality of service. They may be responsible for, or contribute to, the program's resource and fiscal management, monitoring control points developing the annual budget, operating within that budget, and accounting for appropriated funds. The program coordinator is administratively responsible for the clinical programming and prepares reports and statistics for facility, VISN, and national use. They provide leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs for assigned staff. They initiate and conduct a variety of program or service audits and complete designated clinical practice audits and reports, including productivity assessments. They oversee program operations and evaluations, identifying areas for improvement, gathering relevant data, assessing the data, developing and implementing ideas for improvement and evaluating efficacy of improvement efforts.]

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12.

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 Social Worker 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.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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.

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