Social Worker (Program Coordinator)

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. Program 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.

Duties

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VA Careers - Social Work :

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

DUTIES :

The incumbent is a GS-12 Social Worker, Program Coordinator oversees social work sections in Mental Health Triage and the Acute Inpatient Psychiatric Unit (2B) at the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital in Madison WI. The Mental Health Department serves over 9,000 Veterans per year throughout the Madison VAMC facility network and has a 14-bed locked inpatient psychiatric unit. Incumbent performs supervisory and program coordination duties to ensure effective and efficient social work services are delivered to Veterans and their families in Mental Health Triage and / or 2B. In MHC Triage / 2B the healthcare, psychosocial, psychological and care coordination needs are complex and require a high degree of clinical oversight and creative problemsolving. The Social Work Program Coordinator is the recognized expert in delivery of Mental Health Social Work services to Madison VA Veterans, is a member of the interdisciplinary triage and 2B treatment teams, and as such must possess excellent interpersonal skills and be adept in the area of advocacy with providers, Veterans and other stakeholders. The incumbent spends 75% if time providing front line clinical work and at least 25% of time on administrative duties. Clinical work vs. administrative duties may fluctuate depending on clinic needs.

Meets the qualification standard for the GS 12 Social Work Program Coordinator as defined in VA Handbook 5005 / 120, Part II Appendix G39, Social Worker Qualification Standard GS-185 VHA. The GS-12 position must have completed at least one year of experience at the GS-11 level and demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills in administration, demonstrating progressively more professional competency skills and judgement. Individuals 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. Individuals assigned as a Social Work Program Coordinator must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level and must be able to provide supervision for licensure.

Incumbent must have an Independent Clinical License (LCSW).

Social Worker Program Coordinators in the GS-12 assignment provide complex care in a highly specialized, complex area and may be the sole practitioner in the program. They are responsible for daily operations of the program area and are responsible for, or contribute to, all aspects of clinical and administrative programming. They provide leadership direction, orientation, coaching, inservice training, staff development and continuing education for assigned staff.

Work Schedule : 8 : 00am-4 : 30pm

EDRP Authorized : Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact James.Anderson5@va.gov , the EDRP Coordinator for questions / assistance. Learn more

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)

Functional Statement # : 08583F

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.
• 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 (). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification 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 :

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 :

GS-0185-012 Social Work (Program Coordinator : In addition to the basic requirements, you need the following :

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. Candidates 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, 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.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)

Grandfathering Provision : The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all title 38 hybrid qualification standards. Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and / or licensure / certification / registration requirements that apply to this occupation.

NOTE : If social workers covered under the grandfathering provision of the 1991 Federal law regarding licensure or certification of VHA social workers leave the GS0185 social work series, they lose the grandfathering protection. If they choose to return at a later date to the GS-0185 series, they must be licensed or certified to qualify for employment as a social worker.

Preferred Experience :

1. Knowledge of program coordination and administration which includes consultation, negotiation, and monitoring.

2. Knowledge and ability to write policies, procedures, and / or practice guidelines for the program.

3. Ability to supervise multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program.

4. Skill in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating assigned program area(s).

5. Ability to provide training, orientation, and guidance within clinical practice.

Reference : For more information on this qualification standard, please visit full performance level of this vacancy is a GS-12.

Physical Requirements : Position requires walking throughout the clinic and the Medical Center, standing for extended periods of time, and involves sitting at a computer and in counsel and consultation with Veterans and interdisciplinary teams.

Education

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 : 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 :

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for 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.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

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.

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.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration / Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA / OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.