Career Center

Summary

The Supervisory Social Worker works in Social Work Service in Acute Medicine/Surgery. Supervisory responsibilities include the acute inpatient medicine and surgery sections located at the Gainesville VA Medical Center and Lake City VA Medical Center. This position manages both the GS-9 and GS-11 Social Workers - to include all administrative and clinical needs - to ensure the daily operations of the social workers' functions are efficient and effective.

Qualifications

This is an open continuous announcement and will remain open until March 31 - 2025. It can be extended if needed. The first cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be 8 calendar days from opening of announcement - with subsequent cut-off dates. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred as qualified applicants apply or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled. Posting could be removed earlier than close date if all vacancies are filled. Your application will only be sent and referred to hiring manager once. Applicants must meet the requirements by the closing date of this announcement. 03/31/2025

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/
• 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 meeting the basic requirements stated above - the following qualifications criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates
• GS-12 Supervisory Social Worker candidates must have the following: Experience/Education: Applicants applying at the GS-12 grade level must have 1 year of experience - equivalent to the GS-11 grade level
• Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills in a specialty area or in administration demonstrating progressively more professional competency and judgment
• 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
• Training or additional certs must be submitted with application
• AND Licensure/Certification: At this grade level - social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination - unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California - which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure
• Advanced License must be submitted with application
• References: VA Regulations - specifically VA Handbook 5005/120 - Part II - Appendix G39 - Social Worker Qualification Standard - dated 9/10/19
• For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• While we no longer require essay-style responses to our Knowledge's Skills - Abilities - and Other Characteristics (KSAOs) - you must be able to demonstrate that you possess the (below) competencies which are necessary to perform the work of the position
• Please ensure your resume/CV/application contains sufficient information to support the level of experience/education/training
• otherwise - we will not be able to award you credit for the experience/education/training you claim
• If selected - you may be required to submit narrative responses then
• These are the KSA's for this position and grade level: Ability to independently organize work - set priorities - and meet multiple deadlines
• Knowledge of supervisory duties which includes clinical supervision - consultation - negotiation with other departments and quality improvement
• Ability to ensure provision of clinical social work services
• Ability to provide staff training and development
• Skill in interpersonal relationships in dealing with employees - team leaders - and managers
• Physical Requirements: The work requires extreme patience and controlling of emotions
• Work is typically performed in a clinical setting that exposes the incumbent to the communicable diseases and behavioral problems of the client population
• Able to meet the physical demands of the position - to include sitting - standing - bending - frequent walking per shift - and lifting up to 25 pounds
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions
• They must have good manual dexterity
• Must be able to express or exchange ideas by means of spoken and word
• Must be able to view and read information on computer screens
• Incumbent must be able safely operate a government owned vehicle to other locations within the NFSG service area that could include driving up to 3.5 hours each way
• Travel is expected up to 50% of the work week.

Duties

• Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Social Work: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Social-Worker-Career-Flyer.pdf The Supervisory Social Worker provides day-to-day operations management to approximately 15+/- professional clinical social workers assigned to the Medicine/Surgery area across two medical centers - located 45 miles apart
• The Supervisory Social Worker is responsible for position management - orientation of new staff - time and leave management - and clinical supervision
• The Supervisory Social Worker is responsible for the overall oversight of clinical services provided by staff - must assess on-going training needs - develop and provide training - and complete competencies/ performance reviews/plans efficiently and effectively
• Duties include but are not limited to: Supervises employees to accomplish the work of the organization and unit
• Exercises supervisor authorities and responsibilities involving work assignment and review - as well as - the administrative and personnel management functions relative to the staff supervised
• Responsible for coordinating interdisciplinary staffing and work assignments - as well as leading regular daily huddles - office hours and staff meetings on a regular basis
• Consistently reviews labor mapping - clinic profiles - encounter/event capture data and other data systems to ensure appropriate and maximum workload credit is being achieved for the individual employee
• Gathers - reviews and interprets workload data to make decisions about staffing resources
• Performs program analysis - development of new approaches - on-going reviews - research - design - within the agency and when possible - with partners - to include community agencies and other Federal and State agencies Responsible for key project activities related to the planning - development - implementation and on-going review for effectiveness
• In addition - responsible for continuous quality improvement activities for social work within Acute Medicine/Surgery
• A substantial portion of the workload directed by this position is carried out at one or more locations that are physically removed from the main unit under conditions that make day-to-day challenging to administer - the Supervisory Social Worker is responsible to ensure use of solid strategies to allow for consistent availability for subordinate needs
• Provides case consultation and responds to a crisis in a calm and direct manner
• Implements system redesign projects and/or participates in funded formal research - when appropriate
• Builds and maintains effective rapport with internal and external customers to ensure effective communication is maintained and relationships are preserved with all customers for information sharing purposes
• The Social Worker has ability to develop and provide training for internal and external stakeholders
• Functions as part of the local emergency preparedness team
• Required to travel to ALL other sites of care within the NF/SG VHS - as well as - to community partners as necessary using either personal vehicle or government
• Travel may be long distances up to 3.5 hours to accomplish work
• Travel is expected up to 50% of the work week
• Provides coverage for other supervisors as required
• Preferred experience: Current or previous progressive responsibility in a medical social work setting including knowledge of continuum of care and multi-disciplinary teamwork
• Work Schedule: Monday to Friday 8am-4:30pm Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #: 50019F / Supervisory Social Worker/Acute Medicine/Surgery Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized Additional Benefits 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) 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) 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