The Social Worker Supervisor/Program Coordinator manages the administrative and clinical aspects of the Psychiatric Liaison Program (PLP) for the Baltimore Emergency Department and Mental Health Triage clinic, specialty treatment areas providing mental health screening and assessment in the Mental Health Clinical Center. The incumbent has responsibility for coordinating staffing, work assignments, clinical services, and admission criteria of the program. 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: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. 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 tohttp://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 tohttp://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). Grandfathering Provision. The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all title38 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. All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all of the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure or certification, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. § 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the 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 GS- 0185 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. Grade Determinations: 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. 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. Skill in coordinating and implementing one or more specialty program(s), across the facility. Skill in local policy and practice development, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program as prescribed by the program handbook or national directive. Skill in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating assigned program area(s). Ability to collaborate with internal and external partners to further program goals and enhance patient centered care. 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. 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. Knowledge of organizational structure and impact on program operations. Assignment. 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. At this grade level, social worker program coordinators oversee the administrative and clinical aspects of a major specialty treatment program, such as, but not limited to: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Substance Abuse Treatment Program, Home-Based Primary Care, Mental Health Intensive Case Management, Caregiver Support Program or Transition and Care Management Program, or a combination of programs located at one facility or multiple divisions of a facility. They are responsible for coordinating interdisciplinary staffing, work assignments, budget, treatment services provided, and admission criteria for the program. The program coordinator may or may not have supervisory responsibilities. They have full responsibility for all phases of service delivery for a major specialty program. The program coordinator is responsible for the program's resource and fiscal management, monitoring control points developing the annual budget, operating within that budget, and accounting for appropriated funds. They are administratively responsible for the programming and operations of the program assigned, develop policies and procedures for program operation, and prepare reports and statistics for facility, VISN, and national use. Preferred Experience: None. 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. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-13. Physical Requirements: Light lifting (under 15 lbs.); light carrying (under 15 lbs.); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers; walking (intermittent); standing (intermittent); hearing (aid permitted); clear speech. The work is sedentary. Typically, the employee may sit comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some walking, standing, bending and carrying of light items like papers or books. No special physical demands are required to perform the work. ["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 Major Duties to include but not limited to: Provides technical and programmatic supervision necessary for accomplishing the work of the teams including outreach efforts, coordination and communication with all other sites within VAMHCS. Clinically and administratively supervises a group of social workers performing work at the advanced practice level, including the social workers in the Baltimore Emergency Department and the Mental Health Triage Clinic. Provides administrative, technical, and clinical supervision necessary for accomplishing the work of each unit. Applies and monitors systems and practice analysis techniques to monitor, evaluate and improve organizational efficiency and accessibility for Veterans in the Emergency Department and Triage Clinic. Develops and implements information systems to track service activities including visits, referrals, treatment days, patient demographics, equipment utilization, and patient satisfaction. Develops, implements, and evaluates clinical guidelines and protocols to establish appropriate utilization of services. Responsible for ensuring programmatic accuracy and completion of performance measure data and presenting PLP data to VAMHCS, VISN and community leadership. Establishes guidelines and performance expectations for staff, observes workers performance and provides formal feedback and evaluation of employee performance, resolve informal complaints and grievances within the program, develops work improvement plans. Reviews and approves or disapproves leave requests to ensure PLP coverage. Responsible for the PLP monthly coverage schedule. Coordinates the Caring Contacts Program and ensures timely documentation of contacts. Ensures off tour and weekend Residential Screenings and admissions are managed timely. Conducts regular chart reviews to ensure that all clinical work is being appropriately documented and in compliance with documentation standards of the Mental Health Clinical Center. Responsible for ensuring compliance with TJC standards and designs and reviews forms to evaluate medical records. Knowledge of the administrative principles and the practice of clinical social work at the advance level. He/she must keep up to date on new issues, trends, and treatment techniques pertinent to their area of social work practice. Familiarity with social work community practice standards and current trends in social work assessment and treatment is required. Incumbent must have knowledge of the administrative mechanisms appropriate to the assignment is necessary. Professional judgment, including knowledge of normal and abnormal behavior, is a required competency applied in daily interactions with Veterans. Regularly treats Veterans with serious medical and psychiatric problems through counseling or referral. Provides direct clinical services within the PLP. The incumbent incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment to veterans with psychotic spectrum disorders, anxiety disorders (including PTSD), and affective disorders as well as the dual diagnosed, medically compromised and Veterans with co-occurring TBI. Receives all inquiries regarding acute psychiatric beds available from VISN and community hospitals, documenting all inquiries in the medical record and maintaining the Mental Health Bed Transfer daily log. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm. Occasional evening and weekends. Compressed/Flexible: 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 existing pay, 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: Up to 3 days per week Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000"]

Return to Search Results