Social Worker (Program Coordinator)

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs seeks a Social Worker Program Coordinator. The role requires a CSWE-accredited MSW and state licensure to practice, with one year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 level.

The incumbent will coordinate programs, supervise staff, and ensure compliance with VA policies while maintaining Veteran privacy and confidentiality. Applicants may qualify under grandfathering provisions for current VA employees.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in social work from CSWE-accredited school required.
• Must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's level.
• Experience with advanced practice skills and judgment preferred.

Responsibilities

• Knowledge of program coordination and administration, including consultation, negotiation, and monitoring.
• Knowledge to write policies, procedures, and practice guidelines for the program.
• Ability to supervise multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program.
• Ability to organize work, set priorities, meet deadlines, and evaluate program areas.
• Ability to provide training, orientation, and guidance within clinical practice.

Skills

Clinical social work

Program coordination

Policy writing

Supervising staff

Crisis intervention

Education

Master's degree in social work (CSWE-accredited)

Licensed social worker (state-licensed)

Job description

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.

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 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

Experience and 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. Other GS-11 equivalent experience includes assessing and documenting identified behaviors or symptoms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and/or intimate partner violence; use of clinical social work skills and knowledge to maintain Veteran privacy and confidentiality per policies, handbooks or directives. 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, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• (a)Knowledge of program coordination and administration which includes consultation, negotiation, and monitoring.
• (b)Knowledge and ability to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program.
• (c)Ability to supervise multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program.
• (d)Skill in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating assigned program area(s).
• (e)Ability to provide training, orientation, and guidance within clinical practice.

Preferred Experience

Experience providing assessment, crisis intervention, stabilization, and care coordination for individuals experiencing acute psychiatric, behavioral health, or psychosocial crises.

Experience working with high-risk and high-acuity populations, including individuals experiencing suicidal ideation, severe mental illness, substance use concerns, homelessness, or other complex psychosocial needs.

Experience developing, implementing, or overseeing behavioral health, crisis response, or community-based clinical program, including direct experience managing and responding to community-based behavioral health crises.

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-12 only.

A unrestricted valid Drivers License is required for this position.

Physical Requirements

The work is primarily sedentary. Physical demands do not exceed those of a typical office setting. There may be some walking, standing, twisting, turning, sitting, pushing, bending, repetitive keyboarding, or carrying of light items.