Social Worker (Program Coordinator) - Suicide Prevention

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Aspinwall (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs seeks a Social Worker (GS-12) to support program coordination and clinical practice in the Veterans Health Administration.

Must hold a CSWE-accredited MSW, be licensed to independently practice social work, and meet English language requirements. Qualified applicants may be eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) with loan repayment up to $200,000 and a defined eligibility period.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in social work from CSWE-accredited program.
• Licensed or certified to independently practice social work at the master's level.
• English language proficiency for appointment.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and administer social work programs within VA.
• Supervise multidisciplinary staff and monitor program performance.
• Develop and write policies, procedures, and practice guidelines.
• Provide training, orientation, and guidance within clinical practice.

Skills

Program coordination

Policy writing

Supervising staff

Time management

Training & orientation

Education

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

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/.
• Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services.
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

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).

GS-12 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. 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:

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.

Preferred Experience:

Experience working with individuals in suicidal crisis, along with strong organizational skills and the ability to pivot, multitask, and prioritize competing demands, is preferred.

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.