Social Worker (Program Manager) - Associate Chief

Veterans Health Administration; Iowa (LA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

The Veterans Health Administration seeks an Associate Chief Social Work Program Manager (GS-14) to lead facility-wide administrative, clinical, and supervisory activities within behavioral health services.

Responsibilities include directing multidisciplinary teams, ensuring compliance with VA standards, and guiding strategic planning, performance improvement, and budget oversight across sites.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in social work from CSWE-accredited program.
• Licensed or certified to independently practice social work at master's level.
• English proficiency in spoken and written form.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate program management across multiple sites including supervision.
• Translate goals into well-coordinated operations and action plans.
• Analyze organizational problems and implement effective solutions.
• Collaborate with internal and external partners to advance patient-centered care.
• Oversee supervisory duties and budget administration; develop policies.

Skills

Program management

Leadership

Supervision

Interagency collaboration

Education

Master's in Social Work

Job description

The Associate Chief provides facility-wide administrative, clinical, and supervisory leadership, including direct and second-line supervision of multidisciplinary staff and program managers. The incumbent ensures service-wide compliance with VA, VACO, VISN, Joint Commission, CARF, and OIG standards, and contributes to strategic planning, performance improvement, and operational effectiveness of BHS. 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 SW Licensure by State
• 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).

Grade Determinations

In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

Social Worker (Program Manager), GS-14 (1) Experience and Education.

One year of experience equivalent to the GS- 13 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency. Individual 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.

(2) Licensure/Certification.

Individuals assigned as social worker program manager must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level, and must be able to provide supervision for licensure.

(3) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all the following KSAs:

• Skill in large scale program coordination and administration across multiple sites, which includes consultation, negotiation, and monitoring.
• Ability to translate management goals and objectives into well-coordinated and controlled work operations.
• Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems and to develop and implement solutions that result in sound operation of the program.
• 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 which would include responsibility for assignment of work to be performed; performance evaluations; 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.(g) Skill in developing policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program and in participating in national program development.
• Ability to collaborate with internal VHA partners, locally and on a national level, as well as external community partners to further program goals and enhance patient centered care.

Preferred Experience

Preference will be given to applicants whose leadership background is in clinical behavioral health/mental health programs and settings. Demonstrated experience and competency providing clinical oversight of mental health programs, including monitoring of clinical quality, program fidelity, and use of evidence-based practices. Leadership experience supervising and supporting multidisciplinary mental health clinicians (e.g., psychologists, social workers, LPMHCs, psychiatrists, NPs, PAs and addiction specialists) and directing clinical operations across multiple behavioral health programs and sites. Proven ability to oversee diagnostic assessments, psychotherapy services, crisis intervention practices, and comprehensive behavioral health care delivery within a complex healthcare system. Experience implementing and assuring compliance with regulatory, accreditation, and safety standards relevant to behavioral health, such as those used by healthcare accrediting bodies (e.g., The Joint Commission, CARF, or similar organizations). Success leading initiatives to enhance access, efficiency, and quality within behavioral health programs, including developing workflows, improving patient outcomes, and supporting staff development.

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-14.

Physical Requirements

Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupations and would generally not require a pre-placement examination.