Supervisory Social Worker (Program Coordinator)

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; City of Albany (NY); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Albany, NY seeks a Social Work Supervisor (GS-13) to lead facility social workers across Homemaker Home Health Aide - Veteran Directed Care and Home-Based Primary Care programs, with administrative and clinical oversight of the Caregiver Support Program.

The role combines supervisory duties with clinical leadership, ensuring high-quality care and program integrity for veterans and their families at the Albany VA Medical Center.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in social work from CSWE-accredited program.
• Licensed or certified to independently practice social work at the master's level.
• Experience or training in supervision and program administration preferred.

Responsibilities

• Administers information and analytical systems to evaluate and enhance patient service quality.
• Develops and implements information systems to track social work activities and veterans served.
• Develops and evaluates clinical guidelines and protocols for service utilization.
• Supervises all social work staff and oversees caregiver programs.

Skills

Supervision

Program administration

Case management

Geriatrics

Education

Master's degree in Social Work

Job description

Summary

The primary duty station for this position is the Albany VA Medical Center. Incumbent serves as Social Work Supervisor for facility social workers in the following programs: Homemaker Home Health Aide - Veteran Directed Care and Home-Based Primary Care Program. The incumbent also has administrative and clinical oversight for the Caregiver Support Program.

Summary

The primary duty station for this position is the Albany VA Medical Center. Incumbent serves as Social Work Supervisor for facility social workers in the following programs: Homemaker Home Health Aide - Veteran Directed Care and Home-Based Primary Care Program. The incumbent also has administrative and clinical oversight for the Caregiver Support Program.

Qualifications

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/


• Loss of Licensure or Certification


• Once licensed or certified - social workers must maintain a full - valid - and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment


• Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment


• 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: GS-13 Social Worker (Program Coordinator) (1) 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


• (2) 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


• Preferred Experience: Experience in case management - geriatrics and complex care management - and program administration 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-13


• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-13


• Physical Requirements:

Duties

• Duties include but are not limited to: Administers information and analytical systems to evaluate and enhance the quality of service provided to patients in the Community Care Program


• Develop and implement information systems to track social work service activities including encounters - visits and unique Veterans served


• Develops implements and evaluates clinical guidelines and protocols to establish appropriate utilization of services


• The incumbent supervises all social work staff in the Homemaker Home Health Aide


• Veteran Directed Care and Home-Based Primary Care Program and has administrative and clinical oversight for the Caregiver Support program


• Performs both Administrative (80%) and Clinical (20%) services


• Performs the administrative and personnel management function relative to all staff supervised


• Incumbent establishes guidelines and performance expectations for staff - which are clearly communicated through the formal employee performance management system


• Observes workers' performance


• demonstrates and conducts work performance critiques


• Provides informal feedback and periodically evaluates employee performance


• Incumbent is able to resolve informal complaints and grievances


• Develop work improvement plans - recommending personnel actions as necessary


• Incumbent provides advice and counsel to workers related to work and administrative matters


• Effects disciplinary measures as appropriate to the authority delegated in this area


• Reviews and approves or disapproves leave requests


• Incumbent assures that subordinates are trained and fully comply with the provisions of the safety regulations


• The incumbent is responsible for furthering the goals of equal employment opportunity (EEO) by taking positive steps to assure the accomplishment of affirmative action objectives and by adhering to nondiscriminatory employment practices in regard to race - color - religion - sex - and affirmative action for the area under incumbent supervision in the following: (1) merit promotion of employees and recruitment and hiring of applicants


• (2) fair treatment of all employees


• (3) encouragement and recognition of employee achievements


• (4) career development of employees


• and (5) full utilization of their skills


• Exercises supervisor authorities and responsibilities involving work assignment and review - as well as the administrative and personnel management functions relative to the staff supervised


• Interviews veterans and their family members/significant others to establish facts about the veteran's situation - presenting problems and their causes - and the impact of such problems on the veteran's functioning and health as part of a comprehensive psychosocial assessment


• Interprets and explains VA's treatment and benefit programs


• Reviews all data - subjective and objective - and makes a clinical assessment identifying needs and strengths


• Effectively uses professional skill - objectivity - and insight


• Uses advanced clinical training - insight - and experience to interpret data and to identify viable treatment options


• Assesses high risk factors - acuity - and need for services


• Has the ability to serve veterans who tend to have frequent and severe crises - lack family or an adequate community support network - be poor at self-monitoring - frequently fail to comply with instructions and treatment - or have significant deficits in coping skills and require continuing professional psychosocial support


• Independently evaluates the client's situation - including the veteran's reaction and ability to deal with it - and arrives at a reasoned conclusion


• Based on psychosocial assessment - uses professional judgment and advanced practice skills to make a psychosocial diagnosis


• Assesses at-risk factors and develops a preliminary disposition plan involving the veteran and family or significant others


• Performs insightful assessment of serious and complicated cases involving psychiatric illness involving psychiatric - catastrophic medical conditions - dementia - and other high-risk diagnoses


• Make independent professional decisions and recommendations for agency action


• Consequences to the veteran may be serious - and the results are often unpredictable


• The incumbent will educate - train - and supervise social work trainees


• The incumbent may serve in the roles of Field Instructor - and/or Task Supervisor for the Social Work Training Program


• The incumbent may also participate in the training of other health care trainees by educating them regarding issues pertaining to social work


• Perform other related duties as assigned which may include administrative or clinical coverage for other areas or staff


• May also include having to do rotating shift/flexible hours when necessary


• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Ad-Hoc - at the supervisors discretion Virtual: This is not a virtual position


• Functional Statement #: 26757F