Career Center

Summary

This position is the Physical Medicine and Rehab Social Work Program Coordinator. This is a multiprogram position which includes Polytrauma - Spinal Cord Injury - Bowel and Bladder - VIST (Visual Impairment Services) and elements of the Amputee Clinic. Working in collaboration with Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services (PM&RS) - the social worker provides direct care coordination - care management - and case management of severely ill and/or injured Veterans.

Qualifications

*** This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until July 11 - 2025. The initial cutoff date for referral of eligible applications will be April 22 - 2025. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as needed basis until positions are filled. ***

Basic Requirements:

• -Citizenship Be a citizen of the United States
• Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• -English Language Proficiency Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• -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/
• Grade Determinations: Social Worker (Program Coordinator) - GS-12 -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
• AND -Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs) In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of program coordination and administration which includes consultation - negotiation - and monitoring
• Knowledge and ability to write policies - procedures - and/or practice guidelines for the program
• Ability to supervise multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program
• Skill in organizing work - setting priorities - meeting multiple deadlines - and evaluating assigned program area(s)
• Ability to provide training - orientation - and guidance within clinical practice
• Assignments 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
• Program coordinators at the GS-12 grade level are administratively responsible for a clinical program providing treatment to Veterans in a major specialty area - such as but not limited to: Spinal Cord Injury - Homeless Continuum Veteran Program - Hospice and Palliative Care Program - Suicide Prevention Program - Veterans Justice Outreach - Caregiver Support Program and Community Nursing Home Program
• The program coordinator may be the sole practitioner in this specialty at the facility and typically provide direct patient care services in the program area
• The program coordinator oversees the daily operation of the program - develop policies and procedures for program operation - and prepare reports and statistics for facility - VISN - and national use
• They may be responsible for the program's budget - developing and monitoring staff compliance with practice - standards and guidelines on documentation - workload - data entry - ethical practice and service delivery
• The program coordinator provides analysis and evaluation of clinical program data and computerized programs to identify system-wide trends and needs to enhance the quality of service
• They may be responsible for - or contribute to - the program's resource and fiscal management - monitoring control points developing the annual budget - operating within that budget - and accounting for appropriated funds
• The program coordinator is administratively responsible for the clinical programming and prepares reports and statistics for facility - VISN - and national use
• They provide leadership - direction - orientation - coaching - in-service training - staff development - and continuing education programs for assigned staff
• They initiate and conduct a variety of program or service audits and complete designated clinical practice audits and reports - including productivity assessments
• They oversee program operations and evaluations - identifying areas for improvement - gathering relevant data - assessing the data - developing and implementing ideas for improvement and evaluating efficacy of improvement efforts
• Preferred Experience: None Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - VA Handbook 5005 - Part II - Appendix G39 - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: Must be in overall good health - able to sit at a desk working at a computer - engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting - walking - bending - and carrying supplies
• Social Worker must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands - exercise patience - and control emotions - with reasonable accommodation - if necessary - without endangering the health and safety of the social worker or others
• This position requires a valid state driver's license and local travel to provide community-based care to Veterans
• The position requires significant travel in the community - through use of a government vehicle or other individual arrangements - to meet with representatives/stakeholders who provide assistance and support to Veterans in clinics - medical centers - Community Clinics - etc.

Duties

• 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 -Establishes and maintains effective working relationships and communicates with Veterans - staff - and other parties as appropriate
• Advocate on behalf of Veterans to ensure that services and benefits are obtained in a timely manner
• Establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans and their families
• Collaborate with Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Service Chief to ensure continuity of care and services for Veterans
• -Utilizes knowledge of community resources - makes referrals to the community and other government agencies as appropriate - and coordinates services
• Assist Veterans in overcoming barriers or delays in care through obtaining necessary authorizations
• Aid Veterans in obtaining benefits and services relating to special programs - service-connected compensation - and non-service-connected pension
• Make referrals based upon Veterans needs and eligibility
• -Conducts independent psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions on a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic - cultural - ethnic - educational - and other diversified backgrounds
• Complete psychosocial evaluation - assessment - and periodic reassessments of patients
• Independently conduct psychosocial assessments and develop treatment plans in collaboration with the Veteran/family and with the IDT
• Offer psychosocial interventions and measures outcomes to interventions
• Act as the Lead Coordinator when deemed appropriate - to ensure the Veteran's care is coordinated across settings - services - and episodes of care - and the care plan is delivered as clinically indicated
• -Provides consultation - education - and advocacy
• Serve as subject matter expert for Polytrauma and Spinal Cord Injury Social Work services
• Work collaboratively with staff at in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services - Veterans Benefits Administration - Military Treatment Facility case managers - the Post 9/11 Military to Veteran Case Management Program - within the healthcare community - and with other staff and partners who provide services to Veterans
• Coordinate community-based services - including information and referral for additional services from other VA programs - military systems - other government programs and community agency programs
• -Utilizes a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities in treatment or with specialized Veteran populations - including individual - group - and/or family counseling or psychotherapy - and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management
• Provide Veterans with individual and family treatment and support
• Independently perform case finding functions and outreach - identifying and screening patients for psychosocial needs
• Provide care coordination - care management - and case management services to Veteran's enrolled in the PM&RS programs - -Utilizes knowledge of program coordination and administration which includes consultation - negotiation - and monitoring
• -Write policies - procedures - and/or practice guidelines for the program
• -Demonstrate skills in organizing work - setting priorities - meeting multiple deadlines - and evaluating assigned program areas
• Work Schedule: M-F
• 8:00am-4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): 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 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)
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 60251-0 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized