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Veterans Health Administration is Hiring a Social Worker Program Coordinator (HPACT) Near Oakland, CA

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/.

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: Social Worker (Program Coordinator), GS-12

(1) 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.
(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.

[(3) 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.

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 GS12 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.]


References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II Appendix G39, Dated September 10, 2019.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements: The physical demands of this position involve primarily walking, sitting, talking, driving, use of the telephone, etc. Light lifting, under 15 pounds, Light carrying, under 15 pounds, Hearing (aid permitted). A valid driver's license is required, as the incumbent will be working primarily in the community.

Responsibilities:

VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU

The Social Worker Program Coordinator works with members of the multidisciplinary HPACT team, providing a range of social work services, including assessment and referrals, clinical treatment, short-term case management, advocacy and service coordination, outreach and linkage with VA and community services to identify Veterans who are homeless or marginally housed, with the goal of engaging them in primary care. The incumbent possesses knowledge of the needs of the homeless population in Oakland and the San Francisco Bay Area. The HPACT Program is staffed by a full-time Social Work Program Coordinator, part-time physician, psychiatrist, registered nurse, and a licensed vocational nurse, in addition to the full-time social worker case manager. All members participate in outreach targeting chronically homeless Veterans who are on the streets and in shelters and other temporary housing situations, who are eligible for VA care but who have not established ongoing primary care in the SFVA system.

The incumbent has a working knowledge and experience in the use of medical, mental health, and substance abuse treatment modalities, and is able to complete a comprehensive psychosocial assessment to identify strengths, needs, social support systems, disabilities, and barriers to accessing housing and available treatment options. He/she has general knowledge of Veterans' benefits and services related to special programs, service-connected compensation, non-service connected pensions, and benefits that are available on the federal and state levels, and through city/county social services.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm
Telework: May be available up to two days per pay period.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 30, 2024. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be November 8th, 2023. 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.

Job Summary