Job Information
Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration Social Worker ( SUD Program Coordinator) in Lake City, Florida
Summary The incumbent is a Social Worker Program Coordinator whom has responsibility for the day-to-day operations of SUD Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs serving Veterans with Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and those dually diagnosed with serious mental illness (SMI), Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), and traditional outpatient services within the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System Mental Health Service located in Lake City. Responsibilities This position is a Multi Discipline posting and duty to be performed by a Psychologist or Social Worker. The Social Work Program Coordinator (SWPC) has responsibility for the day-to-day operations of SUD Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs serving Veterans with Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and those dually diagnosed with serious mental illness (SMI), Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP), and traditional outpatient services. These programs provide specialized clinical care to Veterans with a wide range of SUDs, many with other co-occurring mental health and/or medical conditions. Provision of substance use services is complex, with Veterans moving between varied levels of care as clinically appropriate. The SWPC ensures Veterans receive individual, case management, and group interventions from multidisciplinary team members. The SWPC ensures multidisciplinary team members implement and facilitate approximately 50 educational and therapeutic group interventions each week for the purpose of providing comprehensive, recovery focused clinical interventions for the purpose of treating Veterans. The SWPC works with key internal and external stakeholders to ensure the transition of Veterans moving across varied levels of care from inpatient, incarcerated, and outpatient settings. Responsibilities include implementation of evidence-based programs; development of local policies, procedures, and protocols to enhance treatment programs and professional staff performance; systems redesign to improve access, effective and efficient Veteran-centered care; monitoring program outcomes for efficiency and productivity; and space planning for maximal program accommodation. The SWPC has clinical and administrative responsibility of the daily operations of the Psychosocial Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program, PRRTP, and the Substance Abuse Treatment Team (SATT) outpatient program. Outpatient and residential programs both utilize the services of a multi-disciplinary staff to provide coordinated, integrated, rehabilitative, and recovery-oriented medical and mental health care to Veterans whose care needs are complex in nature, across multiple locations, some requiring supervision twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven days per week. The SWPC has responsibility of leading a multidisciplinary team including Psychologists, Psychiatrists, APRN's, RN's, Social Workers, Peer Specialists, Registered Dietitian, Vocational Rehabilitative Specialist, Pharmacist, Program Assistants, Nursing Service staff and clinical trainees. Other duties include, but not limited to; Responsible for the development of program policy and procedures and is responsible for implementing and maintaining policy and procedures for the treatment and coordination of Veterans that meet VA, Joint Commission and Committee on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) standards for SUD programs. Coordinates interdisciplinary staffing and work assignments to accomplish the work of the SATT and SUD Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs (RRTP). Exercises supervisory authorities involving work assignments and review, as well as the administrative and personnel management functions relative to the staff supervised. Demonstrates advanced knowledge and expert skill in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of SUD-oriented services. 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 Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 08:00am - 4:30pm. Compressed/Flexible: Not available. 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 Fed. 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 Fed. insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Ad-Hoc available (Emergencies only. Not reoccuring). Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: Social Worker (Prog. Coord.), FS# 51936F Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. 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/. Grade Determination Requirements, Social Worker (Program Coordinator)GS-13: In addition to the basic requirements, this following are required for the GS-13 grade-level position: Experience/Education: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills in a specialty area or in administration demonstrating progressively more professional competency and judgment. 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 a supervisory social workers must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level, and must be able to provide supervision for licensure. Grandfathering Provision. The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all title 38 hybrid qualification standards. Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/registration requirements that apply to this occupation. All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all of the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure or certification, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. ยง 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. NOTE: If social workers covered under the grandfathering provision of the 1991Federal law regarding licensure or certification of VHA social workers leave the GS- 0185 social work series, they lose the grandfathering protection. If they choose to return at a later date to the GS-0185 series, they must be licensed or certified to qualify for employment as a social worker. Preferred Experience: Treating/Managing SUD population/programs. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit the GS 13 Social Worker(Program Coordinator) as defined in See VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39, Social Worker Qualification Standard, GS-185, Veterans Health Administration. https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. Physical Requirements: The work requires extreme patience and controlling of emotions. The work may require using appropriate techniques to physically restrain patients who pose a danger to themselves or others. The work may also require assisting physically disabled Veterans. Day- to-day work involves sitting, walking, standing, and carrying light objects. The work is typically performed in a clinical setting that exposes the incumbent to the communicable diseases common to Veterans with SUDs. 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. IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information This occupation is listed on the OIG Determination of Veterans Health Administration's Occupational Staffing Shortages fiscal year (FY) 2025 dated October 01, 2024. Therefore, vacancy announcement is exempt from Veterans Preference. Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.