The Social Worker (Service Chief) oversees social work functions at the VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System and has responsibility for overseeing the practice for social workers in multiple divisions. The incumbent is responsible for overseeing the professional practice of all social workers, developing the scope of practice for all social workers, completing performance evaluations, designing, and implementing competencies, and implementing quality improvement measures.
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. English Language Proficiency: Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j, this part. 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 (Service Chief), GS-14: Experience/Education: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level. The chief social work service must evidence possession of supervisory and management skills. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills in administration, demonstrating progressively more professional competency skills and judgment. 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: The chief social worker must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level, and must be able to provide supervision for licensure. Applicants must meet the requirements for providing supervision in the state where they are licensed at the advanced practice level. Documentation is required if part of your state's requirements for providing supervision for licensure is beyond your licensure only (example: certification of continuing education credits). Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Skill in providing the full range of supervisory duties across multiple service divisions/sections, which would include responsibility for assignment of work to be performed, performance evaluation, selection of staff, and recommendations of awards, advancements, and when appropriate, disciplinary actions. Skill in applying legal, ethical, and professional standards to social work practice. Skill in developing, maintaining, and managing social work services in multiple divisions/sections. Ability to ensure compliance with social work practice, policy, and accreditation standards across the continuum of health care. Skill in providing consultation to facility leadership, managers, and other staff on social work qualification standards, practice, competency, productivity, and continuing education requirements, Skill in administrative oversight to ensure compliance with social work licensure requirements. All qualifying experience you possess must be clearly described in your application package. We will not make assumptions when reviewing applications. Failure to demonstrate your experience in your resume may result in disqualification. It is strongly recommended that you write to each KSA in your application package. 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. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-14 Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.
Major duties include, but are not limited to the following: The incumbent serves as the Social Work professional practice consultant and as the point of contact for VHA Social Work in Care Management and Social Work Service at VA Central Office. The incumbent is also an active member of the VISN Social Work Executive group. The incumbent provides consultation to care line managers and other staff on social work qualification standards, social work practice, social work competency, social work productivity, and social work continuing education. The incumbent works closely with HR on all Hybrid Title 38 social work issues. The incumbent develops, maintains, and oversees social work programs in all settings. This includes identifying needs for social work assessment, evaluation, and treatment; determining priority needs for social work services; and recommending adjustments to staffing levels accordingly. This also includes developing and implementing a Social Work professional practice review system. The incumbent is the liaison with other Services or care lines, other facilities, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) offices, and VA Central Office. The incumbent participates in the development and coordination of medical center plans for patient care and is involved as a consultant in decisions where Social Work practice is impacted. The incumbent is involved in recruiting qualified social workers, to include participating in interviewing, selection, and orientation. This includes tracking, in collaboration with Human Resources or other office responsible for credentialing, required licensure and/or certification for all social workers, including continuing education requirements, license renewal, and other requirements social workers must meet to deliver appropriate care. Assists with credentialing and primary source verification of degree and license or state certification. The incumbent provides supervision for social work licensure and practice supervision for facility social workers. Having consultative authority, the incumbent serves as a vital professional influence and resource to Local Leadership in their compliance with standards defined by accrediting organizations, such as The Joint Commission and Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) standards applicable to Social Work and others. The incumbent maintains academic affiliations for social work practice, which may include arranging and coordinating Social Work Field Practice placements at the Medical Center. The incumbent consults with other Services, program managers, or care line managers on issues pertaining to Social Work ethics, ethical dilemmas in the delivery of care, and ethical issues within the larger organization. The incumbent provides consultation to medical center leadership on implementation of special VHA programs, such as Transition Assistance and Care Management of Operating Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) Veterans Handbook 1010.01, dated March 23, 2007. Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Eligible Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. 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). 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) Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized