Social Worker (Program Coordinator)

Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

The Social Worker (Program Coordinator), Family Therapy Program demonstrates possession of advanced practice skill and judgment. At least 2 years should be in an area of specialized social work practice including advanced experience working with couples and families with mental health needs and relationship distress. The candidate is licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level. The Social Worker (Program Coordinator), Family Therapy Program may have certification or other post-masters training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience specialty. The advance practice social worker can further be differentiated from the independent practice social worker by the candidate's ability to expand clinical knowledge in the profession, provide consultation and guidance to colleagues, role model effective social work practice skills, teach or provide orientation to less experienced social workers or team members, develop innovations in practice interventions, and provide clinical supervision for social work licensure or certifications. The Family Therapy Program provides couples and family psychotherapy to Veterans with mental health disorders and/or significant distress and functional impairment, as well as training, education, and consultation to all areas of the SAVAHCS on managing couples and family dynamics.

Duties may include but are not limited to:

• Performs psychosocial assessments, diagnosis and treatment planning for couples and family psychotherapy, based on the nature of the psychotherapy and the treatment modality implemented.
• Collaborates with a multidisciplinary team to provide advanced level case management services, coordination of care, referrals, advocacy, psychoeducation, transition, and discharge planning for Veterans in the Family Therapy program.
• Follows all guidance concerning completion of all documentation.
• Manages all aspects of their assigned caseload as well as ensuring that their family therapy team members' services are delivered within a clinically appropriate timeframe and meeting quality standards.
• Provides clinical supervision to social work and psychology interns based on the needs of the program and the educational needs/interests of the students.
• May clinically supervise a non-independently licensed social worker toward advanced clinical licensure.
• Participates in and assists in the coordination of VISN and national couples and family therapy community of practice calls, service line and all social work meetings, modality-specific VISN and national conference calls, and SAIL meetings.
• Responsible for reporting and presenting quarterly SAIL measures.
• Responsible for ensuring the Family Therapy Program meets the Joint Commission standards in collaboration with the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP).
• Attends and participates in at least one weekly BHIP team meeting.
• Facilitates family therapy program team meetings as applicable.
• The candidate will be expected to provide 80% of their work as clinical care and allow for the remaining 20% for administration time for Program Coordinator responsibilities. This split may change based on the needs of the program.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m./8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. work schedule, but work schedule may be adjusted to meet the needs of the service.
Compressed/Flexible:May be available.
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov for questions/assistance. Learn more
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)
Telework: Ad-hoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

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.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

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: Master's degree in social work (MSW) 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 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 master's degree in social work.
• Licensure: Candidate must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California, which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure.

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: 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.

In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

1. Knowledge of program coordination and administration which includes consultation, negotiation, and monitoring.
2. Knowledge and ability to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program.
3. Ability to supervise multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program.
4. Skill in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating assigned program area(s).
5. Ability to provide training, orientation, and guidance within clinical practice.

Preferred Experience:

• Five years of experience providing couples and family psychotherapy.
• Training in Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT).
• At least two years of experience providing program coordination or other leadership roles.
• At least two years of experience working with Veterans and/or Active Duty Military personnel and their families.

Reference: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G39 - Social Worker Qualification Standard

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

Physical Requirements: Physical demands of the work include sitting, standing, walking, standing, driving, pushing equipment and wheelchairs, lifting, bending, stooping, climbing stairs, and carrying light items such as papers, books, or other supplies.