This Social Worker (Program Coordinator) will function as a General Caregiver Support Program Coordinator for the General Caregiver Support Program located within Social Work Service. This Social Worker will provide clinical evidence-based services and interventions; program development; caregiver, Veteran, and staff education on caregiver issues; community outreach; resource development; continuous quality-improvement activities and evaluation/consultation.

Duties

The Caregiver Support Program Coordinator will function in support of caregivers, Veterans and family members throughout the VA Medical Center (VAMC) and in the community and will support the development and implementation of General Caregiver services. This includes development of a strategic plan for expansion of the General Caregiver Support Program and conducting frequent needs assessments to implement education, wellness, and support groups. In addition, the Coordinator must be a skilled communicator capable of developing effective partnerships with local, state and federal agencies as well as non-governmental organizations. Will promote the VA Caregiver Support Program in coordination with the local VA Public Affairs Officer through interviews with local print, voice and television media. Other Duties include but are not limited to: Administers information and analytical systems to evaluate and enhance the quality of service provided to caregivers, families and Veterans. Participates in direct caregiver and Veteran communication to identify and assess caregiver stress/burden and the development and application of directed clinical treatment interventions. Advises and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams throughout the VAMC on caregiver issues. Creates educational tools, develops programs and implements training focused on specific caregiver needs/issues. Provides education and in-service training to VAMC employees, Veterans, families and caregivers. Provides ongoing consultation and support to colleagues regarding caregiver support. Develops and facilitates caregiver support groups (face-to-face or VANTS telephone line) and educational programs. Conducts caregiver and family clinical interventions to facilitate the identification of caregiver stress, psychiatric illness, emotional distress and social needs as treatment issues. Coordinates with other disciplines within the medical center to maintain the Veteran Assessment Clinic, for the purpose of providing a comprehensive assessment for the veterans and caregivers in the General Caregiver Support Program and seeking assistance from the program. Provides referral to VAMC and mental health treatment and to other VA services including VA benefits, as well as community-based social services and other non-VA entitlement programs. Serves as the major consultant for information on negotiating the complex processes caregivers, Veterans and families encounter when interacting with government and community agencies. Collaborates with the VA Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT), mental health and geriatric primary care clinicians to provide Veteran and staff education on caregiver issues. Develops a library of caregiver support information materials for distribution through the various inpatient/outpatient and specialty clinic settings. Serves as a liaison between the VA and community agencies. Participates in caregiver support activities in the local community and state to promote and recognize the role of the caregiver. Participates on state and local caregiver support committees. Provides consultation, guidance and expertise to community organizations regarding Veteran caregiver specific issues and needs. Maintains basic knowledge of local VAMC programs, community services and VA Central Office caregiver support initiatives. Maintains knowledge of current federal and state legislation related to caregiver initiatives. Establishes a caregiver support protocol (resources, education and training) sensitive to the issues of the caregivers who are providing care to our youngest returning Veterans. Coordinates the events and programs for the annual National Family Caregivers Month every November that includes announcement and advertising of month-long activities, mobilization of participants, educational sessions, caregiver recognition events and caregiver support programs. Develop a data monitoring system to measure the efficacy of the Program. Collect, analyze, evaluate and report program data. Utilizes the data to continuously modify and improve the program and processes. Performs a wide range of services and provides technical assistance to state, local, and private agencies, and universities. Uses sound judgment in the interpretation of trends and patterns; the application of guidelines; and the recommendation of program enhancements. Performs program analysis, development, review, research, design, and contact work as possible with various agencies (public, DOD, state, etc.). May provide supervision to trainees. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8am to 430pm; some weekends and after hours. Compressed/Flexible Work Schedule:Available at the discretion of the supervisor. Telework: May be Available based on the needs of the service. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: To qualify for appointment as a social worker in VHA, all applicants must meet the following: a. Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. b. 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. c. 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. Preferred Experience: Outreach, experience leading groups and coaching. (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. Different states have different levels of licensure or certification, making it difficult to determine the independent practice level. Each state, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia completed surveys identifying the level of licensure or certification allowing independent practice. Information can be found at https://www.aswb.org/. (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. (4) Assignments. Program coordinators at the GS 12 grade level are administratively responsible for a clinical program providing treatment to Veterans in a major specialty area. 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. Creditable Experience. The candidate must have knowledge of current professional social work practices. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics associated with current professional social work practice. The experience or education must be post-Masters of Social Work (MSW) degree. Experience and education satisfying this requirement must be active professional practice, which is paid/non-paid employment as a professional social worker, as defined by the appropriate state licensing board. Quality of Experience. Experience is only creditable if it is obtained following graduation with a master's degree in social work and if it includes work as a professional social worker directly related to the position to be filled. Qualifying experience must also be at a level comparable to social work experience at the next lower level. References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39 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. Applicants 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 applicant or others. Position requires walking throughout the clinic and the Medical Center, standing for extended periods of time, and involves sitting at a computer and in counsel and consultation with Veterans and interdisciplinary teams. Position may require minimal travel into the community to meet with community agencies and partners who assist and support the Caregiver Support program, its Veterans and caregivers. This position also requires close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; and repetitive motions of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers. This position requires some traveling into the community to meet with community agencies and partners who assist and support to the Caregiver Support program, its Veterans and caregivers so a valid driver's licensure is required.

Education

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Cincinnati VA Medical Center 3200 Vine Street Cincinnati, OH 45220 US
• Name: Michelle GradyCagle
• Phone: 513-557-8818
• Email: [email protected]