The Chief, Social Work Service (SWS), is a Supervisory Social Work position that serves the West Texas VA Health Care System (WTVAHCS). WTVAHCS is a level 3 facility providing care across a medical system with outpatient services at VA Clinics located in Abilene, Odessa, San Angelo, and Ft. Stockton, Texas; Hobbs, New Mexico; and at the main facility in Big Spring, Texas.

Duties

VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU The Social Worker (Service Chief) is a full-time administrator for some licensed and non-licensed staff including subordinate supervisory social workers. has full responsibility for clinical practice, program management, education, human resource management, supervision, and organizational stewardship for the Service. has the responsibility for overseeing the professional practice of more than 70 social workers within multiple service lines of the VHA facility. Programs within SWS are Health Care for Homeless Veterans which includes VA Supported Housing (VASH), Community Employment, Substance Use Disorder, Homeless Outreach, and Veteran Justice Outreach; Caregiver Support; Primary Aligned Care Team (PACT), Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Program (IPVAP); Spinal Cord Injury/Traumatic Brain Injury; and Military2VA Case Management. Programs across the facility that incorporate the clinical services of social workers include (at minimum) the Geriatrics & Extended Care programs: CLC, Home Base Primary Care, and Medical Foster Home; and the Behavioral Health Programs: Primary Care Mental Health Integration, Behavioral Health Integration Program, Suicide Prevention, Outpatient Substance Use Disorder/Recovery, MHRRTP inpatient, Access and Care Coordination, Family Services, Military Sexual Trauma. reviews and approves/denies requests for collateral duties within the service (such as LGBTQ+, Women's Health Initiatives, Internship/MSW Field Placement, Care Coordination and Integrated Case Management), ensuring programs are not impacted by the additional duties. Collateral duties may be determined by the needs of the community served, the local facility, the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), and/or VHA Central Office (VACO). Travels to sites within the catchment area to provide administrative or clinical oversight, outreach, backup to direct clinical care and may also travel to various sites at other VA facilities, VISN, or VACO as necessary. Defines the mission and vision of the service, developing scope of practice for all social workers in all service lines, drafting Social Work Service Plan of Care, and ensuring implementation of quality improvement measures. is responsible for developing, planning, clarifying, and managing Social Work Service priorities and objectives, ensuring supervision and evaluation of all social work staff, and is responsible for supervising and evaluating the performance of the assistant chief, program managers and supervisors. makes independent professional decisions and recommendations. directs strategic planning, including establishment of long and short range goals and development of policies and procedures to ensure goals are met, management of administrative and programmatic resources, and outcome monitoring, using data driven quality assurance processes. is a member of the facility's Medical Executive Board, Privileging Committee, and Peer Review Committee. The incumbent serves as a liaison to other services or care lines, other facilities, VISN offices and VHA Central Office, Veterans Benefits Administration Offices, other government agencies, and the community. provides consultation to facility leadership, managers, and other staff on social work qualifications standards, practice, competency, productivity, and continuing education requirements within WTVAHCS. serves as a consultant, mentor, and advisor to subordinates, peers and administration. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 4:30 PM Telework: Ad Hoc/Telework may be authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Relocation Incentive Authorized and may be offered to a candidate who meets the criteria. Per VA Handbook 5007/58 June 22, 2020 PART VI CHAPTER 2, Page VI-8: Relocation Incentives. Relocation incentives may be authorized to full-time Federal employees who must change worksite[s] and physically relocate to a different geographic area when the approving official determines that without the incentive, it would be difficult to fill the position with a high-quality candidate. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Required

Requirements

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. English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in written or spoken English. 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/. *Must be able to provide clinical supervision Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services. 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). Preferred Experience: Ability to balance responsibilities in complex environment, working under autonomy, setting priorities, meeting deadlines, delegating task and implementing effective solutions to meet the mission and vision of the organization. Ability to resolve grievances and serous complaints from employees, Veterans/families, community partners and stakeholders. Quality verbal and written communication to meet the needs of staff, colleagues, leadership, VISN, VACO, congressional concerns. Ability to develop policies and procedures imperative to the Service, its programs. Ability to influence change in the profession. Certification in Clinical Supervision required. 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. To be equivalent to the GS-13 level, experience must have been earned while having an advanced practice license in a U.S. State or territory. 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) 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. (b) Skill in applying legal, ethical, and professional standards to social work practice. (c) Skill in developing, maintaining, and managing social work services in multiple divisions/sections. (d) Ability to ensure compliance with social work practice, policy, and accreditation standards across the continuum of health care. (e) Skill in providing consultation to facility leadership, managers, and other staff on social work qualification standards, practice, competency, productivity, and continuing education requirements (f) Skill in administrative oversight to ensure compliance with social work licensure requirements. References: VA Handbook 5005/120 Part II Appendix G39, September 10, 2019 The full performance level of this vacancy is 14. Physical Requirements: There are no set physical requirements for this position. Use of eyes, hands, walking/standing and hearing may be needed to perform some functions. Mental, emotional, and cognitive stability are 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.

Note: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application. If your school was accredited by CSWE at the time of graduation, but is no longer listed on the CSWE website Accreditation Directory | CSWE, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet.

Contacts

• Address George H O'Brien Jr VA Medical Center 300 Veterans Boulevard Big Spring, TX 79720 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]