The Clinical Assistant Director, Mental Health Service, VABHS, through a broad-based knowledge of clinical and managerial practice, is responsible for providing the Director, Mental Health Service, with consultation, guidance, and assistance with planning and implementation regarding program development, program evaluation, performance improvement, accreditation preparedness, quality management, personnel management, and financial management for all of VABHS Mental Health Service.

Duties

This is an open Continuous announcement. to establish a standing register of qualified applicants to refer to the hiring manager. Referral lists will be created on a weekly basis. Please see the "Next Steps" section found under the "How to Apply" tab for information regarding cutoff dates. Final disposition will be completed once the position has been filled or the announcement reaches the end of the open period stated in the announcement. The Clinical Assistant Director, Mental Health Service, VABHS, through a broad-based knowledge of clinical and managerial practice, is responsible for providing the Director, Mental Health Service, with consultation, guidance, and assistance with planning and implementation regarding program development, program evaluation, performance improvement, accreditation preparedness, quality management, personnel management, and financial management for all of VABHS Mental Health Service. The Clinical Assistant Director performs a wide range of services and assists the Director, MH, with planning and implementation regarding program development, program evaluation, performance improvement, accreditation preparedness, quality management, personnel management, and financial management for VABHS Mental Health Service. - The incumbent functions as a resource for problem resolution specifically regarding MH patient concerns. Prepares responses to congressional offices inquiries, issue briefs, and responses to Veteran's complaints. - Reviews information and requirements pertaining to mental health programs from a variety of sources (e.g., federal, state and local regulations, including OIG, VHA, Joint Commission, and CARF) and identifies, based on knowledge of social work and managerial theory and practice, requirements which must be expressed in MH Service written policies and procedures, drafts such policy statements or assigns tasks to subordinates to insure their completion. - Plans and completes special projects based on knowledge of managerial and social work practice. Performs a variety of duties related to special projects involving clinical mental health and administrative program issues that contain complex elements. Manages special cross cutting initiatives and leads tasks force groups to accomplish programmatic goals. These groups often review specific programs from the point of view of the needs of an integrated system of behavioral health care. - Works closely with each of the Directors of Outpatient, Inpatient, ICIRT, Urgent Care/ED, Consultation and Liaison, and Residential Rehabilitation/Substance use Programs in MH and has delegated responsibility for the personnel, fiscal, equipment, and space management of programs for MH Service, performing or overseeing the full range of managerial requirements. - Establishes and maintains or ensures the establishment and maintenance through delegation to subordinates, an effective reporting system that includes the preparation and review of all recurring and non-recurring periodic and locally required reports to ensure accurate and timely data to support managerial decision making. - Reviews and analyzes data pertaining to the mental health needs of veterans (e.g., current and projected workload, past activities and trends, work measurements, standards, and trends in the health care field and mental healthcare delivery systems) and makes recommendations to the Director, Mental Health, regarding what resources (clinical, fiscal, staff, space, equipment) are available and/or advocates for and obtains additional resources as needed. - Plays a central role in developing and coordinating internal review systems to assure that both clinical mental health and administrative activities are in compliance with agency, accrediting, and regulatory requirements. - Establishes and maintains performance improvement requirements or reviews performance requirements and standards developed by mental health teams, and communicates performance measures to employees in collaboration with other members of Mental Health leadership. Tracks performance using quantitative information, providing feedback to staff to guide corrective action. - Analyzes problems, issues, or program requirements. Researches and/or analyzes unstable or uncommon issues. Determines pertinent issues and collects relevant information from a wide variety of sources. Reviews information and applies standard analytical techniques as well as psychological principles. Develops recommendations taking into account unanticipated changes and unusual factors. Provides expert analysis and advice on complex problems and issues. Collects relevant information from varied sources, some of which are difficult to access. Devises analytical techniques to evaluate findings. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 523-F0002

Requirements

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. The basic requirements for employment as a VHA social worker are prescribed by statute in 38 U.S.C. § 7402(b)(9), as amended by section 205 of Public Law 106-419, enacted November 1, 2000. 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/. d. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). GRADE DETERMINATIONS. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Supervisory Social Worker, GS-13 (1) 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. (2) Licensure/Certification. Individuals assigned as supervisory social workers must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level, and must be able to provide supervision for licensure. (3) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Ability to independently organize work, set priorities, and meet multiple deadlines. (b) Skill in a range of supervisory duties which includes clinical supervision, consultation, negotiation with other departments and quality improvement. (c) Ability to ensure provision of clinical social work services by supervised social workers. (d) Ability to delegate authority, manage priorities, coordinate work, and follow up on pending issues to complete duties in an accurate and timely fashion. (e) Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems, develop and implement solutions that result in efficient operations, and use data effectively to manage workload, quality, performance, and productivity within the service. (f) Ability to provide staff training and development. Assignment. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Supervisory social workers at the GS-13 grade level typically supervise professional and non-professional staff. They are responsible for the professional and administrative management of an area in a social work service, in a care/product line, or across multiple sites, (e.g., multi-division facilities and CBOCs). Incumbent may also provide direct clinical services. DEVIATIONS. An approving official may, under unusual circumstances, approve reasonable deviations to the grade determination requirements for an employee whose composite record of accomplishments, performance, and qualifications, as well as current assignment, warrants such action based on demonstrated competence to meet the requirements of the proposed grade. Under no circumstances will the educational requirements be waived. Under no circumstances will licensure requirements be waived for positions at the GS-11 grade level or above. The placement of individuals in grade levels or assignments not described in this standard must be approved by the Under Secretary for Health or designee in VHA Central Office prior to placement in the position. Preferred Experience: References: VA Handbook 5005/120 Part II Appendix G39 Social Worker Qualification Standard GS-185 Veterans Health Administration. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13 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 to 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.

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 VA Boston Healthcare System 940 Belmont Street Brockton, MA 02301 US
• Name: Tracy Mesler
• Phone: (734) 545-3004
• Email: [email protected]