The Health Behavior Coordinator (HBC) serves several roles. The HBC trains, mentors and guides primary care and other staff members to support patient self-management of health-related behaviors via effective health behavior coaching and the use of motivational interviewing and other empirically based communication and health behavior management approaches. The HBC has a significant role as a consultant for clinical staff members who promote patient self-management of health behavior.

Duties

Clinical Responsibilities 1. Serves as the lead clinical consultant to the medical center staff on health behavior coaching. a. Maintains awareness of and provides consultation on the evidence basis for health behavior interventions, to promote health and prevent disease, and effective coaching methods by medical center staff. b. Works with Primary Care and Nursing leadership to provide specific training and consultation with Primary Care Nurses and others to facilitate effective health behavior coaching (i.e., healthy lifestyle coaching to support patient selfmanagement) and build and maintain competencies in health behavior coaching. c. Contributes to training of primary care team and others in evidence-based methodologies to effectively communicate with, motivate, coach, and support patients in being aware of relevant health risks, clarifying personal goals for health promotion and disease prevention change, developing individualized patient self-management plans, and maintaining these healthy behaviors. 2. In collaboration with the Health Promotion/Disease Prevention Program Manager (HDPD-PM) and others, plans, develops, adapts, implements and assesses efficacy of health behavior interventions for the promotion of general health and to address health risk behaviors as part of disease prevention and chronic disease management (e.g., weight loss and maintenance, tobacco use cessation, promoting patient self-management interventions targeting issues such as increasing participation in regular exercise, healthy eating, sleep hygiene). 3. Supports the lead clinician in tobacco use cessation programs and may serve in this role. 4. Contributes to behavioral health programs such as MOVE! 5. Performs specialty health psychology assessment/intervention (e.g., pre-bariatric surgery, MOVE! patients with behavioral issues, patients with unique or complex problems impacting their health promotion/disease prevention self-management plans) and provides time-limited, direct clinical care to a small caseload of patients requiring specialty health interventions noted in e.g. prior, during and briefly following procedures. 6. Provides supervision of social work trainees conducting direct clinical care. 7. Consults with medical center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues. 8. Remains involved in program evaluation and/or research activities. 9. Provides administrative duties including: a. Scheduling of Veterans and related issues. b. Returning Veterans' phone calls. c. Report writing. d. Attending organizational meetings. Academic/Teaching/Training: 1. Provides consultation and training to Primary Care and Mental Health Service Line staff in the enhancing, maintaining, and supporting health behavior program for the promotion of health and prevention of disease and enhance patient self-management of chronic disease (e.g., diabetes, HIV, Hepatitis, COPD) to prevent secondary complications and improve long-term outcomes and enhance quality of life. This work is carried out through training programs and through case discussion. 2. Develops programs together with other Health Promotion/Disease Prevention, Tobacco Use Cessation, and Patient Health Education staff members for teaching and/or improving the PCP's core behavioral health skills; 3. Supervises social work trainees and may participate with other disciplines in consultation with trainees such as medical, nursing, pharmacy and psychiatric trainees assigned to primary care service for rotations. 4. Develops and/or makes available relevant education and training programs for all Primary Care and other Service Line providers to ensure that culturally competent care is provided; 5. Is involved in the development and ongoing improvement of the Social Work Training Programs and actively participates in the Social Work Training Committee meetings; 6. Serves as a consultant to other medical center staff on issues related to the function of health behavior assessment and interventions to promote health and prevent disease and may provide in-service and/or invited grand round presentations to the medical center staff in areas directly related to the mission of the Health Promotion/Disease Prevention programs. Other Significant Responsibilities: May serve on Healthcare System, VISN, and/or National VA committees or task forces specifically relating to assessment, and/or intervention issues associated with the Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; 1. Represents Social Work, Primary Care, or Prevention on decision-making committees within the Healthcare System; 2. Actively participates in leadership roles on local, state and/or national professional organizations specific to Social Work or prevention. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 54769F Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education. Have a 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 status do not meet this requirement until the school of social work is fully accredited. Please note: A doctoral degree in social work may not be substituted for the master's degree in social work. Licensure. Licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. English Language Proficiency. Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Regulations. 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). Must pass a background check. Grade Requirements: GS-12 Social Worker (Program Coordinator) Assignments. 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. Program coordinators at the GS12 grade level are administratively responsible for a clinical program providing treatment to Veterans in a major specialty area, such as but not limited to: Spinal Cord Injury, Homeless Continuum Veteran Program, Hospice and Palliative Care Program, Suicide Prevention Program, Veterans Justice Outreach, Caregiver Support Program and Community Nursing Home Program. 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.] Experience/ 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. License. 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. 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. References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39, Social Worker Qualification Standard. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is a GS-12. Physical Requirements: Physical demands of the work are generally minor. The work is primarily sedentary. There is some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items such as papers, files, manuals and records. For additional information on Physical Standards please see VA Directive and Handbook 5019. http://www.va.gov/vapubs/

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Carl Vinson VA Medical Center 1826 Veterans Boulevard Dublin, GA 31021 US
• Name: Jenna McCarthy
• Email: [email protected]