Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP): This position is eligible for the 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 your start date. 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.

Duties

The Chief of Social Work Services reports directly to the Chief of Staff (COS) and has full responsibility for provision of social work services across the VAMHS. The Chief is responsible for the quality of social work services delivered to Veterans, is responsible for programmatic development and change, and is responsible for operating within budgetary constraints of the facility. The Chief is also responsible for leading and helping to develop and sustain with the social work staff a viable, vibrant, and powerful shared vision for VAMHCS Social Work Services. S/he is responsible for maintaining high morale and motivation within the Social Work Service Line. Duties may include, but are not limited to: Responsible for the strategic planning and operation of the Social Work Service Line. Oversees all professional social work activities within the medical center ensuring that educational and quality of care functions related to the psychosocial needs of veterans are met. Participates in top management discussions, decisions and policy-making. Responsible for making decisions regarding work problems presented by subordinate social work supervisors. Collaborates with others in negotiating, deciding upon and/or coordinating social work-related changes affecting other programs. Makes selections for supervisory and non-supervisory positions, hear group grievances and serious employee complaints, review serious disciplinary cases and disciplinary problems involving key employees. Reviews information pertaining to the social work programs from a variety of sources. Identifies requirements which must be expressed in medical facility written policies and procedures, drafts such statements or assigns tasks to subordinates to insure their completion. Performs, or assigns responsibility and reviews the results of, Social Work Service internal evaluation for program effectiveness. Develops procedures for and ensures the implementation and achievement of the provision of social work services to medical facility patients on inpatient and outpatient programs. Appraises performance of social work supervisors or reviews performance appraisals made by subordinate supervisors, to determine the level of performance for each Social Work Service employee. Assists professional social work staff in developing career goals and identifying appropriate continuing education activities and opportunities to facilitate the attainment of these goals. Provides training and supervision or ensures that training and supervision are provided by subordinates, to social work graduate students. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 07:30am - 4:00pm Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: Social Worker /402-F03788 EDRP Authorized: Contact Hannah Neilson [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions or assistance on how to begin the application process.Learn more. EDRP Assignment Code: B9 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Required, selectee must file a financial disclosure report, OGE Form 450, within 30 days of onboarding and then annually. NOTIFICATIONS: Due to a critical staffing shortage, 38 U.S.C. § 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' preference for this job announcement. This position is not a Bargaining Unit position. This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay. Travel and relocation expenses are not authorized. This position is in the Excepted Service. Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) will be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment. Incomplete applications will not be considered. May be required to attend conference at other facilities or other VA sites on occasion. The incumbent may be required to travel to other VA campuses and CBOC's. Selectee may be required to work at any VA Maine Healthcare System campus, as needed.

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. 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. (Transcripts must be submitted at time of application. Conferral of degree(s) must be stated on transcript(s). 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/ (Copy of Licensure required) 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 for this position. IT IS HIGHLY SUGGESTED THAT YOU ANSWER THE KSAs published in the announcement. 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. 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.(KSAs) In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all the following KSAs: Licensure/Certification. Individuals assigned as social worker program manager 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: 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. Skill in applying legal, ethical, and professional standards to social work practice. Skill in developing, maintaining, and managing social work services in multiple divisions/sections. Ability to ensure compliance with social work practice, policy, and accreditation standards across the continuum of health care. Skill in providing consultation to facility leadership, managers, and other staff on social work qualification standards, practice, competency, productivity, and continuing education requirements Skill in administrative oversight to ensure compliance with social work licensure requirements. 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. At the GS-14 grade level, size, scope, significance and impact are greater than the GS-13 grade level. The chief social worker responsibility includes management of large, complex, social work services within the organization. The chief social worker is the highest level professional position at the facility with responsibility for the professional practice of all facility social workers and provision of social work services. The chief social worker provides supervision to social work service, with multiple sections or programs across the health care delivery system as well as an assistant chief and supervisors. Social work service includes staff members of different grades, as well as multiple disciplines, various treatment sites and at locations close to and distant from the medical center. The chief social worker has full responsibility for managing and supervising all aspects of social work service operations including clinical practice, program management, education, human resource management and supervision of the service. References: VA Handbook 5005 Part II Appendix G39 Social Worker Qualification Standard GS-0185 Veterans Health Administration. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-14. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-14 Physical Demands and Work Environment: No special physical qualifications are required to perform the work. The work requires the ability to move around the office and facility. The work is performed in offices and meeting rooms and is largely sedentary. The ability to travel is required to visit CBOCs. The work can be mentally and psychologically demanding and stressful, and the ability to utilize effective coping and self-care strategies is essential.

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 Togus VA Medical Center 1 VA Center Augusta, ME 04330 US
• Name: Melissa Kumar
• Phone: 802-295-9363 X6509
• Email: [email protected]