This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (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 appointment. Program 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

A RECRUITMENT OR RELOCATION INCENTIVE IS AUTHORIZED The General Caregiver Support Program Coordinator (GCSPC) is a Social Work Program Coordinator (SWPC) whose primary responsibilities are to 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. The GCSPC will function in support of caregivers, Veterans, and family members throughout the medical center and in the community and will support the development and implementation of general caregiver services. The GCSPC must be a skilled communicator capable of developing effective partnerships with local, state, and federal agencies as well as non-governmental organizations. The incumbent must possess a valid driver's license and be able to independently operate a motor vehicle. Functions or Scope of Assigned Duties: Administratively responsible for the clinical programming and daily operations of the General Caregiver Support Program. Develop policies and procedures for program operation and prepare reports and statistics for facility, VISN, and national use. Manage and control the use of data related to these programs regarding day-to-day functioning and program evaluation. Practice at the advanced level and have specialized knowledge of practice that can be differentiated from the independent practice social worker by the ability to expand clinical knowledge in the profession, administer a facility General Caregiver Support Program, provide consultation and guidance to colleagues, role model effective social work practice skills, teach or provide orientation to less experienced social workers, develop innovations in practice interventions, and provide clinical supervision for social work licensure or certification. Adhere to the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics, all local social work policies, and maintain an unrestricted, unsuspended license to practice social work. Develop and implement information systems to track service activities including visits, referrals, caregiver demographics, equipment utilization, and caregiver and Veteran satisfaction. Create educational tools, develop programs, and implement training focused on specific caregiver needs/issues. Conduct caregiver and family clinical interventions to facilitate the identification of caregiver stress, psychiatric illness, emotional distress, and social needs as treatment issues. Coordinate with other disciplines within the medical center to maintain the Veteran Assessment Clinic, to provide a comprehensive assessment for Veterans and caregivers in the General Caregiver Support Program seeking assistance from the program. Provide referrals or consults, or in some cases direct admission of a Veteran to other VA programs including the Community Residential Care Program, Respite Program, Community Health Care Coordination Program, Hospice, Home Based Primary Care, Telehealth, and Community Nursing Home Program. Establish and maintain access to electronic social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, secure email, and YouTube in accordance with VA policy. Develop and foster relationships with community partners to assist with system navigation, maintain collaboration and coordinate services. Social Work: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Social-Worker-Career-Flyer.pdf Work Schedule: Mon - Fri, 8:00am to 4:30pm. Relocation Incentive: Authorized. Permanent Change of Station: Not Authorized. EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA. Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement). Telework: Ad-hoc only. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. 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: Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S. Code). 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 Master 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/. 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, GS-12 Program Coordinator Experience and Education. Must have at least 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. Candidates 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. 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: (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. References: Previous VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G39, September 10, 2019. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: The physical demands of this position require moderate lifting and carrying (15-44 pounds); the use of fingers; and operation of a motor vehicle. Environmental Factors: Work may be performed outside and inside; have slippery or uneven walking surfaces; be able to work around moving objects or vehicles, and work alone and closely with others.

Education

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP). If selected for this position, you are encouraged to apply for EDRP within four (4) months of appointment and must meet specific individual eligibility criteria in accordance with VHA Policy 1021. Final award amount and program start date is determined after review of a complete EDRP application, supporting documentation, and final approval by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services office. Please contact the EDRP Coordinators @ [email protected]

IMPORTANT: This position has a positive education or training requirement. An unofficial copy of college transcripts showing completion of the required degree or program is required and must include the name of the school, your name, date conferred, and degree type.

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 Jonathan M Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center 77 Wainwright Drive Walla Walla, WA 99362 US
• Name: Joe Julkowski
• Phone: 509-434-7382
• Email: [email protected]