The Social Worker serving as the Substance Treatment and Recovery/Substance Abuse Residential Recovery Treatment (STAR/SARRTP) Program Manager/Program Coordinator will be instrumental in developing and providing services to meet the needs of veterans struggling with issues of Substance Abuse and co-occurring mental health issues.

Duties

VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Implements measures to assess effectiveness of existing and proposed treatment programs and modalities, to ensure that the highest standards are met. Administratively responsible for the STAR/SARRTP program operations. Develops policies and procedures for program operations, and prepare reports and statistics for the facility, VISN, and national use. Provides leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education to staff and student interns. Tracks service activities including sessions, referrals, patient demographics, equipment utilization and SUD patient satisfaction. Coordinates SARRTP admissions and aftercare for the 10 bed RRTP and the SUD outpatient program. Provides administration with briefings of critical incidents. Completes all patient safety reporting requirements are completed in a timely fashion. -Coordinates VA Inter-Facility and CITC SUD admissions. Advising and collaborating with interdisciplinary teams throughout the medical center on all SUD related issues. Provides analysis and evaluation of SUD clinical program data and computerized programs to identify system-wide trends and needs to enhance the quality of service. Oversee program operations, program evaluation, identifying areas for improvement, gathering relevant data, assessing the data, developing and implementing ideas for improvement and evaluating efficacy of improvement efforts. Collaborates with members of the Mental Health/Behavioral Medicine (MH/BM) Service within STAR/SARRTP, and with in-patient and/or out-patient clinicians/departments to ensure continuity of care and services. Is familiar with community support groups to ensure that the Veteran receives the support to successfully recover. Provides outreach services to community as needed. Work as a liaison between the VA and community agencies. Actively participates in VA sponsored trainings and education on issues impacting substance abuse and co-occurring disorders, sharing that knowledge through trainings when requested by the Social Work and MH/BM leadership. Plays an active role in working with recovering veterans to coordinate a viable and successful program of treatment. Assures STAR and SARRTP programs are in compliance with all Joint Commission (JACHO) and CARF standards. Performs work related to the review, monitoring, analysis, planning, and assessment of various programs. This includes assuring compliance with all performance measures and implementing required action plans. Participates in treatment planning, bed management, making recommendations to ensure a beneficial outcome to veteran recovery. Provides individual, group, and/or family sessions in accordance with scope of practice clinical directive. Completes and/or addresses MH Performance Measures/Reminders. These may include, but are not limited to Substance Abuse Disorder (SUD) Continuity, Waiting Times, Access, Depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), tobacco counseling, and Patient Satisfaction Surveys as appropriate to assigned. Complies with agreed-upon minimum standards for documentation when writing/recording in medical records. This includes, but is not limited to assessments, treatment plans, transfer progress notes, discharge summaries, and performance measures/reminders as assigned. Assumes Field Instructor responsibilities for Associated Health Trainee Students placed in the STAR or SARRTP programs. Reports immediately, or as soon as practicable to the Suicide Prevention Coordinators (SPCs), information --received regarding completed suicides and/or suicide attempts. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: 8:00am to 4:30pm, Monday thru Friday Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/28/2025. 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: Master's degree in social work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Licensure: Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the masters level. English language proficiency. Social Workers must be proficient in spoken and written English. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements above, at the GS-12 level, applicants must have one (1) full 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.In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the professional KSAs at the GS-12 level as listed below: Knowledge of program coordination and administration which includes consultation, negotiation, and monitoring. Knowledge and ability to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program. Ability to supervise multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program. Skill in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating assigned program area(s). Ability to provide training, orientation, and guidance within clinical practice References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G39, Social Worker, available in the local Human Resources Office. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-12. Physical Requirements: Light lifting, under 15 pounds, Light carrying, under 15 pounds, Straight pulling (1 hour), pushing (1 hour), walking (2 hours), standing (2 hours), Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other, Hearing (aid permitted), Working closely with others, Working alone.

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 Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center 1111 East End Boulevard Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711 US
• Name: Shala Johnson
• Phone: (412) 822-2186
• Email: shala.johnson@va.gov