Social Worker (Caregiver Support Program Manager) Job in Spokane, WA

Vacancy No. CBSV-12717054-25-MLY Department Veterans Health Administration
Salary $106,977.00 to $139,072.00 Grade 13 to 13
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 3/25/2025 Close Date 4/15/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Spokane, WA


Summary

The incumbent serves as a Social Work Program Coordinator, locally titled Caregiver Support Program (CSP) Manager, which provides a state-of-the-art continuum of services, education, and resources to caregivers of Veterans with complex needs.

Duties

The incumbent coordinates program implementation with multiple clinical services across all campus locations within the VA Health Care System (HCS), including but not limited to nursing, physical, occupational, and speech therapists; and mental health and primary care providers. The incumbent may provide clinical interventions to the Veteran and caregiver populations served by the programs. Duties will include:

  • Establishes and maintains an ongoing education program for Veterans, caregivers, community agencies, students, and staff to facilitate understanding of clinical practice guidelines, mental health issues, readjustment issues, and psychosocial issues facing caregivers.
  • Develops and facilitates CSP-program-focused direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs for VA facility staff and the community.
  • Develops and implements a plan for outreach to Veterans and Veteran caregivers who may benefit from the CSP program services (but who do not presently use VA for their health care needs). This includes outreach to current PGCSS and PCAFC participants to inform them of available services.
  • Directly supervises the VA HCS Caregiver Support Coordinator(s) (CSC) and, when applicable, the Program Support Assistant (PSA) and other inter-professional staff assigned to the Caregiver Support Program as outlined in VHA Directive 11152(1), Caregiver Support Program.
  • Coordinates program implementation with multiple clinical services across all campus locations within the VA facility, including but not limited to nursing; physical, occupational, and speech therapists; and mental health and primary care providers.
  • May provide clinical interventions to the Veteran and caregiver populations served by the programs.
  • Serves as a liaison to the Veterans Integrated Service Network Program (VISN) CSP Program and the VA Central Office (VACO) Program.
  • Serves as the VA HCS POC for all inquiries and outreach requests regarding eligible PCAFC and PGCSS caregivers. This includes a wide variety of stakeholders (e.g., Veterans, family members, state and community agencies, Veterans Service Organizations [VSOs], military support programs, Post Deployment Events, Yellow Ribbon events, National Guard and Reservist Units).
  • Performs the administrative and personnel management function relative to staff supervision including personnel actions, clinical supervision, consultation, negotiation with other departments, and quality improvement.
  • Works collaboratively with internal staff, VISN and VACO leadership, and external stakeholders to expedite service delivery.
  • Provides consultation and briefings to other staff and internal/external stakeholders on the special needs of caregivers.
  • Develops policies and procedures for program operation and prepares reports and statistics for facility, VISN, and national use.
  • Manages CSP clinical and business operations, accountability for program effectiveness.
  • Addresses Congressional inquiries, VISN, and VA Central Office action items as requested.
  • Develops a data-driven, continuous quality improvement program with established goals and outcomes to evaluate and document effectiveness.
  • Develops a system to identify family caregivers served by the VA facility including caregivers in the catchment area not enrolled in CSP.
  • Ensures supervised staff who require knowledge and skill development receive the training necessary to execute their duties and certifies staff completion of all required annual and ad hoc training through documentation and reporting.
  • Plans organizes, and coordinates administrative, operational, clinical, and personnel activities for the CSP program and is responsible for all aspects of program staffing, work assignments, budget, treatment services, control points, labor mapping, workload, and clinic utilization within the assigned program area.


Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
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).
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: Not Authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
  • Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period.
  • Subject to background/security investigation.
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
  • Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
  • Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.
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.
  • English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
  • 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. COPY OF TRANSCRIPTS WITH CONFER DATE REQUIRED WITH APPLICATION PACKAGE.
  • 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 CURRENT, UNEXPIRED LICENSURE REQUIRED WITH APPLICATION PACKAGE.
    • ???????Loss of Licensure or Certification. Once licensed or certified, social workers must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment. Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment.
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).

Grade Determinations:
GS-13 Social Worker (Program Coordinator)

Experience/Education: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-12 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. COPY OF CURRENT, UNEXPIRED ADVANCED PRACTICE LICENSE REQUIRED WITH APPLICATION PACKAGE.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs.
  1. Skill in coordinating and implementing one or more specialty program(s), across the facility.
  2. Skill in local policy and practice development, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program as prescribed by the program handbook or national directive.
  3. Skill in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating assigned program area(s).
  4. Ability to collaborate with internal and external partners to further program goals and enhance patient centered care.
  5. Ability to provide the full range of supervisory duties including assignment of work to be performed; performance evaluations; and selection of staff, training, and recommendation of awards, advancements, and when appropriate, disciplinary action.
  6. Ability to oversee the fiscal matters of the functions supervised (including fund controls, contracts, and equipment expenditures), forecast resource and equipment needs, and administer the allocated budget.
  7. Knowledge of organizational structure and impact on program operations.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13.

Physical Requirements: light lifting (under 15 lbs), use of fingers, near vision correctable, depth perception, hearing (aid may be permitted), emotional and mental stability, ability to speak clearly, exposure to outside and inside, dust, working closely with others, working alone, protracted or irregular work hours.

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/.

Additional information

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

  • License
  • Resume
  • Transcript


The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

  • Cover Letter
  • DD-214/ Statement of Service
  • Disability Letter (VA)
  • License
  • Other (1)
  • Other (2)
  • Professional Certification
  • Resume
  • SF-15
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
  • Transcript

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 04/15/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12717054.

  1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
  2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.

NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

Agency contact information

Michelle Yahne
Address
Mann-Grandstaff Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center
4815 North Assembly Street
Spokane, WA 99205
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.

You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.

NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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