Duties
VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional
The Caregiver Support Coordinator (CSC) for the Program of General Caregiver Support Services (PGCSS) is a Social Worker, Program Coordinator whose primary responsibilities are to provide clinical evidence based services and interventions; program development; program expansion; caregiver, Veteran, and staff education on caregiver issues; community outreach; resource development; continuous quality-improvement activities and evaluation/consultation. The coordinator 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 PGCSS. In addition, the coordinator must be a skilled communicator capable of developing effective partnerships with local, state, and federal agencies as well as non-governmental organizations.
FUNCTIONS OR SCOPE OF ASSIGNED DUTIES INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
- Programmatic Responsibilities:
- Develops and implements the PGCSS and ensures compliance and collaboration with the local facility and the VA Central Office CSP initiatives.
- Clinical Responsibilities:
- Participates in direct caregiver and Veteran communication to identify and assess the caregiver stress/burden and the development and application of directed clinical treatment interventions.
- Screening/Assessment:
- Complete a comprehensive psychosocial assessment and develop a treatment plan for the Veteran in collaboration with the Veteran, family members, and/or decision maker.
- Coordination of Services:
- Responsible for the coordination of the referrals of non-institutional services such as HBPC, ADHC/CADHC, home hospice, skilled and non-skilled homecare services in collaboration.
- Referral to service providers:
- Throughout the course of treatment, the CSC is the subject matter expert on VA and/or community resources.
- Resource Usage/Development:
- Responsible for using the current social work resource file of VA and community social service programs and enhancing the content to the benefit of veterans and caregivers.
- Advocacy:
- Understands the intimidation of bureaucracy and will act as an advocate when it serves the best interest of the veteran/family.
- Crisis Intervention:
- Experienced in making rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans to maintain patients in the home, for admission to acute, short-term, and/or long-term placements.
- Education/Health promotion and prevention:
- Provide education related to VA and community resources, benefits, Advance Directives/Living Wills, Advance Care Planning, and Goals of Care Conversations, and will refer veterans/families to the appropriate interdisciplinary team member for identified health education needs.
- Supportive counseling:
- Provide the veterans and their caregivers/decision makers with ongoing supportive counseling.
- Administrative Responsibilities:
- Is responsible for supporting the mission, policies, and procedures of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the appropriate Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), and the facility.
- Customer Service Requirements:
- Meets the needs of customers while supporting the medical center and service missions.
- Other Duties as assigned:
- Willingly accepts special assignments and collateral duties that are necessary to meet program goals
and facility/customer needs.
Work Schedule: M-F 8:00 am - 4:30 pm or as determined by the supervisor.
Compressed/Flexible: This may be authorized at the supervisor's discretion.
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants are ineligible to apply for the incentive. Contact
V21CCOEEDRP@VA.GOV, the EDRP Coordinator, for questions/assistance.
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Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offered 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: This may be authorized at the supervisor's discretion. (AD-HOC ONLY)
Functional Statement #: 02986-F
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 trial 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 identification 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).
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.
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:
- 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 a 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 tohttp://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/.
- Failure to Obtain License or Certification:
- In all cases, social workers must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure or certification starting from the date of their appointment. Failure to become licensed or certified within the prescribed amount of time will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment.
- 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.
Social Worker (Program Coordinator), GS-12
- Experience and Education:
- One year of experience is 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.
- Licensure/Certification:
- Individuals assigned as social worker program coordinators 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:
- 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.
- 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 GS-12 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 provides direct patient care services in the program area.
- The program coordinator oversees the daily operation of the program, develops policies and procedures for program operation, and prepares 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 the 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 the efficacy of improvement efforts.
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-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is the GS-12.
Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services.
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/.
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.
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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.
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 07/15/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12757109.
- 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.
- 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.
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.