Social Worker (Program Coordinator)

Clarification from the agency

This job is open to current permanent employees of the VA Providence Healthcare System, and Department of Veteran Affairs employees. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.

VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU

The Social Worker serves as the Women Veterans Program Manager (WVPM) for the Providence VA Medical Center and is responsible for administering, planning, monitoring, and evaluating the Women Veterans Health Program (WVHP). The professional coordinates a variety of activities, including outreach; multidisciplinary activities; psychosocial assessments; treatment and discharge planning; consultation and/or education to medical center staff and community service providers; the collection and maintenance of statistical data; program planning, evaluation and modification; and the supervision of staff as assigned. The duties of the position include but are not limited to:

• Develops processes for orienting female patients to the medical center health care services and Veterans' benefits.
• Monitors and ensures patient satisfaction among women Veterans in all aspects of their health care.
• Develops and monitors gender specific quality indicators and monitors outcomes in health care delivery to women Veterans.
• Provides consultation and technical assistance to medical center staff on women Veterans' issues.
• Serves as an advocate for women Veterans.
• Provides outreach to women Veterans, transitioning active-duty personnel, and community service providers.
• Collaborates with other agencies within and outside VA to evaluate and monitor implementation and completion of plans.
• Collaborates with community agencies including Veterans service organizations to develop and implement programs and activities for women Veterans.
• Utilizes various available data bases and software programs to monitor utilization rates and other related data.
• Coordinates input from providers and works closely with various medical center committees to ensure appropriate supplies are available.
• Utilizes specialized expertise, systems theory and effective communications skills to promote a productive work environment and enhance interdisciplinary collaboration across internal and external programs.
• Serves as chair of the multidisciplinary Women Veterans Health Committee, meeting regularly to manage the care of female patients and to identify and address areas of special concern for women Veterans who use the facility.
• Conducts ongoing internal reviews and PI measures, developing appropriate quality indicators and coordinating compliance mechanisms in all aspects of women Veterans' health care.
• Reviews clinical records and technical reports for appropriateness of care and accuracy.
• Plan for the establishment of new specialty or primary programs and the expansion of existing programs to meet the needs of women Veterans who are currently seeking care within the facility.
• Ensures equity of access, service and benefits to women Veterans.
• Coordinate the provision of state-of-the-art preventive, diagnostic, treatment, consultation and referral services for women Veterans within a comprehensive, tertiary healthcare facility.
• Collect, develop and analyze data derived from these programs to assist in planning for women Veterans services, and utilize appropriate clinical indicators and monitoring activities to assure that the care provided is of the highest quality.
• Ensures provision of counseling and treatment for sexual trauma; ensure psychiatric services such as drug and alcohol treatment and group therapy, which may have gender variations.
• Ensures availability of medical services such as endocrinology and oncology (breast and reproductive cancers) which may have gender variations, for eligible women Veterans.
• Participates in medical center planning activities and construction modifications which reflect the needs of female patients.
• Provides clinical and administrative supervision of assigned staff and students, formulating policy and establishing program guidelines.

Work Schedule: Full-Time, Mon-Fri, 8:00am-4:30pm.
Compressed/Flexible:Not Available.
Telework: Ad-hoc as determined by the agency policy.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: F06600
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized.

Notifications:

• 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.
• This position is not a Bargaining Unit position.
• This position is covered by a special rate.
• Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment.
• Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.

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.
• 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 evaluation.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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:

• 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. 7402(d).
• 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.
• 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/.

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:

Social Worker (Program Coordinator), GS-12:

Experience and Education. 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. 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 coordinator must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level, and must be able to provide supervision for licensure.

AND

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.

Preferred Experience: Experience with outreach, working with the public.

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

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services.

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.

Area of Consideration:
Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:

1. Current permanent VA employees of the facility.
2. All other VA employees.

Resume Reminder:

Your resume must include the following information each job listed:

• Job title
• Duties (be as detailed as possible)
• Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
• Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
• Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held

Please be aware that your answers will be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail.

An incomplete application will receive a rating of IFFM (ineligible due to missing forms). Requests for reconsideration will not be considered for applicants who fail to submit a complete application package. We cannot be held responsible for incompatible software or fax transmissions.

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.

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

• Long-form resume/Curriculum vitae (CV)
• License issued by a state to independently practice social work at the advanced level
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

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
• Long-form resume/Curriculum vitae (CV)
• License issued by a state to independently practice social work at the advanced level
• Professional Certification
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility):

• Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee
• An SF-50 showing your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade
• Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
• Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
  • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
  • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
  • SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.

Next steps