Social Worker (Program Manager)

Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. Applicants will be referred in the following order: First - Current Permanent White City VA Health Care System Employees; Second - Current Permanent VA Employees Nationwide; Third- Health Professions Trainee (HPT);

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

The Assistant Chief for Behavioral Health works closely with the Associate Chief of Staff (ACOS) for Behavioral Health to support the service's strategic, clinical, and operational functions.

Duties include but are not limited to the following:
Program Planning, Analytics, and Resource Management

• Plans, implements, and tracks action plans and analytics-based improvement initiatives on behalf of the ACOS for Behavioral Health.
• Monitors, trends, and responds to Mental Health Same Day Service "easy button" data; alerts PCMHI leadership to workflow delays. -
• Maintains awareness of Bookability, Utilization, Productivity, and new-patient wait times to identify patterns indicating need for additional resources; prepares and submits data-driven FTE requests.
• Monitors performance improvement metrics and prepares or oversees corrective action plans for review by the Behavioral Health Oversight Council.
• Reviews labor mapping bi-weekly to ensure accuracy and alignment with operational requirements.

Clinical & Administrative Oversight

• Provides clinical and administrative oversight for Behavioral Health service activities, including staffing, budget, equipment, and supply requirements.
• Ensures compliance with accreditation, regulatory requirements, and performance standards; may monitor staff performance and develop programs based on Veteran needs and current research.
• Oversees chart audits for non-OPPE staff to ensure timely completion.
• Oversees the bi-annual scope-of-practice process for non-privileged staff, coordinating with discipline leads.
• Maintains extensive knowledge of all Behavioral Health and RRTP MCPs and SOPs; updates policies and provides training to staff.

Leadership, Supervision, and Workforce Development

• Provides guidance to staff and may serve as a direct administrative supervisor for interdisciplinary Behavioral Health personnel.
• Participates in candidate selection processes and recommends appointments, advancements, or disciplinary actions as appropriate.
• Develops position descriptions and functional statements as needed; assigns personnel and serves as a mentor to support employee development.
• Resolves staff conflicts impacting service delivery and promotes service recovery through timely response to PATS-R inquiries.
• Identifies training and continuing education needs to strengthen staff competencies.
• Serves as Acting Service Chief during absences and shares delegated managerial responsibilities with the ACOS

Regulatory Communication & Reporting

• Develops responses to controlled correspondence at the facility, VISN, and VACO levels, including inquiries from elected representatives and OIG Hotline submissions.
• Assists with the preparation of the annual Management Briefing and ensures Behavioral Health sections provide the required information.

Interdepartmental & Facility-Level Coordination

• Consults with other service lines and facility leadership on behavioral health service development and programmatic needs.
• Maintains interdepartmental relationships and collaborates with community partners to support medical center goals.
• Assists the ACOS and RRTP Chief in coordinating behavioral health responses during critical incidents, violence events, disasters, or mass-casualty situations.
• Coordinates psychological first aid training for VA SORC.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Auhtorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact vhaedrpprogramsupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
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: Ad-hoc may be available at supervisors discretion.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 90608F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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

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.
• 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.

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).GS-14 Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

• Experience and Education: One year of experience equivalent to the GS- 13 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency. Individual 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 manager 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 the following KSAs:

1. Skill in large scale program coordination and administration across multiple sites, which includes consultation, negotiation, and monitoring.
2. Ability to translate management goals and objectives into well-coordinated and controlled work operations.
3. Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems and to develop and implement solutions that result in sound operation of the program.
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 which would include responsibility for assignment of work to be performed; performance evaluations; 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. Skill in developing policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program and in participating in national program development.
8. Ability to collaborate with internal VHA partners, locally and on a national level, as well as external community partners to further program goals and enhance patient centered care.

Preferred Experience: Previous leadership experience within Behavioral Health.

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

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.

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

• License
• Long-form resume/Curriculum vitae (CV)
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• 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
• Long-form resume/Curriculum vitae (CV)
• Other (1)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

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