Supervisory Social Worker (Program Manager-Asst Chief) Job

Vacancy No. CBSV-12735835-25-MLY Department Veterans Health Administration
Salary $139,967.00 to $181,956.00 Grade 14 to 14
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 5/16/2025 Close Date 6/6/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Seattle, WATacoma, WA


Summary

This position serves as the assistant service line director (Assistant Chief) for Social Work Service (SWS) at VAPSHCS. In this role, assisting the Chief, the incumbent is a full-time administrator for more than 290 interdisciplinary FTEE (including subordinate supervisors and program managers) across a broad range of program areas.




This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

The area of consideration will be referred in the following order: 1. Current permanent Facility employees 2. Current permanent Agency (Department of Veterans Affairs) employees

Duties

The position has responsibility for clinical practice, program management, education, human resource management and supervision, and organizational stewardship for Social Work Service. The incumbent is the second highest level professional Social Work position within the facility and shares responsibility for the professional practice of all facility social workers(including 50+ FTEE administratively organized outside of Social Work Service) and the provision of all social work services provided by VAPSHCS. The position requires that the employee travels to the various sites and to other VA facilities, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), or VACO as necessary. Duties will include:

  • Responsible for working with the Chief in defining the mission and vision of the Service, developing the scope of practice for all social workers in all service lines, designing a Social Work Service Plan of Care, and assuring implementation of quality improvement measures.
  • Responsible for developing, planning, clarifying, administering and managing Social Work Service priorities and objectives, ensuring the supervision ad evaluation of all social work staff, and is responsible for supervising and evaluating the performance of the associate chiefs, program managers, and supervisors.
  • Serves as a liaison to other services or care lines, other facilities, VISN offices and VHA Central Office. This position also serves as liaison with Veterans Benefits Administration Offices, other government agencies, and the community.
  • Responsible for advising management of specific clinical or administrative issues within Social Work Service and within VAPSHCS. The position serves as a consultant, mentor, and advisor to subordinates, peers, and administration.
  • Shares responsibility for the strategic planning and operation of Social Work Service. The employee is responsible for ensuring the administrative and clinical supervision of social work staff in their professional role. Incumbent ensures the provision of social work services and/or case management services in a variety of inpatient and outpatient program areas and clinics.
  • Assists in overseeing all professional social work activities within VAPSHCS, ensuring that educational and quality of care functions related to the psychosocial needs of Veterans are met.
  • Responsible for making decisions regarding work problems presented by subordinate supervisors.
  • Collaborates with others in negotiating, deciding upon and/or coordinating social work-related changes affecting other programs.
  • Makes recommendations to the Chief on problems involving the relationship of social work activities to the various units and programs.
  • May interact with elected officials, Veterans Service Organizations, or other partners to address identified Veteran needs or concerns.
  • Make selections for supervisory and non-supervisory positions, hear group grievances and serious employee complaints review serious disciplinary cases (i.e., those proposing suspensions and removals), and disciplinary problems involving key employees.
  • Consults with specialists regarding training needs and decides types of training problems related to the identified problems of the supervised wards/units.
  • Participates in making major decisions and recommendations to the Chief affecting the basic content and character of the operations of programs.
  • Shares responsibility with the Chief for ensuring technical program development, management and evaluation that includes assessing the mission, goals, programs and problems of the medical facility in terms of psychosocial needs of patients and establishes social work objectives to meet those needs which are consistent with medical center goals.
  • Reviews information pertaining to the social work programs from a variety of sources (e.g., federal, state and local including Veterans Health Administration, Joint Commission, National Association of Social Workers, Society of Social Work Administrators in Health Care of the American Hospital Association, Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, etc.) and identifies requirements which must be expressed in medical facility written policies and procedures, drafts such statements or assigns tasks to subordinates to ensure their completion.
  • Develops procedures for and ensures the implementation and achievement of the provision of social work services to medical facility patients on inpatient and outpatient programs.
  • Provides, or ensures that professional staff provides advice, assistance and consultation to community health and welfare agencies and councils and other community groups to enhance the provision of social services to Veteran patients in the community.
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm
Telework: Not Available
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).
  • Possession of a current, unencumbered drivers' license and ability to be cleared to drive a government vehicle.

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/.
    • 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. COPY OF CURRENT, UNEXPIRED LICENSURE REQUIRED WITH APPLICATION PACKAGE.
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 Manager - Asst Chief) GS-14

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. COPY OF CURRENT, UNEXPIRED LICENSURE REQUIRED WITH APPLICATION PACKAGE.

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.

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.

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-14.

Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting & carrying (15-44 lbs), pushing (6 hrs), operation of a motor vehicle, ability to distinguish basic colors, hearing (aid may be permitted, exposure to outside and inside, working closely with others, working alone.

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.

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
  • 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
  • Other (1)
  • Other (2)
  • Professional Certification
  • Resume
  • SF-15
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
  • Transcript


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

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 06/06/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12735835.

  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
VA Puget Sound Health Care System
1660 South Columbian Way
Seattle, WA 98108
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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