Social Worker (Program Coordinator)

Summary

The incumbent is assigned to Social Work Service at the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System (VASNHCS) and serves as the the Post-9/11 Military to Veteran (M2VA) Program Coordinator. The Post-9/11 M2VA Program Coordinator (formerly OEF/OIF/OND and TCM) is responsible for overseeing all transition activities and the coordination of care and services for Post-9/11 Service Members and Veterans (SM/Vs) served by VASNHCS

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Duties

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VA Careers - Social Work :

Major duties include but not limited to:

• Provides comprehensive administrative oversight of the M2VA Program, including planning, policy development, implementation, and evaluation of program goals, procedures, and operations.
• Follows Veterans Health Administration (VHA) policy and develops local processes to identify and track Post-9/11 Servicemembers/Veterans (SM/Vs), using tools such as the OEF/OIF DoD Registry, VIS, VistA, CPRS, CMTRA, NEPEC reports, Classification reports, Patient Data Exchange, and Network Health Exchange.
• Coordinates case management for severely injured or ill Post-9/11 SM/Vs and others with identified needs, collaborating with nurse and social work case managers, VIST Coordinator, SCI Coordinator, Polytrauma Case Manager, and Women Veterans Program Manager.
• Serves as the facility POC for Post-9/11 transition inquiries, healthcare access, and Toxic Exposure Screening (TES). Completes section one of TES screening.
• Responds to Congressional inquiries and VISN/VA Central Office requests.
• Coordinates preventive mental and physical health evaluations for program participants, both at the facility and associated CBOCs.
• Prepares program reports for VA Central Office, VISN leadership, and Medical Center leadership.
• Monitors referral processes between VA facilities, Military Treatment Facilities, and community hospitals to ensure timely inter-facility transfers.
• Oversees Military Treatment Facility referrals and identifies Post-9/11 SM/Vs within the catchment area, ensuring proper registration and collaboration with Enrollment and Eligibility staff.
• Establishes performance and outcome standards aligned with medical center, VISN, and VA Central Office expectations, and documents program effectiveness.
• Ensures policy and procedural compliance with regulatory and accrediting bodies including Joint Commission (JC) and Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).
• Researches, disseminates, and analyzes local, state, and national community resources to support continuity of care and enhance Veteran quality of life.
• Identifies unmet needs within the Post-9/11 population and collaborates with facility, VISN, and VA Central Office stakeholders to develop solutions.
• Develops a data-driven continuous quality improvement plan with measurable goals and outcomes.
• Designs and implements outreach strategies to engage Post-9/11 SM/Vs who may benefit from services but are not currently accessing VA care.
• Maintains an ongoing education program for patients, community partners, students, and staff covering clinical practice guidelines, mental health and readjustment issues, psychosocial challenges, and caregiver concerns relevant to Post-9/11 SM/Vs.
• Performs independent psychosocial assessments and interventions for diverse populations.
• Uses advanced professional judgment, leadership, and social work skills.
• Recognizes the complex needs and challenges associated with military-to-civilian transition, mental health concerns, and multi-agency involvement.
• Conducts thorough assessments examining underlying causes, interpersonal/environmental factors, and barriers to treatment adherence.
• Employs a range of specialized interventions, including individual, group, and family therapy; advanced case management; and evidence-based psychosocial treatments.
• Follows VA Medical Center protocols in emergencies, including mandatory reporting to Adult or Child Protective Services.
• Provides on-site crisis facilitation when needed.
• Educates Veterans and families regarding VA and community benefits, catastrophic disability, Advance Directives, Living Wills, and Goals of Care conversations.
• Facilitates discussions around illness, health care, life changes, and long-term planning.
• Maintains education programs for patients, students, and staff.
• Provides independent, ongoing supportive counseling for Post-9/11 SM/Vs coping with chronic illness, disability, functional decline, catastrophic conditions, or acute stressors.
• Assists Veterans and families with grief and loss associated with illness and end-of-life issues.
• Coordinates referrals to Mental Health and PCMHI as needed.
• Acts as an advocate to help Veterans navigate complex systems or bureaucratic challenges.
• Promotes self-advocacy to support independence and empowerment.
• Screens all Post-9/11 SM/Vs for case management needs and provides services when indicated.
• Applies lifespan developmental principles and supports Veterans dealing with grief, disability, or terminal illness.
• Coordinates care delivery across settings and provides psychosocial and psychiatric assessments within clinical privileges.
• Provides direct patient care.

Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:30pm Monday - Friday

Telework: This position is eligible for telework on an Ad- Hoc Basis per agency policy

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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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 ( 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.
• 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.
• 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 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
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).

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). Grandfathering Provision: The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all title 38 hybrid qualification standards. Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/registration requirements that apply to this occupation.

• All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all of the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:
• Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure or certification, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
• Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
• Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
• If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

NOTE: If social workers covered under the grandfathering provision of the 1991 Federal law regarding licensure or certification of VHA social workers leave the GS-0185 social work series, they lose the grandfathering protection. If they choose to return at a later date to the GS-0185 series, they must be licensed or certified to qualify for employment as a social worker.

Grade Determination: GS-12 Social Worker (Program Coordinator)

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.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

1.Knowledge of program coordination and administration which includes consultation, negotiation, and monitoring.

2. Knowledge and ability to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program.

3. Ability to supervise multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program.

4. Skill in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating assigned program area(s).

5. Ability to provide training, orientation, and guidance within clinical practice.

References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39, Social Worker Qualification Standard, GS-0185, Veterans Health Administration, dated September 10, 2019.

Driver's License: Candidate must have a current state issued driver's license.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 Employee Occupational Health Service

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: 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:

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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