Social Worker (Program Coordinator)

Summary The Social Worker (Program Coordinator) - Local Recovery Coordinator (LRC) is located at the Columbia VA HCS and serves to assist in implementation of policies and procedures from the National Recovery Coordinator (NRC) and facilitates implementation of recovery‑oriented services in Mental Health programs – which includes education of providers and veterans and their families on recovery and evaluation of implementation efforts. Qualifications 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: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) – no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless proficient in basic written and spoken English Education: Must hold a master’s degree in social work from a school fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) Graduates of schools in candidacy status do not meet this requirement until the school is fully accredited A doctoral degree in Social Work may not substitute for the master’s degree Licensure: Must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master’s degree level Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS‑11 grade level, demonstrating advanced practice skills and professional competency Examples of specialized experience at GS‑11 include assessing abuse or intimate partner violence, use of clinical social work skills, maintaining patient privacy, acting as an advocate, assessing psychosocial functioning, and supervising multidisciplinary staff Licensure/Certification: Must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level and able to provide supervision for licensure Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Knowledge of program coordination and administration including consultation, negotiation, monitoring; ability to write policies and procedures; supervise staff; organize work and evaluate program areas; provide training and orientation; apply clinical practice guidelines; handle complex ethical conflicts independently Preferred Experience: None The full performance level is GS‑11; actual grade may be GS‑12 Physical Requirements: No specific physical demands Duties Advises Mental Health (MH) Chief or program directors on filling peer specialist positions and serves as consultant to peer support specialists Assists with VA regional or local recovery‑oriented training, meetings, or conferences as needed Serves as MH liaison to the facility Consumer Council Provides annual reports on implementation progress to the VISN RC and NRC; prepares other reports as requested Meets quarterly via conference call with other VISN LRCs to coordinate a network response and implementation of CO policies related to recovery Participates in facility MH leadership meetings and policy planning groups Identified as the facility point of contact for the SMI Re‑Engagement Project Develops ongoing education plans for veterans and families, including health support groups and resources, and informs about involvement in improving mental health care through the Consumer Council Consults on development of peer support groups, consumer counseling, and consumer‑operated services per local needs; utilizes community resources when available Incorporates organizational vision, mission, and goals; establishes program policies, procedures, objectives; applies clinical pathways and national case‑management standards Conducts complex review and analysis of ambiguous situations and ethical conflicts independently Provides comprehensive, coordinated, integrated care to maximize health outcomes and efficiency Collects data to establish best practice patterns and identify trends requiring further study Interacts collaboratively with medical, nursing and ancillary staff; clients, families, peers, contract personnel, external case managers, agencies, service providers, lawyers, and insurance companies Work schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:00 am–4:30 pm, subject to change Compensation: Competitive salary and regular increases; higher step rate may be granted for special qualifications Benefits: Paid time off (37‑50 days per year) including annual leave, sick leave, and federal holidays; parental leave up to 12 weeks after 12 months; childcare subsidy for eligible employees; traditional federal pension and 401K; federal insurance programs; not telework, no virtual Functional Statement #: 61935F; PCS not authorized #J-18808-Ljbffr