Social Worker (Program Coordinator)

Summary

The incumbent is a social worker and serves in a full-time capacity within the Mental Health Service (MHS) within the VA Detroit Healthcare System. The social worker is part of the Homeless Programs Section. The social work coordinator's duties are conducted in correctional facilities, including county jails, work release centers, and criminal justice courts across the medical center's catchment area (Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Sanilac, and St. Clair Counties).

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Duties

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Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

This position is primarily conducted away from the main facility and supervisors which requires an advanced level of practice and the ability to work independently. This position requires mastery of a wide range of qualitative and/or quantitative methods for assessment, evaluation, and quality improvement. The coordinator has the primary responsibility to provide assessments, case management services, and referral, linkage, and advocacy support to Veterans who are justice-involved. The incumbent will provide a significant amount of their services to older Veterans with complex biopsychosocial issues. The incumbent may also provide clinical supervision for social work health trainees.

Duties may include but not limited to:

• Develops, implements, and maintains all established and new regulations for Veteran Justice Outreach (VJO).
• Advocates on behalf of Veterans' service in MHS before local, state, regional, and federal justice-involved entities.
• Monitors the clinical care of justice-involved Veterans within the VJO program.
• Assesses and monitors the compliance of courts, prisons, and jails that participate in VJO to regulations and protocols as established by statute.
• Provides oversight of VJO programs as defined in prevailing directives and recommendations.
• Verifies Veteran status and eligibility for participation in the VJO Program.
• Reviews, approves, and/or disapproves admissions, readmissions, and extensions of care.
• Serves as ongoing case management for justice-involved Veterans who are being monitored by the courts and correctional facilities.
• Serves as an active member of the court treatment team, providing or coordinating the provision of clinical treatment using evidence-based models.
• Collaborates with county probation officers, prosecutors, public defenders, private attorneys, retained counsel, and parole officers as warranted to develop a post-release plan and/or community-based alternatives to incarceration.
• Identifies viable treatment options for justice-involved Veterans
• Establishes a relationship with correctional medical and psychiatric leadership and personnel, as appropriate, to ensure continuity of care.
• May perform work in maximum, medium, or minimum security correction institutions usually under a "no hostage" policy.

Work Schedule : Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm. Schedule may be subject to change based on the needs of the Agency.

Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized

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 : Only Ad hoc (short term or episodic) may be approved as determined by Agency policy.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 93873-0

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation/examination.
• 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.
• 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.

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. § 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 to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of social work.
• Licensure/Certification. 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

Grade Determinations : In addition to the basic requirements listed above for employment, the following criteria must be met:

GS-12 Social Worker (Program Coordinator)

Experience and Education. At the GS-12 grade, you must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 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.

In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the professional KSAs below:

• 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: Clinical/Macro Experience; Clinical/Macro Licensure; Court/Jail/Prison/Justice-Involved Experience; Ability to Drive; Ability to pass Security Clearances for Jails, Prisons, and Courts

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

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: This position will involve driving a motor vehicle (with a valid driver's license), walking, climbing stairs, and carrying light objects while assisting Veterans in the Contract Residential agencies in the community. The ability to hear and communicate verbally with Veterans is essential. Work will take place indoors and outdoors. The work involves working closely with others.

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:

IMPORTANT: A transcript, either official or unofficial, must be submitted with your application for ALL degrees. A copy of your certificate/degree or screenshot of your current classes are not a replacement of your transcript and they will not be used in the qualifying process. Transcripts must include the following information:

• Your Name
• Name of the college or university
• Full address of the college or university
• Degree Received
• Date Conferred

REMINDER: A transcript, either official or unofficial, must be submitted with your application for ALL degrees. A copy of your certificate/degree or screenshot of your current classes are not a replacement of your transcript and they will not be used in the qualifying process.

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.

VA Healthcare System advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being

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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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.

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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.