Social Worker Program Coordinator - Substance Use Disorder

Full Time, onsite
Veterans Health Administration
Grand Junction, United States of America

$ 113,630 - $ 147,720 / month

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Assumes, under the direct supervision of the SUD Program Coordinator, the responsibility for the coordination & management of outpatient substance use treatment services offered by the VA WCHCS.
Supervises, executes, & monitors all activities carried out by the Outpatient SUD Program.
Provides care to the region's eligible Veterans, many of whom have complex needs that include serious and persistent mental health, medical, & psychosocial problems.
Responsible for multiple performance areas within the Outpatient SUD Program. These include but are not limited to national & local statutes, Joint Commission accreditation standards, CARF accreditation standards, & VHA program requirements.
Leads a multidisciplinary team, to include psychologists, social workers, nurses, & other health care professionals. Leads regularly scheduled staff meetings.
Responsible for the oversight of the Outpatient SUD operational policies and procedures, with the approval of the SUD Program Coordinator.
Conducts ongoing program evaluation & data-driven quality improvement projects that monitor the effectiveness of clinical operations within their respective program(s).
Organizes & leads leadership team meetings in order to facilitate case disposition, care management, effective delivery of clinical interventions, & the adherence to administrative demands.
Monitors & distributes provider-specific workload reports to team leaders & ensures provider adherence to workload standards.
Plans work to be accomplished by team members, including establishing priorities, timelines for completion, & necessary adjustments therein.
Ensures timely access to care of patients assigned to each team, in accordance with local & national policies.
Initiates & maintains liaisons with associated VA health care programs in order to effectively coordinate services.
Monitors compliance of team members with VA performance measures & effectively shapes provider practice patterns to improve standing on performance measures.
Provides clinical supervision, to assigned team members regarding adherence to VA WCHCS medico-legal stands & policies, documentation of CPRS procedures, & the clinical management of difficult, complex, & dangerous patients.
Assists in the hiring of new staff members for the Outpatient SUD Program, to include constructing job announcement(s), preparing functional statements, &/or selecting final job candidates.
Resolves conflicts among assigned staff & adjudicates complaints & problems of employees in a timely & effective manner.
Functions as the supervisor of record for management area team leaders & provides input on the performance evaluations for administrative staff within the section.
Assumes responsibility for taking appropriate disciplinary actions for employees with performance problems in a timely & effective manner.
Ensures that appropriate coverage is arranged for patient care responsibilities when staff members are on leave. Approves leave for employees directly under their supervision.
Facilitates liaisons with other health care programs for effective continuity of care & coordinate services. Ensures optimal collaboration between Outpatient SUD Program & other VA WCHCS SUD Programs.
May be asked to attend & participate in administrative & informational meetings held by the Psychosocial Services Section Chief, Mental Health Chief, Chief of Staff, &/or Facility Director.
Attends recurring Mental Health Service meetings & trainings.
Protects printed & electronic files containing sensitive data in accordance with provisions of Federal privacy acts & confidentiality statutes.
Allocate resources within the Mental Health Service at Western Colorado, based on a data-driven decision making process with consideration given to the overall needs of the organization & Service Line.
Oversee survey readiness for the Outpatient SUD Program, in collaboration with the SUD Program Coordinator, Mental Health Leadership, & the QM Manager.
Oversee and collaborate with Outpatient SUD team to ensure success on facility and Mental Health performance metrics.
Comprehend, interpret, & use the data array decided on by the SUD Program Coordinator & Mental Health Leadership.
Complete suspense actions related to the management area.

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.
Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications

*** This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until June 30, 2025 or until position is filled. The initial cutoff date for referral of eligible applications will be March 24, 2025. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as needed basis until positions are filled. ***

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:

English Language Proficiency

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

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 http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation 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 http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/.

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

Social Worker (Program Coordinator), GS-12

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.

Assignments. Program coordinators at the GS-12 grade level are administratively responsible for a clinical program providing treatment to Veterans in a major specialty area, such as but not limited to: Spinal Cord Injury, Homeless Continuum Veteran Program, Hospice and Palliative Care Program, Suicide Prevention Program, Veterans Justice Outreach, Caregiver Support Program and Community Nursing Home Program. The program coordinator may be the sole practitioner in this specialty at the facility and typically provide direct patient care services in the program area. The program coordinator oversees the daily operation of the program, develop policies and procedures for program operation, and prepare reports and statistics for facility, VISN, and national use. They may be responsible for the program's budget, developing and monitoring staff compliance with practice, standards and guidelines on documentation, workload, data entry, ethical practice and service delivery. The program coordinator provides analysis and evaluation of clinical program data and computerized programs to identify system-wide trends and needs to enhance the quality of service. They may be responsible for, or contribute to, the program's resource and fiscal management, monitoring control points developing the annual budget, operating within that budget, and accounting for appropriated funds. The program coordinator is administratively responsible for the clinical programming and prepares reports and statistics for facility, VISN, and national use. They provide leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs for assigned staff. They initiate and conduct a variety of program or service audits and complete designated clinical practice audits and reports, including productivity assessments. They oversee program operations and evaluations, identifying areas for improvement, gathering relevant data, assessing the data, developing and implementing ideas for improvement and evaluating efficacy of improvement efforts.

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.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

(a) Knowledge of program coordination and administration which includes consultation, negotiation, and monitoring.
(b) Knowledge and ability to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program.
(c) Ability to supervise multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program.
(d) Skill in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating assigned program area(s).
(e) Ability to provide training, orientation, and guidance within clinical practice.

Preferred Experience: Knowledge of treatment of substance use disorders, harm reduction philosophy and principles of recovery, and experience in managing a multidisciplinary team are preferred. Supervisory experience preferred.

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13.

Physical Requirements: Must be in overall good health, able to sit at a desk working at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies. SW must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions, with reasonable accommodation, if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the SW or others.
Position requires walking throughout the clinic and/or Medical Center, standing for extended periods of time, and involves sitting at a computer and in counsel and consultation with Veterans and interdisciplinary teams.
This position also requires close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; and repetitive motions of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.

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 or 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.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

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 at .

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. .

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.