Summary

The Mental Health Social Work Supervisory Program Coordinator is responsible for oversight and supervision of all the staff in the Behavioral Health Social Work Programs - including the Primary Care Mental Health Integration Program - BHIP Social Workers - Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselors - COMPACT ACT Coordinator - Behavioral Health Social Workers in Community Based Outpatient Clinics - Women's Health - SUD/Pain Clinic - and Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

Basic Requirements:

• The basic requirements for employment as a VHA social worker are prescribed by statute in 38 U.S.C. § 7402(b)(9) - as amended by section 205 of Public Law 106-419 - enacted November 1 - 2000
• To qualify for appointment as a social worker in VHA - all applicants must meet the following: Citizenship
• Be a citizen of the United States
• (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S. Code)
• 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 Master 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/
• English Language Proficiency
• Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• 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-13
• Experience/Education
• One year of experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level
• Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment - demonstrating progressively more professional competency
• Candidates 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
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Skill in coordinating and implementing one or more specialty program(s) - across the facility
• (b) Skill in local policy and practice development - procedures - and/or practice guidelines for the program as prescribed by the program handbook or national directive
• (c) Skill in organizing work - setting priorities - meeting multiple deadlines - and evaluating assigned program area(s)
• (d) Ability to collaborate with internal and external partners to further program goals and enhance patient centered care
• (e) Ability to provide the full range of supervisory duties including assignment of work to be performed
• performance evaluations
• and selection of staff - training - and recommendation of awards - advancements - and when appropriate - disciplinary action
• (f) 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
• (g) Knowledge of organizational structure and impact on program operations
• Preferred Experience: Program Development and minimum 1 year supervisory experience
• 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-13
• Physical Requirements: Operation of a motor vehicle
• must be able to see a computer screen
• and hearing (aid may be permitted)
• You must be able to work alone and closely with others.

Duties

• This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 30 - 2026
• The first cut-off dates for referral of eligible applications will be 5/12/2026
• All eligible applicants will be reviewed and referred to the hiring manager no later than 5/19/2026
• Eligible applications received after 5/12/2026 will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis
• This position is a key managerial position in the delivery of behavioral health services for Veterans at the Walla Walla VAMC main campus - Yakima CBOC - Tri-Cities CBOC - Lewiston CBOC - and LaGrande CBOC
• The incumbent has administrative - professional - and technical duties and responsibilities for the management of the continuum of outpatient specialized services
• The Mental Health Social Work Program Coordinator independently provides clinical psychosocial and case management services at an advanced practice level to eligible Veterans and their family members with complex biological - psychological - social - and environmental needs
• The incumbent is required to interact not only with the Veteran but also family - significant others - community agencies and other staff
• FUNCTIONS OF THE POSITION
• Supervise and manage workload and assignments of assigned direct reports under the BH Service line
• The location of service delivery will focus on the needs of each individual Veteran
• Service delivery may be provided in the BH - associated CBOC locations or by tele-health
• Fiscal accountability and responsibility for fund control points - as appropriate
• Interview Veterans and family members to establish facts about the Veteran's situation - presenting problems and their causes - and the impact of such problems on the Veteran's functioning and health as part of a comprehensive psychosocial assessment
• Interpret and explain VA treatment and benefit programs
• Use advanced clinical training - insight - and experience to interpret data and to identify viable treatment options
• Assess high risk - factors - acuity - and need for services
• Serve Veterans who tend to have frequent and severe crises - lack family or an adequate community support network - are poor at self-monitoring - and frequently fail to comply with instructions and treatment - or have significant deficits in coping skills requiring continued professional biopsychosocial support
• Perform insightful assessment of serious and complicated cases involving psychiatric illness - catastrophic medical conditions - dementia - and other high risk diagnoses
• Identify the need to formulate proposals for executive-level management consideration
• Serve as a mentor to other Social Workers - particularly those at the entry level
• Provide clinical supervision to unlicensed Social Workers and Social Work Associates
• Work collaboratively with community-based organizations - Veterans service groups - and other stakeholders to expand the range of available resources to Veterans
• Establish strategic partnerships and memorandums of understanding between community-based service providers and the Medical Center as needed and appropriate
• Provide budget and financial management of the assigned programs through calls - reviews - guidelines - and instructions
• Coordinate Social Work services with other services offered in treatment programs - ensure such services are complementary and comprehensive
• Provide case management services to those Veterans at high social or medical risk - serving as the liaison to other treatment programs
• Represent the program in contacts with other agencies and the public
• Conduct staff development training and take responsibility for providing opportunities to help staff update their skills and acquire new knowledge in contemporary treatment modalities
• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: Mon - Fri - 8:00am to 4:30pm
• Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: 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: Ad-hoc
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 000000
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.