Social Worker- Service Chief

The Chief of Social Work Service is a full-time administrator for more than 40 Social Workers, including subordinate supervisory Social Workers, licensed professional mental health counselors (LPMHCs)/licensed professional counselors (LPCs), registered nurses (RNs), & other disciplines in the service line. They have full responsibility for clinical practice, program management, education, human resource management & supervision, & organizational stewardship for a Social Work programs.

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 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/. 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). Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Social Worker - Service Chief GS-14 Experience/Education. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level. The chief social work service must evidence possession of supervisory and management skills. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills in administration, demonstrating progressively more professional competency skills and judgment. 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. The chief social worker 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 and licensure above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Skill in providing the full range of supervisory duties across multiple service divisions/sections, which would include responsibility for assignment of work to be performed, performance evaluation, selection of staff, and recommendations of awards, advancements, and when appropriate, disciplinary actions. Skill in applying legal, ethical, and professional standards to social work practice. Skill in developing, maintaining, and managing social work services in multiple divisions/sections. Ability to ensure compliance with social work practice, policy, and accreditation standards across the continuum of health care. Skill in providing consultation to facility leadership, managers, and other staff on social work qualification standards, practice, competency, productivity, and continuing education requirements Skill in administrative oversight to ensure compliance with social work licensure requirements. Preferred Experience: Supervisory experience preferred 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-14. Physical Requirements: Duties are performed in an office setting and/or on hospital wards and clinics where there is exposure to communicable diseases common of the client population. This position requires potentially long periods of walking, standing, sitting and may have exposure to patients who are combative, delirious, have psychiatric disorders or dementia. Basic Life Support is required. May require off-site visits to agencies or home visits.