Summary

The General Caregiver Support Program Coordinator is a Social Work Program Coordinator whose primary responsibilities are to provide clinical evidence-based services and interventions; program development; caregiver - Veteran and staff education on caregiver issues; community outreach; resource development; continuous quality-improvement activities and evaluation/consultation.

Qualifications

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

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
• COPY OF TRANSCRIPTS WITH CONFER DATE REQUIRED WITH APPLICATION PACKAGE
• 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/
• COPY OF CURRENT - UNEXPIRED LICENSURE REQUIRED WITH APPLCIATION PACKAGE
• 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
• 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: .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
• 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
• COPY OF ADVANCED PRACTICE LICENSURE REQUIRED WITH APPLICATION PACKAGE
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 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: two years working directly with caregivers and building/maintaining community partnerships
• 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-12
• Physical Requirements: light lifting and carrying (under 15 lbs) - use of fingers - operation of a crane - truck - tractor - or motor vehicle - hearing (aid may be permitted) - exposure to: outside and inside - slippery or uneven walking surfaces - working closely with others - working alone.

Duties

• The Coordinator will function in support of caregivers - Veterans and family members throughout the Medical Center and in the community and will support the development and implementation of General Caregiver services
• Duties will include: Develops and implements the General Caregiver Support Program specific to his/her area of assignment and insures compliance and collaboration with local facility and the VA Central Office Caregiver Support Program initiatives
• Administers information and analytical systems to evaluate and enhance the quality of service provided to caregivers - families and Veterans
• Develops and implements information systems to track service activities including visits - referrals - caregiver demographics - equipment utilization and caregiver and Veteran satisfaction
• Develops implements and evaluates clinical guidelines and protocols to establish appropriate utilization of services
• Participates in direct caregiver and Veteran communication to identify and assess caregiver stress/burden and the development and application of directed clinical treatment interventions
• Advises and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams throughout the medical center on caregiver issues
• Creates educational tools - develops programs and implements training focused on specific caregiver needs/issues
• Provides education and in-service training to VAMC employees - Veterans - families and caregivers
• Provides ongoing consultation and support to colleagues regarding caregiver support
• Develops and facilitates caregiver support groups (face-to-face or VANTS telephone line) and educational programs
• Distributes educational materials provided by VA - local - state and national caregiver organizations
• Conducts caregiver and family clinical interventions to facilitate the identification of caregiver stress - psychiatric illness - emotional distress and social needs as treatment issues
• Professional judgment - including the knowledge of normal and abnormal behavior - is an inherent competency applied in daily interactions with caregivers and the Veterans they care for
• Coordinates with other disciplines within the medical center to maintain the Veteran Assessment Clinic - for the purpose of providing a comprehensive assessment for the veterans and caregivers in the General Caregiver Support Program and seeking assistance from the program
• Provides referral to VA medical and mental health treatment and to other VA services including VA benefits - as well as community-based social services and other non-VA entitlement programs
• If appropriate - the Coordinator provides referrals or consults - or in some cases direct admission of a Veteran to other VA programs including but not limited to the Community Residential Care Program - Respite Program - Community Health Care Coordination Program - Hospice - Home Based Primary Care - Telehealth and Community Nursing Home Program
• Serves as the major consultant for information on negotiating the complex processes caregivers - Veterans and families encounter when interacting with government and community agencies
• Collaborates with the VA Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) - mental health and geriatric primary care clinicians to provide Veteran and staff education on caregiver issues
• Serves as a liaison between the VA and community agencies
• Participates in caregiver support activities in the local community and state to promote and recognize the role of the caregiver
• Participates on state and local caregiver support committees
• Invites state and community caregiver related agencies to participate on the local VA Caregiver Support Advisory Board
• Develops and fosters relationships with community partners to assist with system navigation - maintain collaboration and coordinate services
• Provides outreach presentations to community social service agencies - military Guard and Reserve units - Veteran Service organizations and other groups on VA caregiver benefits - programs and services
• Provides consultation - guidance and expertise to community organizations regarding Veteran caregiver specific issues and needs
• Promotes the VA Caregiver Support Program in coordination with the local VA Public Affairs Officer through interviews with local print - voice and television media
• Maintains basic knowledge of local VA medical center programs - community services and VA Central Office caregiver support initiatives
• Maintains knowledge of current federal and state legislation related to caregiver initiatives
• Coordinates the events and programs for the annual National Family Caregivers Month every November that includes announcement and advertising of month-long activities - mobilization of participants - educational sessions - caregiver recognition events and caregiver support programs
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday - 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Recruitment Incentive: Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized