Summary

This Social Worker (Program Coordinator) - Survivors Assistance and Memorial Support (SAMS) is assigned to Social Work Service Programs at VA Puget Sound Health Care System located in Seattle - Washington with responsibility to provide direct services for Veterans - their families and caregivers.

Qualifications

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 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: 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
• 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
• 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: Moderate lifting and carrying (15-44 lbs.) - use of fingers - operation of motor vehicle - ability to see computer screen - depth perception - and hearing (aid may be permitted)
• Environmental factors include working closely with others - working alone - and identifying deceased bodies.

Duties

• Duties include - but are not limited to: Managing the daily operations of the program - develops policies and procedures for program operation - and prepares reports and statistics for facility - VISN - and national use
• Establishes effective partnerships with Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) - National Cemetery Administration (NCA) - Office of Survivors Assistance (OSA) - Vet Centers - and other federal - state - and local agencies
• Builds and maintains collaborative partnerships with local - state - tribal and federal agencies - as well as Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) - faith-based and community organizations and other groups
• Partners with inpatient acute care teams - hospice and palliative care teams - and with other program areas
• Provides referrals and/or assistance for Veterans and next of kin to obtain the care - services - and benefits
• Partners with clinical staff in inpatient acute medical - surgical - and critical care settings - and in the Community Living Center hospice unit to proactively facilitate their engagement with VA Puget Sound Social Work Services decedent affairs - survivors' assistance - and memorial support services
• Provides education - training - and consultation to clinical and administrative staff in outpatient and inpatient areas with questions regarding programming - eligibility - services - and policies and procedures
• Survivors Assistance Responsible for developing and managing a facility-wide Bereavement Program
• Develops collaborative relationships across divisions in support of staff - trainee - volunteer - and community participation in conducting Bereavement Program services
• Identifies and tracks deaths that occur at VAPSHCS campuses
• Contacts next-of-kin within required timeframes of a Veteran's death
• assesses NOK grief
• provides skilled - and brief bereavement counseling
• Works with the Hospice & Palliative Care Program Manager in reviewing the Bereaved Family Survey - prn - and participates in developing targeted improvement interventions
• Partners with the Suicide Prevention (SP) team to provide survivors immediate and on-going support following a suicide loss
• Contacts next of kin of enrolled Veterans who die in the community
• Memorial Support Responsible for developing and managing a facility-wide Memorial Support Program
• Partners with Center for Development & Civic Engagement (CDCE) - Chaplain Service - Community Living Center (CLC) - Inpatient Acute Care Teams (IACT) - Inpatient & Emergency Services Division (IESD) - Hospice & Palliative Care (H&PC) - and others to deliver an array of memorial activities
• Partners with Tahoma National Cemetery to ensure unclaimed Veteran remains receive dignified interment
• Promotes - attends - and may occasionally participate in the Tahoma National Cemetery's Monthly Memorial Service
• Administrative Demonstrates knowledge of program coordination and administration which includes consultation - negotiation - and monitoring
• Writes policies - procedures - and/or practice guidelines for the SAMS Program
• Performs work related to the review - monitoring - analysis - planning and assessment of the SAMS program
• Uses information and analytical systems to evaluate and enhance the quality of services provided to Veterans - their families - caregivers - and survivors
• Develops and implements information systems to track service activities - data - interventions and outcomes - referrals - participant demographics - utilization - and participant satisfaction
• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: 8AM - 4:30PM - Monday - Friday Compressed: Available Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)
• 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) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual - based on prior [work experience] or military service experience
• 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 only Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 00000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized