Summary The incumbent is the Military Sexual Trauma (MST) Facility Coordinator and is primarily tasked with facilitating access to appropriate health care and mental health services for Veterans who experienced MST. The Social Worker is administratively assigned to the Mental Health & Behavioral Health Sciences Service (MH&BHS), under the Associate Chief of Staff for MH&BHS to provide services at the VA Caribbean Healthcare System. Responsibilities The incumbent performs both clinical and administrative responsibilities independently but may seek consultation and/or peer supervision as needed. The MST Coordinator is known throughout the facility as the designated point of contact, local subject matter expert, and problem solver in the area of MST. Ensures that MST screening is being conducted properly, and that Veterans who screen positive and are interested in treatment are referred and connected with appropriate services in a timely manner in a gender-sensitive manner. This also includes the responsibility to provide an initial response to all MST consults submitted. As a Licensed Independent Provider with clinical privileges in the station, provides care management, same day and scheduled, time limited mental health interventions and psychotherapy to Veterans, face to face and/ or virtually, in individual or group modalities. Through assessment of needs and in collaboration team, the social worker will assure linkage to appropriate level or care and to resources. Experienced in making rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans for admission, short term/or long term placements including involuntary treatment when necessary. Incumbent maintains resource directories (within VA and Community) to meet the demands of a crisis. Provides education related to VA and community resources, entitlements, Advance Directives/Living Will and will refer Veterans/families to the appropriate interdisciplinary team member. Supporting the implementation of national and VISN-level policies related to MST at the facility and associated CBOCs. The MST Coordinator is the primary designee of the medical facility Director for monitoring and coordinating implementation of the Director's MST-related administrative responsibilities. Coordinating with facility business offices and clinical service/care lines to ensure Veterans are not being charged for MST-related care, and that Veterans eligible for MST care only are able to access the appropriate services. Collaborates with leadership to develop a process/policy for evaluating facility MST-related services, to ensure there is adequate capacity to serve the treatment needs of the local MST survivor population and that services are of high quality. Is familiar with (and ideally certified) in provision of: Evidence Based Psychotherapies (EBP) used in the treatment of conditions resulting from MST (e.g., Prolonged Exposure, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy). Has the ability to foster and maintain ongoing collaborations with a variety of departmental, federal and state government, and community organizations. Examples include, but are not limited to, the local VBA Regional Office, Veterans Service Officers, State Veterans Affairs Office, and National Guard and Reserve units. The MST Coordinator plans, directs, and conducts periodic outreach efforts to Veterans, both within the facility and in partnership with community allies, with the goal of raising awareness about VA's MST-related services and how to access them. Makes presentations to VA partners (e.g., local Vet Centers or VBA Regional Office), federal and state government (e.g., local military units), and community groups (e.g., medical schools, universities, Veteran Service Organizations, hospitals) as requested (and with facility Public Affairs Officer approval when needed). Directing and providing staff education to improve MST-related care and services. Provides training specific to MST screening, including how to complete the MST Clinical Reminder, for relevant service/care lines, such as primary care. Responsible for using the current social work resource file of VA and community social service programs and enhancing the content to the benefit of Veterans. The social worker will refer the veteran to needed services. Work Schedule: Monday to Friday 8am-4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position EDRP Authorized: Not authorized Additional Benefits 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) 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 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. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. 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 Applicants must meet the requirements by the closing date of this announcement. 10/29/2024 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/. 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 meeting the basic requirements stated above, the following qualifications criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates. GS-12 Social Worker Program Coordinator candidates must have the following: Experience/Education: Applicants applying at the GS-12 grade level must have 1 year of experience, equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Program Coordinator social workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment. Social workers are experts in their specialized area of practice. They may have certification or other post-masters training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience in a specialty. Training or additional certs must be submitted with application. AND Licensure/Certification: At this grade level, social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California, which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure. Advanced License must be submitted with application. References: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39, Social Worker Qualification Standard, dated 9/10/19. Selective Placement Factor (SPF): This position includes a skill, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to -and essential for- satisfactory performance of the job. Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. Evidence of the Selective Placement Factor must be reflected in your resume. The SPF for this position is: In addition to the English Language Proficiency, you must also be proficient in basic written and spoken Spanish in order to perform the duties of this position. However, your documents must be submitted in English. While we no longer require essay-style responses to our Knowledge's Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics (KSAOs), you must be able to demonstrate that you possess the (below) competencies which are necessary to perform the work of the position. Please ensure your resume/CV/application contains sufficient information to support the level of experience/education/training; otherwise, we will not be able to award you credit for the experience/education/training you claim. If selected, you may be required to submit narrative responses then. These are the KSA's for this position and grade level: 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: Specialized knowledge obtained through education or experience in evidenced-based psychotherapies used in the treatment of conditions resulting from MST (e.g., Prolonged Exposure, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy). Has an extensive knowledge of facility and local community resources for Veterans. Knowledgeable in the procedures involved in coordinating referrals to various appropriate services for Veteran patients. Ability to effectively explain complex clinical and policy information, both to fellow specialists and to laypersons from diverse groups. Exceptional time management skills; able to make use of available time and resources and to prioritize tasks. Physical Requirements: The work requires extreme patience and controlling of emotions. The work may also require assisting physically disabled Veterans. Day-to-day work involves sitting, walking, standing and carrying light objects, such as medical records They must have good manual dexterity. Must be able to express or exchange ideas by means of spoken and written word. Must be able to view and read information on computer screens. Work is typically performed in a clinical setting that exposes the incumbent to the communicable diseases common to the homeless population. Much of the work is performed in a setting away from the office, where the environment cannot be controlled. The incumbent must be able to safely operate a government owned vehicle to be utilized in community-based work. 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. IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application. 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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information This occupation is listed on the OIG Determination of Veterans Health Administration's Occupational Staffing Shortages fiscal year (FY) 2025 dated October 1, 2024. Therefore, vacancy announcement is exempt from Veterans Preference. 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 fully vaccinated 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 Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.