Social Worker Service Chief

We're Looking for a skilled Social Worker Service Chief in the Veterans Health Administration based in Biloxi, Mississippi. Read through the job description to see if it matches your current experience.

The Successful Applicant

Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Noncitizens 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 Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. (Noncitizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit) Education. Have a masters 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 masters degree in social work. Verification of the degree can be made by going tohttp://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 GS0185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the masters degree level. Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/. Exception. VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. This exception only applies at the GS9 grade level. For the GS11 grade level and above the candidate must be licensed or certified. At the time of appointment the supervisor chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline. (a)For appointments at the GS9 grade level VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent masters level within three years of their appointment as asocial worker. Most states require two years of postMSW experience as a prerequisite to taking the licensure/certification exam and VHA gives social workers one additional year to pass the licensure/certification exam. In states such as California Washington and others where the prerequisites for licensure exceed two years social workers must become licensed at the independent masters level within one year of meeting the full state prerequisites for licensure. (b)A social worker who does not yet have a license that allows independent practice must be supervised by a licensed independent practitioner of the same discipline who is a VA staff member and who has access to the electronic health record. (c)Different states have different levels of licensure or certification making it difficult for VHA staff to determine the independent practice level. Each state Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia completed surveys identifying the level of licensure or certification allowing independent practice. Copies of the surveys are on file in the VHA Office of Care Management and Social Work Services and a summary spreadsheet of the levels of licensure or certification is available to social work professional standards board members for purposes of determining whether the social workers level of licensure or certification meets the VHA qualification standards. All states except California use a series of licensure exams administered by the ASWB. Information can be found at https://www.aswb.org/.The ASWB is the association of boards that regulates social work. ASWB develops and maintains the social work licensing examination used across the country and is a central resource for information on the legal regulation of social work. Failure to Obtain License or Certification. In all cases social workers must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure or certification starting from the date of their appointment. Failure to become licensed or certified within the prescribed amount of time will result in removal from the GS0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment. 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 GS0185 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 (Service Chief) GS14 Experience/Education. Experience/Education. One year of experience equivalent to the GS13 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 postmasters 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. 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 above the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs. 1. ) 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 2. Skill in applying legal ethical and professional standards to social work practice. 3. Skill in developing maintaining and managing social work services in multiple divisions/sections. 4. Ability to ensure compliance with social work practice policy and accreditation standards across the continuum of health care. 5. Skill in providing consultation to facility leadership managers and other staff on 25 social work qualification standards practice competency productivity and continuing education requirements 6. Skill in administrative oversight to ensure compliance with social work licensure requirements. Preferred Experience: 1. 5years experience in a Social Work leadership role with skills in team management staff training and performance evaluation across multiple physical care delivery sites. 2. 5years experience demonstrating strong administrative and supervisory skills supporting service programs and engaging with executive members of a health care setting. 3. 5years experience with accreditation and regulatory standards such as those set by The Joint Commission (T JC) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) and various State Social Work Licensing Boards. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS14.

What’s on Offer

The role offers excellent opportunities for top performers to further develop their competencies as a social worker and improving the lives of people.