Job Description
Summary
The incumbent is a Supervisory Social Worker (Department Head - Outpatient Mental Health - local title) assigned to the Captain James A Lovell Federal Health Care Center (FHCC) in North Chicago - IL. The Supervisory Social Worker in this position is responsible for the oversight of operations in the FHCC Outpatient Mental Health Clinic where mental health services are provided to Veterans - Active Duty Service Members and their Dependents.
Qualifications
Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.
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 to verify that the social work degree meets the 4 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
- 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 GS-9 grade level
- For the GS-11 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
- 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) - GS-13 Experience/Education
- One year of experience equivalent to the GS-12 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/Certification
- Individual 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 - candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Skill in administrative and supervisory duties which includes personnel actions - clinical supervision - consultation - negotiation with other departments - and quality improvement
- Skill in applying legal - ethical - and professional standards applicable to social work practice
- Skill in developing - maintaining - and managing social work services in all settings
- 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
- Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit
- The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13.
Duties
- The incumbent is responsible for completing the following duties/responsibilities: Direct management of the program managers in the Mental Health Clinic
- as well as the Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) in McHenry - Kenosha - and Evanston
- This position has administrative responsibility and oversight of all staff working in the areas which report to the individual
- Performance appraisal semiannually implemented for immediate supervisees across disciplines
- Foster interdisciplinary relationships throughout year - as well as professional and educational development of lower graded staff and problem resolution management
- T Support staff to optimize quality of service and productivity while preventing staff burnout
- Promote staff participation in roles of training - supervision - and teaching of interns - students - and residents
- Clinical Functions Complete psychosocial assessments - diagnose and treat mental health disorders
- Provide comprehensive - evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions - including manual-driven - evidence-based cognitive-behavioral approaches to individual and group psychotherapy
- Provide education to patients - family members - and significant others
- Assumes complete professional responsibility for his/her clinical assessment findings - patient care decisions - and documentation
- Administrative Functions Has line and staff authority for resource allocations within the area of responsibility
- Serves an essential function in consulting with Outpatient Mental Health staff
- Routinely make decisions ensuring that adequately trained staff is assigned to meet the myriad of DOD special evaluation requests made by Commanding Officers throughout a 12-state catchment area on behalf of their service members with mental health service needs
- Decisions made to balance use of military corpsmen - VA employees - and contractors where roles overlap
- Routinely makes decisions with knowledge of being a good financial steward upon ordering office supplies - computers - phones - furniture - pamphlets - requesting repairs - psychological testing - and educational videos
- Continuing education approval is routinely decided based upon topic relevance and budgetary status
- Ensures efficient operation of the organizational unit
- Administrative knowledge of Mental Health Clinic settings - CBOC settings - PCMHI settings - and clinical knowledge which includes a contemporary knowledge of theories and practice including evidence-based practices and techniques
- Has regular and recurring contact with individuals representing divergent backgrounds - interests - and points of view
- Provides guidance on VACO and DOD directives - program guidelines and policies - FHCC Joint Policy Instructions - bulletins - union contracts - supervisory memoranda - policy and procedure statements - functional statements - position descriptions - performance standards - and Joint Commission and/or CARF criteria
- Responsible for the balance of promotion of access to care guidelines - adherence for patients and satisfy providers schedules
- Promotes the paradigm shift in treatment via the recovery model when many patients expect lifelong care
- Promoting paradigm shift to evidenced based psychotherapy - motivating senior providers to recognize the benefits of these practices - promote staff adherence to the numerous mandatory trainings that arise from VA and DOD
- Management of the dual electronic record entry competence in support of an integrated VA - DOD facility
- Oversee the establishment of program monitors and outcome measurements within programs using data-driven quality assurance processes
- Provides information regarding program planning and relevant treatment approaches
- Supervisory Control Reports to the Clinical Director Mental Health
- Accepts direction from his/her supervisor in collaboration with the Social Work Executive
- The incumbent will report to the Social Work Executive for supervision of Social Work professional practices/issues
- Consults with their supervisors/leadership as needed and with colleagues to develop knowledge and apply agency policies and practices to new matters
- The incumbent's clinical work is reviewed for technical adequacy and conformance with procedures and practices applicable to the subject Work Schedule: Monday-Friday - 0730-1600 Virtual: This is not a virtual position
- Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
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About Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.
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