Social Worker Program Coordinator - M2VA

Veterans Health Administration • Fort Riley, KS

3d • Onsite

About The Position

The Social Worker Program Coordinator, VA Liaison, ensures the transfer of inpatient and outpatient health care from a Military Treatment Facility (MTF) to an appropriate VA health care facility. Working onsite at the MTF, the liaison works with staff, service members, families, and Veterans to support priority access to health care and provide education about VHA benefits.

The role provides advanced-practice consultation on complex discharge planning and VA health care benefits, resources, and facilities; coordinates referrals and care transfers; manages the day-to-day VA Liaison initiative; and supports the development and implementation of transition policies and programs. The coordinator also collects and evaluates program data, develops reports and guidance, and collaborates with VA, Department of Defense, VBA, and other agency and community partners to support seamless transitions of care.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in social work from a school fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education; a doctoral degree cannot substitute for the master’s degree.
• Licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master’s degree level.
• Licensed or certified at the advanced-practice level for assignment as a social worker program coordinator, with ability to provide supervision for licensure.
• One year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 level, demonstrating advanced-practice skills, judgment, and progressively greater professional competency.
• Knowledge of program coordination and administration, including consultation, negotiation, and monitoring.
• Knowledge and ability to write program policies, procedures, or practice guidelines.
• Ability to supervise multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program.
• Skill in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating assigned program areas.
• Ability to provide training, orientation, and guidance within clinical practice.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Meet applicable federal employment, identification, security-investigation, onboarding, and application-document requirements; male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must meet Selective Service registration requirements.
• Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program as required for VA Health Care Personnel.
• Serve a two-year trial period.

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge of military culture.
• Experience coordinating care across complex systems.
• Experience working with people at high risk for suicide and with safety planning.
• Post-master’s certification or training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum or course of study and internship, or equivalent supervised professional experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide advanced-practice consultation to MTF treatment teams on complex discharge planning and VA health care benefits, resources, and facilities.
• Develop collaborative relationships with MTF social workers, nurses, case managers, managed care staff, and discharge planners to identify patients ready for discharge to VA care.
• Coordinate with the receiving VA facility’s Enrollment Coordinator to register active-duty service members or enroll Veterans using referral information.
• Work with the Military2VA Program Manager at the receiving VA facility to initiate and process referrals and care linkages.
• Communicate transfer plans to patients and families and identify unique needs requiring attention.
• Maintain contact with the M2VA Program Manager and MTF staff to coordinate transfers and obtain information needed to optimize continuity of care.
• Provide patient-level referral and outcome information for transfers to the VA Liaison National Program Manager, Care Management and Social Work Service, Office of Patient Care Services.
• Collaborate and share pertinent referral information with Veterans Benefits Administration staff and other national, state, and local agencies and departments.
• Prepare reports, briefs, and presentations for VA, Department of Defense, Congressional staff, and community organizations.
• Manage the day-to-day operations of the VA Liaison initiative and support accountability, program effectiveness, and service-pattern modifications to enhance customer service.
• Interpret VHA administrative and clinical policies, directives, handbooks, patient-care initiatives, VA and VBA policies, laws, federal regulations, and applicable accreditation standards.
• Design, develop, coordinate, and implement plans, data collection, reporting requirements, and evaluations of transition services.
• Develop, gather, and apply data to plan and implement program goals and projections; consider changes in policy, resources, legislation, mission, and initiatives when reviewing program reports and studies.
• Assist in developing and implementing transition policies and programs.
• Provide supervision for multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program, and provide training, orientation, and guidance within clinical practice.

Benefits

• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, including annual leave, sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to approval.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment, in connection with birth, adoption, or foster-care placement.
• Potential childcare subsidy after 60 days for eligible full-time employees and eligible children, subject to income and program limits.
• Traditional federal pension, with five-year vesting, and federal 401(k) with up to 5% in VA contributions.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance; many federal insurance programs may be carried into retirement.
• Competitive salary and regular salary increases; a higher step rate may be considered based on qualifications or VA needs.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior