Social Worker (Program Coordinator Urgent Care)

Veterans Health Administration • Jamaica Plain, MA

11h • Hybrid

About The Position

This position has two components: serving as Program Coordinator for the Jamaica Plain Urgent Care Mental Health team (60%) and providing outpatient mental health care in the General Mental Health Clinic (40%). The Urgent Care program provides mental health assessment and treatment for people seeking admission, outpatient referrals, crisis counseling, or disposition back to the community. Patients may have complex mental health needs, including serious mental illness, substance use disorders, and PTSD, and may be at risk of harm to themselves or others or of withdrawal. The General Mental Health Clinic provides outpatient treatment to Veterans with complex mental health concerns through an interdisciplinary team.

The Social Work Program Coordinator is an independent leadership position with administrative and clinical responsibilities. The coordinator oversees daily clinical operations, trains new mental health clinicians, manages backup coverage, collaborates with program leadership to provide timely services and implement mandates, and communicates relevant policies and procedures to staff and trainees. The role also responds to Veteran concerns and complaints, represents the program in oversight and accreditation meetings, and may participate in teaching, training, or program evaluation. The position is scheduled Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Ad hoc telework may be authorized; this is not a virtual position. The incumbent may need to travel to other VA campuses and community-based outpatient clinics.

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 this requirement.
• Current state license or certification to independently practice social work at the master’s level; program coordinators must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level and able to provide licensure supervision.
• For the GS-12 Program Coordinator grade: one year of experience equivalent to GS-11, demonstrating advanced practice skills, judgment, and progressively increasing professional competency.
• For the GS-11 full-performance level: at least one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to GS-9 in health care or another social-work-related setting, plus independent-practice licensure or certification; alternatively, a doctoral degree in social work may substitute for the experience requirement.
• Demonstrate knowledge of program coordination and administration, including consultation, negotiation, and monitoring.
• Demonstrate knowledge and ability to write program policies, procedures, or practice guidelines.
• Demonstrate ability to supervise multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program.
• Demonstrate skill in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating program areas.
• Demonstrate ability to provide clinical training, orientation, and guidance.
• Demonstrate knowledge of community resources and ability to make referrals and coordinate services.
• Demonstrate skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Demonstrate knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, treatment procedures, common medications and their effects, and medical terminology to formulate treatment plans.
• Demonstrate skill in independently implementing treatment modalities with individuals, families, and groups experiencing psychiatric, medical, or social problems.
• Demonstrate ability to consult with new social workers, graduate students, and other staff about patients’ psychosocial needs and their effects on health care and treatment adherence.
• Be a U.S. citizen and proficient in written and spoken English.
• Maintain a full, valid, unrestricted independent license or certification as required for continued qualification.
• Meet applicable background, security, pre-employment evaluation, credentialing, onboarding, and influenza vaccination requirements; males born after December 31, 1959 must meet Selective Service registration requirements.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period.

Nice To Haves

• Program coordination and evaluation experience.
• Training and experience providing evidence-based individual and group psychotherapies.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and general clinical administrative oversight for the daily operation of Jamaica Plain Urgent Care Mental Health clinicians.
• Train new mental health clinicians.
• Administer backup mental health clinician coverage.
• Collaborate with other Urgent Care Mental Health leadership to support effective and timely services for Veterans.
• Work with Urgent Care Mental Health leadership to develop and implement solutions for VACO-directed mandates.
• Disseminate Service and Medical Center policies and procedures to Urgent Care Mental Health staff and trainees.
• Provide outpatient mental health care in the General Mental Health Clinic as part of an interdisciplinary team.
• Respond to concerns and complaints from Veterans seen by Urgent Care Mental Health, coordinating with mental health leadership, the Office of Patient-Centered Care, and the Director’s Office as appropriate.
• Represent Jamaica Plain Urgent Care Mental Health at accreditation agency meetings and VACO oversight committees.
• May participate in teaching, training, and program evaluation.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to eligibility and approval, with an award of up to $200,000.
• Competitive salary and regular salary increases; a higher step rate may be considered for higher or unique qualifications or agency needs.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, including 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of 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 placement.
• Potential childcare subsidy after 60 days for eligible full-time employees, up to 25% of eligible costs and a stated monthly maximum.
• 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 can be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

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