Supervisory Social Worker (Program Coordinator - CERS Peer Center)

Veterans Health Administration • Los Angeles, CA

3d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is within the Community Engagement Reintegration Services (CERS) - Peer Center at the Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare Center for the National Center for Warrior Independence. The Peer Center provides Veterans with a safe, peer-driven community space that supports recovery, social connection, empowerment, and reintegration through peer-led activities, access to resources, and guidance from trained Peer Specialists. The Supervisory Social Worker Program Coordinator serves as the coordinator of a multidisciplinary Peer Center team and is assigned administrative responsibility for clinical program development, accountable for clinical program effectiveness and program facilitation as it relates to clinical technology support. These positions provide support to the National Center for Warrior Independence within the Peer Center within Community Engagement Reintegration Service at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System in Los Angeles, California.

Requirements

• 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.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements.
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• 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).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.
• 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.
• Transcripts must be submitted at time of application. Conferral of degree(s) must be stated on transcript(s). Unofficial transcripts(s) are acceptable.
• 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/.
• Copies of licensure/certification must be submitted with application packet.
• 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).
• At least one (1) year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level.
• Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency.
• Candidate 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.
• Individuals assigned as social worker program coordinator must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level, and must be able to provide supervision for licensure.
• 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.

Nice To Haves

• May be available based on the needs of the service (Compressed/Flexible Work Schedule).

Responsibilities

• Ensures treatment plan goals for Veterans, including those housed, homeless, or at risk, are being met and documented appropriately.
• Offers staff, Veterans, and community partners education, training, and assistance relevant to Peer Center services, recovery, and engagement.
• Collaborates with facility and clinical leaders to determine Peer Center priorities and clarify strategic direction and goals.
• Provides support to appropriate staff on a continuum of care as it relates to Peer Center programming, integration, expansion, and direct customer service for Veterans.
• Acts as a coach to homeless program clinical teams integrating Peer Center activities and support into their workflow.
• Acts as a coach to Veterans to integrate Peer Center resources into their life journey and helps identify and encourage Veterans to meet treatment plan goals related to recovery and community engagement.
• Collaborates closely with Peer Center leads and VA Homeless staff to ensure care coordination.
• Uses standard data collection instruments to gather and analyze qualitative feedback from Peer Center end users.
• Engages in outreach planning and activities to improve access to Peer Center services and programming.
• Acts as Peer Center subject matter expert for programming, engagement, and recovery support.
• Assesses and documents their observations in Veteran's medical record as related to Peer Center involvement.
• Coordinates care including serving as an advocate on behalf of Veterans to ensure comprehensive service delivery and linking and referring Veterans to the VA Medical Center, VA Regional Offices, and/or community agencies.
• Actively participates in Peer Center meetings, other homeless program calls that support Peer Center development and implementation, and attends trainings offered by VA and community partners.
• Is responsible for following local policy and SOPs for the Peer Center and all VA Homeless program policies both locally and nationally.
• Actively participates in Peer Center program planning and development, advising the Deputy Chief of shifting trends and making recommendations on program procedure or policy changes based upon work experiences.
• Takes responsibility for improving professional skills, participating in planning, and executing specific staff development projects, attending seminars and institutes, and participating in training programs of other disciplines as requested.
• Completes statistical and other reports in accordance with VA Medical Center and respective professional discipline service policies.
• Works with VA Medical Center multi-disciplinary teams and community agencies to strive for developing more effective and efficient ways of delivering Peer Center services to Veterans and has regular access to printed and electronic files containing sensitive data which must be protected under provision of the Privacy Act of 1974 and other applicable laws, Federal Regulations, VA statutes, and policy.
• Incumbent is responsible for protecting data from unauthorized release of access codes, etc., as stated in the computer access agreement which the incumbent signs.
• Assists in providing data regarding the Peer Center's social work services on a regular basis, participates in planning, organizing, and coordinating social work services in the Peer Center, and preparing and implementing the referral process of Veterans to programs.
• Organizes community services and develops working relationships and agreements with other organizations having responsibilities for them.
• Provides clinical supervision for unlicensed social workers and may serve as a field instructor to trainees.

Benefits

• A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package.
• As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.
• 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.
• Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

What This Job Offers

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