Supervisory Social Worker

Veterans Health Administration • Orange, CT

8d • Onsite

About The Position

The Supervisory Social Worker serves as a Readjustment Counseling Service (RCS) Vet Center Director (VCD), providing professional and administrative supervision and oversight of readjustment counseling, outreach, referrals, and follow-up care coordination for eligible individuals throughout the designated Vet Center Service Area. The position supervises professional and nonprofessional staff, including multidisciplinary mental health professionals at various performance levels working across Vet Centers, outstations, community access points, and local communities. Outreach may involve work with a Mobile Vet Center.

The VCD oversees administrative and outreach staff functions and the fiscal, contractual, and operational obligations of the community-based Vet Center. The position leads planning and implementation of Vet Center policies and procedures; establishes staff goals and objectives; monitors, coordinates, and evaluates staff work; and coordinates and briefs Congressional representatives and their staff. The incumbent also provides direct readjustment counseling in person and virtually, both within and outside the Vet Center.

This multidisciplinary role may be filled under separate announcements by qualified social workers, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, or licensed professional mental health counselors. The position is a permanent GS-13 role. The stated schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; some nights and weekends may be required, and the schedule may change based on Vet Center needs. Ad hoc telework may be available, but this is not a virtual position.

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.
• State licensure or certification to independently practice social work at the master’s degree level; supervisory social workers must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level and able to provide supervision for licensure.
• One year of experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level, demonstrating advanced practice skills, judgment, and progressively greater professional competency.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Ability to independently organize work, set priorities, and meet multiple deadlines.
• Skill in supervisory duties, including clinical supervision, consultation, negotiation with other departments, and quality improvement.
• Ability to ensure supervised social workers provide clinical social work services.
• Ability to delegate authority, manage priorities, coordinate work, and follow up on pending issues accurately and on time.
• Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems, develop and implement efficient solutions, and use data to manage workload, quality, performance, and productivity.
• Ability to provide staff training and development.
• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified U.S. citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Must pass a pre-employment physical evaluation or examination and a background/security investigation; seasonal influenza vaccination is required for VA health care personnel.
• Must complete the application requirements and online onboarding process and serve a one- or two-year trial period.
• A transcript must be submitted with the application; foreign education requires a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency and transcript.

Nice To Haves

• Certification or other post-master’s training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university with a defined curriculum or course of study and internship, or equivalent supervised professional experience.
• Eligibility for the VA Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to program requirements and approval.

Responsibilities

• Provide professional and administrative supervision and oversight of readjustment counseling, outreach, referrals, and follow-up care coordination within the designated Vet Center Service Area.
• Supervise professional and nonprofessional staff, including multidisciplinary social work and mental health staff working at multiple locations and in communities.
• Oversee administrative and outreach staff service functions to ensure the needs of individuals in the service area are met.
• Oversee the Vet Center’s fiscal, contractual, and operational obligations.
• Coordinate and brief Congressional representatives and their staff during meetings.
• Plan, establish, and implement Vet Center policies and procedures.
• Develop staff goals and objectives; monitor, coordinate, and evaluate the work of Vet Center staff.
• Provide direct readjustment counseling services in person and virtually, within and outside the Vet Center.
• Organize work, set priorities, meet deadlines, and follow up on pending issues.
• Provide clinical supervision, consultation, negotiation with other departments, quality improvement, staff training, and development.
• Analyze organizational and operational problems, implement solutions, and use data to manage workload, quality, performance, and productivity.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program reimbursement, with approved awards of up to $200,000 over an eligibility period of one to five years.
• Competitive salary and regular salary increases; a higher step rate may be considered for higher or unique qualifications or VA special 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.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment, in connection with birth, adoption, or foster care placement.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify for a childcare subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to income and other eligibility 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 can be carried into retirement.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to approval.

What This Job Offers

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