Social Worker (Program Coordinator)

VA Careers - Social Work:

The Social Worker serves as the Program Manager for the Domiciliary- Substance Use Disorder (DOM-SUD) Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program at the Kansas City VA Medical Center. The Program Manager serves as the primary supervisor for non-nursing staff who support DOM-SUD programming and daily functioning of the 24-hour, 28 bed residential facility. The DOM- SUD treatment program is customer-service oriented, meeting a variety of emotional, psychological, behavioral, physical, interpersonal, and social needs of Veterans. The Program Manager facilitates access to care as a primary strategic priority and facilitates patient-centered, recovery focused care, for this clinical population.

Duties include but are not limited to:

Program Coordination & Administration (Primary Function)

• Oversees all administrative aspects of the DOM-SUD residential program, ensuring compliance with VA, VISN, and accrediting body standards.
• Coordinates program operations, evaluation processes, outcome measurement, quality improvement initiatives, and performance monitoring.
• Develops and implements procedures, policies, and program strategies, and ensures alignment with directives and organizational goals.
• Conducts program analyses, identifies deficiencies, and implements corrective actions to improve service delivery and Veteran outcomes.
• Maintains ongoing collaboration with internal services, external partners, and community organizations, serving as liaison and program representative.
• Prepares and maintains required reports, records, and data systems, ensuring all documentation meets regulatory and quality assurance standards

Clinical Responsibilities

• Conducts comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments and diagnostic evaluations for Veterans in residential SUD treatment.
• Provides evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions, including individual and group therapy, case management, and family education.
• Tailors clinical approaches to address mental health, substance use, physical health, and complex recovery needs.
• Ensures a therapeutic and safe treatment environment, supporting Veterans with unique psychiatric or behavioral challenges.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Provides direct supervision to professional and support staff assigned to the DOM-SUD program.
• Develops performance plans, conducts evaluations, assigns work, and oversees daily workflow and scheduling.
• Advises and counsels employees on administrative and clinical matters and resolves minor personnel issues.
• Participates in hiring processes, recommending appointments, promotions, awards, training, and disciplinary actions.
• Identifies staff development needs and implements training plans to enhance competency and quality of care.

Program Leadership & Representation

• Engages in strategic planning to establish and achieve short- and long-term program goals.
• Represents the program and facility on committees, workgroups, and professional boards at the medical center, VISN, and national levels.
• Builds and maintains effective communication channels with clinical teams, leadership, and stakeholders to ensure alignment and problem-solving.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 7:30am - 4:00pm
Telework: As determined by the agency policy (Ad-hoc)
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact , the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• You 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification 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. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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 http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify that the social work degree meets the 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 .

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 (Program Coordinator), GS-13

(1) Experience/Education. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency. Candidates 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.

(2) Licensure/Certification. 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.

(3) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs. (a) Skill in coordinating and implementing one or more specialty program(s), across the facility.
(b) Skill in local policy and practice development, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program as prescribed by the program handbook or national directive.
(c) Skill in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating assigned program area(s).
(d) Ability to collaborate with internal and external partners to further program goals and enhance patient centered care.
(e) Ability to provide the full range of supervisory duties including assignment of work to be performed; performance evaluations; and selection of staff, training, and recommendation of awards, advancements, and when appropriate, disciplinary action.
(f) Ability to oversee the fiscal matters of the functions supervised (including fund controls, contracts, and equipment expenditures), forecast resource and equipment needs, and administer the allocated budget.
(g) Knowledge of organizational structure and impact on program operations.

Preferred Experience: Mental Health DOM SUD experience

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit .

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-13.

Physical Requirements: While performing the duties of this job, the incumbent is frequently required to stand, walk, and bend, climb stairs, and reach with hands and arms. The incumbent must have good manual dexterity and keyboarding skills. The incumbent must be able to communicate efficiently by expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. In addition the incumbent must be able to utilize, view, or read information on computer screens and operate the telecommunication equipment. The individual must be able to operate a motor vehicle or secure transportation through other means.