Summary The Hospice and Palliative Care Program Coordinator oversees all hospice, palliative care, and bereavement services offered within the VA Central Iowa Health Care System (VACIHCS). The coordinator independently provides clinical interventions and case management services at an advanced practice level to veterans with life-limiting illness and their loved ones. Responsibilities Duties include, but are not limited to: Establishes and maintains effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans and/or their families. Independently works with Veterans and their families experiencing a wide range of complicated medical, psychiatric, emotional, behavioral, and psychosocial problems through the continuum of care at the end of life. Independently completes thorough psychosocial assessments to determine the mental health diagnosis, psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and/or their families. Utilizes this assessment in developing and implementing a comprehensive treatment plan. Conducts psychosocial assessments, navigates and manages complex, sometimes ethically challenging, case dynamics and assesses suicide risk when appropriate. Serves patients in outpatient settings, inpatient settings including the Community Living Center and medicine units and serves as a liaison to those receiving care in community settings. Serves as the primary social worker on the Inpatient Hospice and Palliative Care Consultation Team. Serves as a liaison to veterans, their loved ones and the team during transitions and will work in partnership with the primary social worker assigned to the case. Serves as the lead on the development, creation and implementation of bereavement service initiatives. Works in close collaboration with the other members of the HPC team, as well as the Palliative Plus Program Social Worker and other PPP team members. Participates as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team through collaboration with Veterans and family, in the development and implementation of treatment goals and interventions. Serves as a liaison between veterans and/or their families/caregivers, and VA and community resources to ensure thorough delivery of services. Implements psychotherapeutic treatment modalities, provides educational classes, and/or provides treatment, supportive groups, and bereavement for Veterans and families. Provides consultation and education to Veterans and their families/caregivers regarding community resources, VA benefits and specialty programs, and advance directives. Provides clinical supervision, as needed to LMSWs working towards their licensure. Develops and implements action plans, educational initiatives, and strategic plans specific to Hospice and Palliative Care programming. Monitors data and outcome measures related to end-of-life care. Responsible for collecting, analyzing and reporting data to REC management and VISN contacts. Serve on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility as deemed appropriate by the Social Work Supervisor and/or Social Work Executive. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am to 4:00pm. The incumbent will participate in a rotation of on-call social workers to accommodate patient care needs on weekends and holidays. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 00000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements 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. 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 BASIC REQUIREMENTS: (a) Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.) (b) English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). (c) Education and Experience. 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. (d) 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 http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/. 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). GS-12 GRADE REQUIREMENTS: (a) Experience and Education. One 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. Examples of specialized experience at the GS-11 include, but are not limited to: assessing and documenting identified behaviors or symptoms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and/or intimate partner violence; use of clinical social work skills; maintaining patient privacy and confidentiality per policies, handbooks or directives; acting as an advocate with appropriate community service providers and agencies when it serves the best interest of the patient and family members/caregiver; independently assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members, identifying the patient's strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and psychosocial acuity. 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. (b) 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. (c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs (document with written demonstration of each of the KSAs must be included with application, see required documents section): 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. Preferred Experience: Direct patient care with palliative and hospice care patient population. Ability to complete psychosocial assessments and provide social work services and support to Veterans with chronic and advanced illness through end of life. Must be able to identify psychosocial needs and provide clinical interventions as needed with Veterans and families facing advanced illnesses and receiving life-limiting diagnoses. Ability to provide clinical supervision for other social workers, work in a leadership role within a team environment, and oversee to day-to-day activities and administrative needs of a growing program. Prior coordination of services and/or programs preferred. All qualifying experience you possess must be clearly described in your application package. We will not make assumptions when reviewing applications. Failure to demonstrate your experience in your resume may result in disqualification. It is strongly recommended that you write to each KSA in your application package. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Education Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: 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. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
