Summary The Deputy Chief for Mental and Behavioral Health Service (DC for MBHS), Durham VA Health Care System, works closely with the Associate Chief of Staff for Mental and Behavioral Health Service (ACOS for MBHS). The DC for MBHS is a member of the MBHS Executive team and in that capacity supports other leaders (supervisors, program managers, clinic directors) within the service. The DC acts as a delegated authority for the ACOS for MBHS. Responsibilities VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional VA Careers - Licensed Clinical Social Worker: https://youtube.com/embed/U_xC25QsN0w EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact vhaedrpprogramsupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply. Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Duties include but are not limited to the following: The DC for MBHS assists the ACOS with the planning, design, implementation, accomplishment, ongoing evaluation and measurement of mental health programs. The DC for MBHS will be assisting in developing strategic plans, policies, procedures, and organizational structures required to fulfill the MBHS and Durham VA missions to deliver outstanding and timely clinical care, support nationally recognized educational programs across several disciplines, and advance healthcare through research. The DC for MBHS will demonstrate extensive and progressive leadership experience as a clinician and administrator. The candidate will possess the ability to promote innovation, inspire organizational excellence, and to build and sustain multidisciplinary teams devoted to the development and promotion of behavioral health programs and services that are evidence-based, cost-effective and veteran-centric. Ideal candidates will be board-certified physicians (Psychiatry), VA Senior/Supervisory Psychologists, or Social Workers. The candidate must have significant mentoring and executive-level management experience in clinical/administrative settings and demonstrated operations and planning experience in a tertiary care environment. A strong working knowledge of VA health care standards is essential. The DC for MBHS works closely with the ACOS for MBHSL, extending relationships with the Medical Center Director, Chief of Staff office, Social Work Services, Nursing services to operate in a fiscally responsible manner. Under the ACOS for MBHSL, the DC for MBHS supports agency priorities for staff services, education, business management. The DC achieves VA objectives in quality of services and programs across the service line, as evaluated by internal indicators, regulatory and accreditation reviews, and patient satisfaction data, serves as a liaison for the Service Line to internal and external stakeholders. The DC participates in identifying and recommending candidates for selection, reassignment or promotions into management positions within the programs managed by MHSL. The DC (physician) will oversee and have supervisory responsibility over: Quality improvement and consult triage, Provides direct supervision to a group of staff who provide support to the MHSL, Outpatient Division, Greenville Division, Administrative support line within the MBHSL. The DC will provide direct health care to patients within incumbent's area of expertise, on a limited basis. Work Schedule: Full Time, Monday - Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm 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. Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation. 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. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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 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). Grade Determinations: Social Worker (Program Manager), GS-14 Experience and Education. One year of experience equivalent to the GS- 13 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency. Individual 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. Licensure/Certification. Individuals assigned as social worker program manager must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level, and must be able to provide supervision for licensure. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all the following KSAs: (a) Skill in large scale program coordination and administration across multiple sites, which includes consultation, negotiation, and monitoring. (b) Ability to translate management goals and objectives into well-coordinated and controlled work operations. (c) Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems and to develop and implement solutions that result in sound operation of the program. (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 which would include responsibility for assignment of work to be performed; performance evaluations; 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) Skill in developing policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program and in participating in national program development. (h) Ability to collaborate with internal VHA partners, locally and on a national level, as well as external community partners to further program goals and enhance patient centered care. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-14. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-14 . Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services. 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 or 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.
