Social Worker Caregiver Support Coordinator (PGCSS)

This position is located in the Mental Health Directorate at the James A. Lovell FHCC located in North Chicago IL.. The General Caregiver Support Program Coordinator is a Social Work Program Coordinator whose primary responsibilities are to provide clinical evidence-based services and interventions; program development; caregiver Veteran and staff education on caregiver issues; community outreach; resource development; continuous quality-improvement activities and evaluation/consultation.

Functions of assigned duties include:

• Develops and implements the General Caregiver Support Program specific to his/her area of assignment and insures compliance and collaboration with local facility and the VA Central Office Caregiver Support Program initiatives.
• Administers information and analytical systems to evaluate and enhance the quality of service provided to caregivers families and Veterans.
• Develops and implements information systems to track service activities including visits referrals caregiver demographics equipment utilization and caregiver and Veteran satisfaction.
• Develops implements and evaluates clinical guidelines and protocols to establish appropriate utilization of services. The Coordinator participates in direct caregiver and Veteran communication to identify and assess caregiver stress/burden and the development and application of directed clinical treatment interventions including but not limited to brief psychotherapy for caregiver stress education and referrals to specialized mental health services.
• Advises and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams throughout the medical center on caregiver issues.
• Creates educational tools develops programs and implements training focused on specific caregiver needs/issues.
• Provides education and in-service training to VAMC employees Veterans families and caregivers.
• Provides ongoing consultation and support to colleagues regarding caregiver support.
• Develops and facilitates caregiver support groups (face-to-face telehealth or VANTS telephone line) and educational programs including.
• Distributes educational materials provided by VA local state and national caregiver organizations.
• Conducts caregiver and family clinical interventions to facilitate the identification of caregiver stress psychiatric illness emotional distress and social needs as treatment issues.
• Provides referrals to VA medical and mental health treatment and to other VA services including VA benefits as well as community-based social services and other non-VA entitlement programs for General Caregivers.
• Serves as the major consultant for information on negotiating the complex processes caregivers Veterans and families encounter when interacting with government and community agencies.
• Maintains a knowledge base of current theory and treatment modalities by reading professional journals attending conferences clinic seminars and teleconferences and materials distributed through VA and private sector sources.
• Collaborates with the VA Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) mental health TBI/Polytrauma geriatric primary care and/or other specialty clinicians to provide Veteran and staff education on caregiver issues.
• Serves as a liaison between the VA and community agencies. Participates in caregiver support activities in the local community and state to promote and recognize the role of the caregiver. Participates on state and local caregiver support committees. Invites state and community caregiver related agencies to participate on the local VA Caregiver Support Advisory Board. Develops and fosters relationships with community partners to assist with system navigation maintain collaboration and coordinate services.
• Provides outreach presentations to community social service agencies military Guard and Reserve units Veteran Service organizations and other groups on VA caregiver benefits programs and services.
• Coordinates the events and programs for the annual National Family Caregivers Month every November that includes announcement and advertising of month-long activities mobilization of participants educational sessions caregiver recognition events and caregiver support programs.
• Collects analyzes and reports program data to local management VISN Caregiver Support Coordinator Lead and the National Caregiver Support Program Care Management and Social Work Service Office of Patient Care Services. Evaluates program progress and outcomes and utilizes data to continuously modify and improve the program and processes.

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 ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers 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.

• 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.

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 masters 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 masters degree in social work. Verification of the degree can be made by going to 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 masters degree level. Current state requirements may be found by going to 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-12
  • 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. Candidate may have certification or other post-masters 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 coordinator must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level and must be able to provide supervision for licensure.
  • Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and addition to the experience above the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
    • 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.
  Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12.

  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: 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:

  Additional information

  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 applicants 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.

  Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government passionate about the ideals of our American republic and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

  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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

  Review our benefits

  Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.