Summary This position is located with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Pacific Region, Division of Human Services in Sacramento, California. This is a Bargaining Unit position, for more information see What are bargaining units? Travel and Relocation expenses will be authorized in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulations. The Pay Flexibilities of a Student Loan Repayment may be authorized, pending availability of funds and management approval. Responsibilities Developing, managing and monitoring social services functions at the regional level in regard to the implementation of child welfare, child protection and ICWA guidance and regulations that are shared by other program offices. Provides oversight and assumes responsibility for evaluating and recommending needed improvements to the automated and manual data systems used by human services programs for receiving and processing ICWA notices and tracking and maintaining tribal ICWA designated agent contact information. Interpret and develop human/social services programs and encourage full use of other appropriately related programs. Provides technical assistance to Tribes in the development of Indian Child Welfare Act grants. Knowledge of grant policy, providers and authorities under which the BIA may award the grants. Serves as the Awarding Official's Technical Representative (AOTR) for ICWA grants/contracts. Review agency contractor social casework records for compliance. Conduct on-site technical evaluation reviews for quality control in Tribally operated and private contract foster care programs. Provide training to Tribes; Tribal human/social/community services programs; other government agencies; internal employees; and other relevant stakeholders in the areas of child welfare, child protection services and ICWA compliance Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS: (OPM Operating Manual, Qualification Standards for Professional and Scientific Positions and Individual Occupational Requirements for GS-0185: Social Work Series). BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Degree: Social Work. Must fulfill all of the requirements for the MASTER'S DEGREE in social work in a school accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: In addition to meeting the basic entry level qualification requirements, applicants must have the following: GS-09: In addition to meeting the basic education requirement, I have at least 1 year of full-time specialized experience or the equivalent, comparable to at least the GS-7 in the Federal Service (obtained in either the public or private sector). This experience includes applying professional knowledge of the principles and practices of social work; providing direct services to individuals and families, and groups; educating or providing instruction, training, consultation and/or advice on social work related questions and services; interprets and applies skills in the provision of human/social services program support to beneficiaries. (Your resume must support this experience.) OR 2 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree. GS-11: In addition to meeting the basic education requirement, I have at least 1 year of full-time specialized experience or the equivalent, comparable to at least the GS-9 in the Federal Service (obtained in either the public or private sector). This experience includes work involving applying practical knowledge of a wide range of social casework, family therapy, systems theory and community organization; direct provision of child welfare services, maintaining active agency participation in the varied advocacy and intervention programs and the coordination of and required cooperation with allied social services, health and other agencies; providing counseling services; developing and maintaining a formalized case management system which documents the workflow of case services with individual case plans; provides technical assistance on all aspects of social services programs and activities. (Your resume must support this experience.) OR 3 years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and is typically in or related to the position to be filled. All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Merit Promotion candidates must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the announcement closing date. Preference in filling vacancies is given to qualified Indian candidates in accordance with the Indian Preference Act of 1934 (title 25, USC Section 472). Additional selections may be made from this announcement if identical vacancies occur in the same location within 90 days from the closing date. Education If you are qualifying based on your education, you MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement. If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society. One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study. If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education which shows the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: FOREIGN EDUCATION Additional Information All new hires earn the beginning salary of their pay grade (Step 1). See 2024 Salary Tables here and select the duty station from the Sacramento, California to choose the appropriate pay chart. If no specific chart is listed for this geographic location, see the "rest of U.S." chart. The full performance level of this position is a GS-11. Promotion potential in this announcement does not constitute a commitment or an obligation on the part of management to promote the employee selected at some future date. A career ladder promotion is at the discretion of management, and in no way guaranteed. TELEWORK: Indian Affairs has determined that the duties of the position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval. As a incidental motor vehicle operator position, you may be required to operate a government-owned or leased motor vehicle in the performance of duties; therefore, a valid driver's license is required and be able to meet the safe driving requirements of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (25 IAM 4 Motor Vehicle Safety Program). Career Transition Assistance Programs: These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above; and, (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp . Certain candidates may be eligible to apply under a special hiring authority including those for disabled individuals, Peace Corps employees, Foreign Service employees, veterans, etc. For more information, visit the following OPM websites: USAJOBS Information Center: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/; Vets Info Guide: http://www.fedshirevets.gov/. Former Federal Employees are required to indicate whether they received a Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP) buyout in their previous employment with the Federal government, and are required to submit a copy of the applicable Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) regarding the VSIP. Most individuals who accept reemployment with the Federal government within 5 years of receiving the VSIP amount, must repay the gross amount of the separation pay prior to reemployment.