Social Worker

VA Careers - Licensed Clinical Social Worker: Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

The HUD/VASH Program requires continuous coordination with the communitys homeless providers and coalitions as well as with other local state and federal agencies.

FUNCTIONS OR SCOPE OF ASSIGNED DUTIES (include but are not limited to):
GS-09: The incumbent reports programmatically and administratively to the Supervisory Social Worker HUDVASH Program under the Domiciliary Service. Work is reviewed through regularly scheduled meetings with the supervisor. All social work duties must be under the close supervision of a social work supervisor or licensed social worker of a higher grade.
GS-11: The incumbent reports programmatically and administratively to the Supervisory Social Worker HUD-VASH Program under the Domiciliary Service. The incumbent practices independently using professional judgment and expertise to make decisions about services and treatment provided for veterans and their significant others/family members. Given authority to make his/her work assignments within the program area to which assigned. Consults with the supervisor as needed or with colleagues to develop knowledge to apply agency policies and practices to new matters. The work is reviewed for technical adequacy and conformance with procedures and practices applicable to the subject.

• Outreach: Under the direction of the clinical supervisor the incumbent regularly conducts and participates in outreach activities including field interviews assessments and referrals for homeless veterans contacted in the community shelters and on the streets as well as those who are referred by VA residential programs medical centers or outpatient clinics.
• Referral Rehabilitation and Program Admission: The incumbent provides referral to VA medical and mental health inpatient and outpatient treatment and to other community-based social services and other VA entitlement programs.
• Comprehensive Case Management: The incumbent develops psychosocial treatment plans actively involving the veteran and their family or significant others in coordination with interdisciplinary team members based on the psychosocial assessments including goals for clinical treatment.
• Evaluation Education Supervision Coaching and Mentoring: The incumbent meets with veterans to assess accomplishments and re-establish goals monitors veterans progress maintains comprehensive documentation and ensures expert diagnosis and treatment of clinical disorders.
• Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis: The incumbent assesses at-risk factors and develops a preliminary plan involving the veteran family or significant others and performs an insightful assessment of serious complicated cases involving psychiatric illness which may also include catastrophic medical conditions dementia traumatic brain injuries and other high-risk diagnoses.
• Other Duties as assigned
• Driver License: The incumbent of this position must possess an appropriate valid CA drivers license to operate sanctioned vehicles in the transportation of patients and/or equipment.

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.
• 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.

• 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 education or licensure requirements may be referred tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: The requirements for VHA social workers are prescribed by statute in 38 U.S.C. 7402(b)(9) amended by section 205 of Public Law 106-419 November 1 2000. To qualify for appointment as a social worker in VHA all applicants must meet the following:

• Education: Have a masters degree in social work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). A doctoral degree in social work may not be substituted for a 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 work positions in VHA must be licensed by a state to independently practice social work at the masters degree level. Current state requirements may be found by going to This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level. For the GS-11 grade level and above the candidate must be licensed or certified. At the time of appointment the supervisor will provide the unlicensed social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification including the time by which the license must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed by the deadline.

• Experience Education and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements.
• Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities: In addition to the above the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
  • Work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic cultural ethnic educational and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills.
  • Assess the psychosocial functioning needs of Veterans and their family members to formulate and implement a treatment plan identifying the problems strengths weaknesses coping skills and assistance needed.
  • Implement treatment modalities in working with individuals families and groups to achieve treatment goals. This requires judgment and skill in utilizing supportive problem-solving or crisis intervention techniques.
  • Establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients staff and representatives of community agencies.
  • Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses disabilities and treatment procedures. This includes acute chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries; common medications and their effects/side effects; and medical terminology.
• Entry Level Assignments: Individuals assigned as GS-9 grade level social workers are considered to be at the entry level and are closely supervised as they are not yet functioning at the independent practice level conferred by independent licensure. Social workers at the GS-9 entry level are typically assigned to program areas that do not require specialized knowledge or experience.
• Duties may include but are not limited to: Identifying behaviors or symptoms of abuse neglect or exploitation providing education social work case management acting as an advocate of the Veteran and family members/caregiver identifying the strengths weaknesses coping skills psychosocial acuity and assisting with the appropriate referrals. GS-9 social workers provide psychosocial services in the assigned area under supervision.

• Experience and Licensure: Appointment to the GS-11 grade level requires completion of a minimum of one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the field of health care or other social work-related settings (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure in a state at the independent practice level.
• Education: In addition to meeting basic requirements a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required one year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting.
• Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities: In addition to the experience above candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
  • Knowledge of community resources how to make appropriate referrals to the community and other governmental agencies for services and the ability to coordinate services.
  • Independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic cultural ethnic educational and other diversified backgrounds.
  • Medical and mental health diagnoses disabilities treatment procedures (i.e. acute chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries common medications and their effects/side effects and medical terminology) to formulate a treatment plan.
  • Independently implementing different treatment modalities working with individuals families and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric medical and social problems to achieve treatment goals.
  • Provide consultation services to new social workers social work graduate students and other staff about the needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment.
• Full Performance Level Assignments: This is the full performance level. Social workers at this level are licensed to independently practice social work.
• Incumbents are assigned to all program areas including but not limited to: Mental health rehabilitation and geriatrics. Provide professional independent social work services in the assigned area.
• Duties include but are not limited to: Assessing and documenting symptoms of abuse neglect exploitation or intimate partner violence maintain Veteran privacy and confidentiality per policy; acting as an advocate with VA and community service providers when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver. Independently formulate and implement a treatment plan including achievable goals identifying the needs strengths weaknesses coping skills and psychosocial acuity. Providing subject matter consultation to colleagues and students on the treatment of Veterans offering professional opinions based on experience expertise and role modeling effective social work practice skills.