Geri PACT Social Worker

30 Day Hiring Model

The Department of Veterans Affairs is implementing a streamlined 30-Day Hiring Model designed to accelerate hiring while maintaining the highest standards of merit-based selection. This improved process reduces traditional hiring timelines by integrating early coordination faster assessments and efficient pre-employment actions. Applicants can expect a more transparent predictable and efficient hiring journey from announcement to entry on duty.

What Applicants Can Expect

• Expedited Candidate Review Once the announcement closes Human Resources will quickly review applications issue certificates of eligible candidates the day after the announcement closes and refer applicants for hiring manager consideration.
• Quick Interviews & References

HR may arrange interviews and will request references within 3-5 days after being referred to the hiring manager.

• Streamlined Pre-Employment Requirements: Following a tentative offer applicants should be prepared to complete required steps such as fingerprinting and background check credentialing and medical examination within 3 days of the offer.
• Clear and Timely Communication: Applicants will receive clear communication at key milestones including referral tentative offer and onboarding instructions.

After meeting pre-employment requirements candidates will receive a final job offer and start date. Onboarding tasks may continue after starting with HR ensuring timely completion for a smooth transition into VA service. If selected applicants should be prepared to come onboard within 30 days of the announcement closing.

VA Careers - Social Work: incumbent has the following knowledge skills duties and responsibilities:

• Must have a high level of skill and expertise to establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans and/or their families. Be able to independently work with Veterans and their families experiencing a wide range of complicated medical psychiatric emotional behavioral and psychosocial problems.
• Independently complete thorough psychosocial assessments to determine the mental health diagnosis psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and/or their families. Must be able to utilize this assessment in developing and implementing a comprehensive treatment plan for attainment of the highest level of independence that is possible and practicable.
• Demonstrate knowledge and experience in the use of medical and mental health diagnoses disabilities and treatment procedures. This includes acute chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries common medications and their side effects and medical terminology.
• Actively participate as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team through collaboration with Veterans and family in the development and implementation of treatment goals and interventions.
• Facilitate action for community placements through collaboration with Veterans and their families as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members to ensure that appropriate community placements are completed in a timely manner.
• Serve as a liaison between Veterans and/or their families and VA and community resources in order to ensure thorough delivery of services.
• Possess knowledge and ability to implement psychotherapeutic treatment modalities provide educational classes and/or treatment and supportive groups for Veterans and families.
• Provide consultation and education to Veterans and their families regarding community resources VA benefits and specialty programs and advance directives. This includes the process for accessing and/or coordinating community-based services information and referral for additional services from other VA programs other government programs and community programs.
• Acts as a liaison between VA and community resources to include marketing and public relation duties as needed.
• Travel where necessary or as assigned in the capacity of community outreach support. Maintains active government driving privileges including possession of valid drivers license and current training per policy.
• Participates in a rotation of on-call social workers including modification of tour of duty to accommodate service needs after hours or on the weekends
• Performs other duties as needed to meet the needs of the service facility and/or the mission of the VA.

Work Schedule:
Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Telework: Available on an Ad-Hoc basis.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

• 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 identification 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.

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 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.

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 VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. 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 chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline.
  • For appointments at the GS-9 grade level VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent masters level within three years of their appointment as a social worker. Most states require two years of post-MSW experience as a prerequisite to taking the licensure/certification exam and VHA gives social workers one additional year to pass the licensure/certification states such as California Washington and others where the prerequisites for licensure exceed two years social workers must become licensed at the independent masters level within one year of meeting the full state prerequisites for licensure.
• Failure to Obtain License or Certification. In all cases social workers must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure or certification starting from the date of their appointment. Failure to become licensed or certified within the prescribed amount of time will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment.

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 GS-9

• Experience Education and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements.
• Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
  • Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic cultural ethnic educational and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills.
  • Ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members and to formulate and implement a treatment plan identifying the Veterans problems strengths weaknesses coping skills and assistance needed.
  • Ability to 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.
  • Ability to 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.

Social Worker GS-11

• 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 or certification in a state at the independent practice level. OR
• 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 community and other governmental agencies for services and ability to coordinate services.
  • Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic cultural ethnic educational and other diversified backgrounds.
  • Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses disabilities and 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.
  • Skill in independently implementing different treatment modalities in working with individuals families and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric medical and social problems to achieve treatment goals.
  • Ability to provide consultation services to new social workers social work graduate students and other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment.

References: VA Handbook 5005/120 Part II Appendix G39The full performance level of this vacancy is 11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 9 to 11.

Physical Requirements: Traveling throughout the medical center and the community is required as is performing activities involving sitting walking and standing bending and carrying such items as books papers and carrying out responsibilities it may be necessary for the incumbent to travel into the community where he/she conducts interviews with the Veterans their families representatives of the community. The incumbent must possess current drivers license and drive a government vehicle in carrying out professional duties when deemed necessary