Senior Social Worker-Elko PACT

• Represents the VA with professionalism & respect to both internal & external stakeholders.
• Acts as a subject matter expert on VA &/or community resources.
• Collaborates with other service providers in assessing the Veterans needs as appropriate.
• Works closely & coordinates with other PACT Social Workers in the health care system along with providing consultation & education to VA staff & community-based service providers including medical residents & social work students.
• Educates Veterans &/or caregivers about the available services & assists them in establishing the appropriate referrals based on the Veterans preference or that of their authorized surrogate decision-maker.
• Conducts outreach & engagement activities with Veterans experiencing homelessness housing instability behavioral health concerns or difficulty engaging in healthcare services.
• Establishes & maintains collaborative relationships with community shelters transitional housing programs law enforcement agencies treatment courts food pantries outreach teams & other community partners serving vulnerable Veteran populations.
• Provide consultation services regarding the psychosocial needs of homeless & justice-involved Veterans to PACT staff & community providers.
• Utilizes knowledge of community resources makes referrals to the community & other government agencies as appropriate & coordinates services.
• Utilizes current VA & community social service programs & enhances the content to the benefit of Veterans.
• Serves as a liaison with community agencies assists Veterans (or caregivers) with referrals for services from community & government agencies & helps coordinate these services when appropriate.
• Coordinates with other VA staff & community agencies to assist in problem-solving as needed.
• Runs psychotherapeutic & psychoeducational groups for Veterans caregivers &/or family members.
• Conducts direct outreach assessment case management & care coordination for Veterans experiencing homelessness or housing instability & refers Veterans to appropriate VA & non-VA services.
• Assists eligible Veterans with enrollment into VA healthcare & linkage to housing mental health substance use disorder treatment financial assistance transportation & supportive community services.
• Coordinates with VA Homeless Programs including HUD-VASH HCHV Grant & Per Diem (GPD)Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans (DCHV) VJO & community providers to facilitate continuity of care & housing stability. As appropriate this may entail coordinating with other VA facilities due to the clinics location.
• Collaborates with community agencies shelters outreach teams law enforcement & justice partners to improve access to care & reduce barriers for Veterans experiencing homelessness.
• Participates in community outreach events stand downs & field-based engagement efforts to identify & connect vulnerable Veterans with VA healthcare & supportive services.
• Conducts psychosocial assessments & treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic cultural ethnic educational & other diversified backgrounds.
• Functions as an independent provider within the PACT.

Work Schedule: M-F 8:00am- 4:30pm
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact mailto: OR mailto: the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Pay: Competitive salary & regular salary increases When setting pay a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
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.
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.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment full time employees with a total family income below $144000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) & 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)
Telework: May be Available on an Ad-hoc basis as determined by the agency policy
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 613960
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): 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 evaluation/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.

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 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 License Requirement: A current Valid State issued Drivers License is required for this position.

Grade Determinations:

Senior Social Worker GS-12

• Experience/Education. The candidate must have at least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which one year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Senior social workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment. Senior social workers are experts in their specialized area of practice. Senior social workers may have certification or other post-masters training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience in a specialty.
• Licensure/Certification. Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure.
• Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

(a) Skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations. This includes individual group and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management.
(b) Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
(c) Knowledge in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to design system changes.
(d) Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients in the service delivery area as well as role modeling effective social work practice skills.
(e) Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession and to write policies procedures and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area.

Assignments. For all assignments above the full performance level the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope complexity (difficulty) and variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Senior social workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work at an advanced level. Senior social workers typically practice in a major program area such as but not limited to: Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center or Polytrauma Network Site; a Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Center or a national VHA referral center such as a national Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or a national Transplant Center or other program areas of equivalent scope and complexity.

Preferred Experience: 1-year post-MSW experience in a health care setting

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit Requirements: Must be in overall good health able to sit at a desk working at a computer engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting walking bending and carrying supplies. Social Worker must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands exercise patience and control emotions with reasonable accommodation if necessary without endangering the health and safety of the social worker or others.

This position requires a valid state drivers license and local travel to provide community-based care to Veterans. The position requires significant travel in the community through use of a government vehicle or other individual arrangements to meet with representatives/stakeholders who provide assistance and support to Veterans in clinics medical centers Community Clinics etc.

This position also requires close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; and repetitive motions of the wrists hands and/or fingers.