Social Worker-Community Living Center (CLC)

VA Careers - Social Work: include but are not limited to:

The GS-09 Community Living Center (CLC) Social Worker which includes Social Work on General Long-Term Care Subacute Rehab Dementia and Geriatric Psych units is a licensed social worker practicing under close clinical supervision within Social Work Service assigned to the Extended Care service line. The incumbent provides clinical social work services to older adult Veterans with psychiatric cognitive behavioral and psychosocial needs working under the regular guidance and review of a senior social worker or supervisor. The Social Worker assists with biopsychosocial assessment treatment planning psychotherapy crisis intervention behavioral management strategies and interdisciplinary care coordination for Veterans with dementia mood disorders psychotic disorders substance use disorders neurocognitive decline and psychiatric conditions complicated by chronic illness or functional loss with supervisory oversight commensurate with case complexity. The Social Worker supports recovery-oriented trauma-informed and Veteran-centered care across the General CLC and the Geriatric Psychiatric CLC including long-term care memory care and geriatric psychiatry settings as applicable under the direction of the assigned supervisor.

The GS-11 Community Living Center (CLC) Social Worker which includes Social Work on General Long-Term Care Subacute Rehab Dementia and Geriatric Psych units is a licensed independent practitioner within Social Work Service assigned to the Extended Care service line. The incumbent provides specialized clinical social work services to older adult Veterans with complex psychiatric cognitive behavioral and psychosocial needs. The Social Worker delivers comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment treatment planning psychotherapy crisis intervention behavioral management strategies and interdisciplinary care coordination for Veterans with dementia mood disorders psychotic disorders substance use disorders neurocognitive decline and psychiatric conditions complicated by chronic illness or functional loss. The Social Worker promotes recovery-oriented trauma-informed and Veteran-centered care across the General CLC and the Geriatric Psychiatric CLC including long-term care memory care and geriatric psychiatry settings as applicable.

Performing other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM.
Telework: Not available.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

• 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.
• 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.

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: Possess 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. For grades below or at the full performance 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 3 years of their appointment as a social worker.
• Licensure: Possess a full and unrestricted license or certification by a state to independently practice social work at the masters degree level.
• English Language Proficiency: Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English.

GS-9 Grade Determinations:

Experience and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements.

AND

Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities: In addition to the experience above the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
(a) Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic cultural ethnic educational and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills.
(b) 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.
(c) 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.
(d) Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients staff and representatives of community agencies.
(e) 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.

GS-11 Grade Determinations:

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.

AND

Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities: In addition to the experience above candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
(a) Knowledge of community resources how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services and ability to coordinate services.
(b) 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.
(c) 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.
(d) 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.
(e) 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.

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).

Preferred Experience: Geriatric and medical experience.

References: VA Handbook 5005/120 Part II Appendix G39

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to GS-11.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019