Social Worker (Community Living Center)

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information refer to Required Documents below.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Incumbent is a professional social worker assigned to support Social Work Service programming and must possess the knowledge of implementing treatment modalities; and how to do the following: 1) identify level of functioning degree of impairment in occupational social academic interpersonal and family area; 2) evaluate and assess lethality 3) perform mental status exams (MSE) 4) identify psychiatric manifestations of various medical conditions 5) assess and intervene with patients of suspected abuse and provide counseling or psychotherapy for individuals families and groups.
Major duties include but are not limited to:

• Referrals typically originate from professional staff from Veterans and/or their families seeking assistance and from community professionals.
• Determines the presenting problem psychosocial factors impacting the problem and obstacles to treatment and/or follow through with recommended treatments.
• Provides social work case management coordination with members of the treatment team to ensure a collaborative effort to meet the treatment goals for a Veteran.
• Acts as a liaison with community professionals regarding needed services for Veterans and/or their families.
• Establishes and maintains effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans and/or their families with proficiency.
• Works with Veterans and their families experiencing a wide range of complicated medical psychiatric emotional behavioral and psychosocial problems.
• Completes thorough psychosocial assessments to determine the mental health diagnosis psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and/or their families.
• Utilizes assessment in developing and implementing a comprehensive treatment plan for attainment of the highest level of independence that is possible and practicable.
• Uses demonstrated knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses disabilities and treatment procedures which includes acute chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries common medications and their side effects and medical terminology.
• Conducts psychosocial assessments of high-risk patients to identify suicidality through use of the Suicide Risk Assessment (SRA) and other appropriate tools independently.
• Participates actively as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team through collaboration with Veterans and family in the development and implementation of treatment goals and interventions.
• Facilitates 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.
• Implements psychotherapeutic treatment modalities provide educational classes and/or treatment and supportive groups for Veterans and families based on knowledge and ability.
• Provides consultation and education to Veterans and their families regarding community resources VA benefits and specialty programs and advance directives which 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.
• Provides consultation to other treatment team and staff members regarding psychosocial needs of Veterans and/or their families and the impact of the identified psychosocial problems on the Veterans health care planning and compliance with treatment.
• Maintains knowledge of Veterans benefits and services community resources and process for making appropriate referrals to community and other governmental programs or agencies.
• Must possess and demonstrate ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing with people from varied backgrounds.
• Perform other assigned duties as assigned.

• 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 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:

• Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States.
• 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.
  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: In addition to the basic requirements above candidates must meet the following grade requirements.
  Social Worker GS-09
  (1) Experience Education and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements.
  (2) Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
  (a) Ability to utilize a Veteran centric approach when providing interventions and counseling for Veterans their family members caregivers and survivors.
  (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.
  (3) 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 or certification. 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 on advance directives and advanced care planning; providing social work case management; acting as an advocate with appropriate VA and community service providers/agencies when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver; assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members identifying the Veterans strengths weaknesses coping skills and psychosocial acuity in collaboration with the Veteran family and interdisciplinary treatment teams; maintaining a current network of internal and external resources to educate the Veteran and/or family members/caregivers and assist with the appropriate referrals. Since social workers at this level are not practicing at an independent level they should not be assigned to program areas where independent practice is required such as in a CBOC unless there is a licensed social worker in the program area who can provide supervision for practice. GS-9 social workers provide psychosocial services in the assigned area under supervision.
  
  Social Worker GS-11
  (1) 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. NOTE: For appointment licensure or certification at this level please refer to paragraph 3c. OR
  (2) 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.
  (3) 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 educational and other 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.
  (4) Full Performance Level Assignments. Social workers at this level are licensed or certified to independently practice social work. Incumbents are assigned to all program areas including but not limited to: inpatient or outpatient medicine surgery mental health neurology rehabilitation medicine and geriatrics. Employees provide professional independent social work services in the assigned area. Duties include but are not limited to: assessing and documenting identified behaviors or symptoms of abuse neglect exploitation and/or intimate partner violence; use of clinical social work skills and knowledge to maintain Veteran privacy and confidentiality per policies handbooks or directives; and acts as an advocate with appropriate VA and community service providers and agencies when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver. Incumbent independently assesses the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members identifying the Veterans strengths weaknesses coping skills and psychosocial acuity.
  Education

  Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges universities schools or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information visit: is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and may be posted up to August 6 2026 OR until vacancy filled. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be May 20 2026 with subsequent cut-off dates every two weeks until vacancy is filled.
  
  ****Recruitment/ Relocation Incentive may be authorized for highly qualified candidates****

  Additional information

  Continuation of Qualifications.
  In collaboration with the Veteran family/caregiver and interdisciplinary treatment team the social worker facilitates the delivery of health care services. The social worker identifies family/caregiver stressors conducts assessment and provides specific interventions. Incumbent independently assesses the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members identifying the Veterans strengths weaknesses coping skills and psychosocial collaboration with the Veteran family/caregiver and interdisciplinary treatment team the social worker facilitates the delivery of health care services. The social worker identifies family/caregiver stressors conducts assessment and provides specific interventions. The incumbent provides case management and care coordination to facilitate appropriate delivery of health care services incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of Veterans including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. The social worker links the Veteran with services resources and opportunities in order to maximize the Veterans independence health and well-being. The social worker conducts timely assessment of at-risk Veterans in crisis to identify immediate needs evaluate risk and initiate safety plan as appropriate. The social worker provides interventions independently with Veterans and their families/caregivers who are experiencing a wide range of complicated medical behavioral health financial legal and psychosocial problems. They provide a range of interventions and treatment modalities which may include individual group and/or family counseling or psychotherapy. They independently formulate and implement a treatment plan including measurable achievable goals identifying the Veterans needs strengths weaknesses coping skills and psychosocial acuity. Social workers serve on committees work groups and task forces at the facility and VISN level or in the community. They provide subject matter consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of Veterans offering professional opinions based on experience expertise and role modeling effective social work practice skills. The social worker establishes and maintains ongoing education programs for Veterans community agencies students and staff to facilitate understanding of social work interventions specific to the Veteran/Military population.
  
  Preferred Experience: Prior work in a VA CLC nursing home rehabilitation facility or long term care setting
  
  Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit 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: The work is primarily sedentary although some physical effort may be required e.g. walking standing climbing ladders stooping kneeling and carrying light items such as manuals or briefcases.
  
  Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act the Department of VA prohibits requesting an applicants criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations Security and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

  Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government passionate about the ideals of our American republic and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

  A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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  Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.