Social Worker Domiciliary Case Manager

The social worker is a masters prepared clinician who provides services for the Domiciliary Veterans and is a resource for domiciliary Veterans for case management services therapy and aftercare planning and follow up. The incumbent completes a psychosocial assessment on Veterans admitted to the Domiciliary Program at VA Central Iowa. The assessments will include data pertinent to the development of an effective recovery oriented treatment plan as stipulated in Joint Commission and CARF standards.

Major duties include but are not limited to the following:

• The incumbent will conduct psychosocial assessments to determine needs of Veterans and family members.
• The incumbent will conduct assessments of patients to determine appropriate VA program needs. The incumbent will provide referral services to VA or community providers as needed to meet the clients particular treatment needs.
• The incumbent is an active participant in the treatment planning process with the Veteran other treatment disciplines.
• The incumbent will participate in discharge planning with the Veteran and other disciplines and will be responsible for ensuring that discharge plans are executed in a manner that is timely and appropriate.
• The incumbent will provide individual family and group counseling as appropriate.
• The incumbent will provide consultation/education to Veterans and families on community resources advance directives and VA benefits.
• The incumbent will act as a consultant to other team/staff members.
• The incumbent will provide consultation/education to students of all disciplines on social work practice and VA policy and procedure.
• The incumbent will act as liaison between VA and community resources to include marketing and public relations duties as needed.
• The incumbent will provide case management to Veterans and families as needed throughout the continuum of care.
• The incumbent will provide a full range of social work services within commonly accepted standards of social work practice which includes case work individual family and group counseling discharge planning case management and other services as appropriate.
• The incumbent will address Advance Directives and in accordance with the standards of their work area.
• The incumbent will provide wellness/prevention education and facilitate patient/family support groups as appropriate.
• The incumbent will as appropriate supervise the practice of social work students or a less experienced social worker.
• The incumbent will coordinate treatment and communicate with other care lines to facilitate continuity of care for Veterans.
• The incumbent will participate in committee assignments as deemed necessary by the supervisor service line manager and/or social work service.
• The incumbent will maintain data and statistical compilations to comply with Joint Commission CARF VA and medical center policy and procedures.
• The incumbent will document social work interventions and activities in patients clinical record utilizing CPRS and ensure appropriate transfer of patients internally within the VA system and with other external agents.
• The incumbent will participate in a rotation of on-call social workers to accommodate patient care needs on weekends and holidays.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.
• 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.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency: Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005 Part II chapter 3 section A paragraph 3j this part.
• Education Requirement: 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 Requirement: 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 exam.
• Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities: In addition to the experience above the applicants resume must demonstrate all of the following KSAs.
  • Ability to utilize a Veteran centric approach when providing interventions and counseling for Veterans their family members caregivers and survivors.
  • 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.

• 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 the applicants resume 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 educational and other 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.