Social Worker

VA Careers - Social Work: Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

The Social Worker completes program specific forms including Homeless Operations Management and Evaluation (HOMES) forms. The Social Workers efforts are directed toward using a therapeutic relationship to assist the individual/family gain more control over their lives and resolve issues which have led to homelessness. The Social Worker provides a full range of social work services within commonly accepted standards of social work practice which includes casework individual family and group counseling discharge planning case management and other services as appropriate. The Social Worker provides ongoing therapeutic intervention with the patient/family to assist them in dealing and coping with the psychosocial issues of mental health aging illness and disability dealing with loss and grief.

The Social Worker has the ability to provide psychosocial treatment to a wide variety of individuals from various socioeconomic cultural ethnic educational and other diversified backgrounds. This requires knowledge of human development and behavior (physical and psychological) and the differential influences of the environment society and culture. They have the ability to work with Veterans and families who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric medical and social problems utilizing individual group and family counseling skills.

Functions or scope of assigned duties include but are not limited to:

• Respond to Homeless Program consults.
• Respond to referrals from the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans.
• Assist with Homeless Program Walk In clinic.
• Participate in discharge planning with other disciplines and provide consultation to inpatient teams to ensure that discharge plans are executed in a manner that is timely and appropriate.
• Provide case management to Veterans and families as needed throughout the continuum of care.
• Address Advance Directives and Organ Donation in accordance with the standards of their work area.
• Provide wellness/prevention education and facilitate Patient/family support groups as appropriate.
• Participate in committee assignments as deemed necessary by the service manager.
• Maintain data and statistical compilations to comply with The Joint Commission VA and medical center policy and procedures.
• Document social work interventions and activities in patients clinical record utilizing the electronic health record and ensure appropriate hand off when transferring of patient care.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• 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.
• 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 4 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 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). Please reference Additional Information Section.
  
  Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment candidates must meet the following grade-determining criteria for placement:
  
  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. NOTE: For appointment licensure or certification at this level please refer to paragraph 3c. 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 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.
  Preferred Experience: Experience working with individuals with housing insecurity; Experience in treatment of mental health and substance use disorders; Experience in medical social work; 2 years post MSW advanced independent license preferred.
  
  
  Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit Full Performance Level of this vacancy is GS-11.
  
  Physical Requirements: The position requires some bending walking and stooping constant use of hands/fingers for duties such as entering information into the computer and the ability to talk and hear. This position requires the ability to read printed material and distinguish colors such as reading computer screens and the ability to accurately perceive depth so as to move around workspace safely and to appropriately make contact with patients and staff. . See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 Employee Occupational Health Services.
  Education

  A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on must be official or unofficial college transcripts. A copy of your certificate/degree or screenshot of your current classes are not a replacement of your transcript and they will not be used in the qualifying process. Your transcript must include your name and the name and full address of the meet qualification requirements your resume should clearly identity the following information for each applicable degree:

  • Name of the college or university
  • Degree earned and the field of study
  • Date the degree was conferred (month and year)

  Please ensure this information is included directly on your resume so your education can be properly evacuated during the qualification review.
  
  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:
  Additional information

  Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
  
  During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.
  
  This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
  
  This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
  
  VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38 and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.
  
  If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
  
  Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicants criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process 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.