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Social Worker (PACT)

Veterans Health Administration

Job Location:

McMinnville, OR - USA

Yearly Salary: USD 88701 - 88701

Posted: 6 October 2026 (2 days ago)

Application Deadline: 5 January 2027

Vacancies: 1 Vacancy

Job Summary

Summary

Incumbent is a professional social worker assigned to the TVHS PACT. The incumbent must use a high level of skill in assessing and treating the complicated psychosocial problems of Veterans. Social Work responsibilities include the assessment of psychosocial problems often at a time when the Veteran is experiencing crisis and include the provision of solution focused intervention with veterans their families and caregivers. The social worker primarily performs in a case management role.

Duties

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

Must have a high level of skill and expertise to establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with veterans their families and caregivers. The incumbent is able to independently work with veterans their families and caregivers who are experiencing a wide range of complicated medical psychiatric emotional behavioral and psychosocial problems.
Must independently complete thorough psychosocial assessments to determine the psychosocial functioning and needs of veterans their families and caregivers. The incumbent must be able to utilize this assessment in treatment planning with the goal of attaining the highest level of independence and benefit that is possible and practical.
Must actively participate as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team and actively collaborate with veterans their families and caregivers as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members in the development and implementation of treatment goals and interventions.
Must possess a working knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses disabilities and treatment procedures including acute chronic and traumatic illnesses common medications and their effects/side effects and medical terminology.
Must facilitate action for community placements through collaboration with veterans their families and caregivers as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members to ensure that appropriate community placements are completed in a timely manner.
The incumbent must possess the knowledge skills and abilities needed to refer veterans to VA programs. This includes but is not limited to the following programs: Homemaker I Home Health Aide Veterans Directed Medical Foster Home Community Residential Care Community Nursing Home. The incumbent must possess a high level of ability in the use of assessments forms and processes needed to facilitate placement.
Must serve as a liaison between veterans their families and caregivers and VA and community resources in order to ensure thorough delivery of social work services.
Must possess knowledge skills and ability to independently implement interventions across individual family group and educational modalities.
Must be available to provide consultation to other treatment teams and staff members regarding psychosocial needs of veterans their families and caregivers and the impact of the identified psychosocial problems on health care planning and motivation to work toward personal health and wellness goals.
Must maintain knowledge of Veterans benefits and services community resources and process for making appropriate referrals to community and other governmental programs or agencies.
Must possess skills and knowledge to provide case management services to veterans their families and caregivers throughout the continuum of care. The incumbent will be able to appropriately utilize principles of human growth and development over the life span and will be able to assist Veterans in coping with the loss and grief experiences from disability and terminal illness.
Must possess and demonstrate ability to establish and maintain professional and working relationships that are consistent with professional and agency values policies and standards. The social worker must communicate

Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:30pm Monday - Friday
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and 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) and 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: Ad-Hoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 70918F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Requirements

Conditions of employment

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 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.

Qualifications

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 tohttp:// 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 tohttp:// 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: 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: 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:

(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.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11.

Physical Requirements: Physical demands of the work are generally minor and are generally sedentary in nature but may require occasional travel. Physical activity involves sitting standing walking bending stooping climbing stairs and carrying light items such as papers books or other supplies. The incumbent uses a computer and standard office equipment to complete tasks. The emotional demands can be stressful in working with the Veteran/Patient population and their families/caregivers. A level of self-awareness is essential.
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:
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.
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