Substance Use Disorder Services (SUD) Outpatient Senior Social Worker

The incumbent serves as the Substance Use Disorder (SUD)/Medication Assisted Therapist (MAT). The SUD Social Worker serves Veterans enrolled in the SUD and MAT clinics. The SUD Social Worker supports the clinics by providing continuity of care between SUD Specialty Care and Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCHMI) Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) and other clinics through services to Veterans with SUD as they transition throughout the continuum of SUD Stepped Care treatment. The SUD Social Worker provides on-going substance use case management and treatment interventions to promote sustained stability recovery and improved quality of life.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Provides individual family and group therapy for Veterans served within SUD/MAT clinics.
• Completes assessment of Veterans in collaboration with referral sources the Veteran family members and significant others.
• Works with other interdisciplinary treatment teams to develop a collaborative treatment plan with each Veteran.
• Facilitates the identification of services needed to optimize functional status by formulating diagnoses and laying the foundation for treatment planning in collaboration with the SUD treatment team and other VA programs.
• Makes rapid assessments and develops crisis management plans to include familiarity with welfare checks admission for inpatient psychiatric services residential rehabilitation and medical detoxification services.
• Effectively uses assessment tools and methods of evaluation that meet or exceed the standard of care based on current VA guidelines.
• Actively incorporates psychosocial cultural and environmental factors especially including family friends and other key supports when collaboratively planning treatment with Veterans.
• Maintains collaborative relationships with referral sources and local programs to assure that appropriate clinical services are considered.
• Collaborates with the other members of the treatment team in the provision of comprehensive health care services to Veterans ensures equity of access service and benefits to this population.
• May provide clinical guidance and direction orientation coaching training staff development for new staff BHIP case managers registered nurse peer supports interns and other positions as applicable.
• Utilizes professionalism and ethical standards including the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics in the delivery of service without exception.
• Enters psychosocial assessments treatment plans ongoing case management/therapy and progress notes in the electronic health record using appropriate format and templates.
• Serves on committees work groups and task forces at the facility VISN and national level or in the community as deemed appropriate by the supervisor section chief or Chief Mental Health Service.

Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 7:45am- 4:30pm
Telework: Yes as determined by the agency policy.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 61346F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

• 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.

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.

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 Requirement - Per VA Handbook 5005 Part II Chapter 3 Section A Paragraph 3j: No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. chapter 73 or 74 to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English.
• Education - Candidates must 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 - Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure.

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 additional to meeting the basic requirements as stated above you must have the following:

Experience/Education. The candidate must have at least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure of which one year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Examples of specialized experience 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; maintaining patient privacy and confidentiality per policies handbooks or directives; acting as an advocate with appropriate community service providers and agencies when it serves the best interest of the patient and family members/caregiver; independently assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members identifying the patients strengths weaknesses coping skills and psychosocial acuity. Experience understanding the range of specialized needs interventions and treatments commonly used in individual or group settings for a wide variety of psychosocial issues and mental health diagnoses. Experience diagnosing and treating substance use disorder dual diagnosis severe and persistent mental illness personality disorders and the interactions between these conditions and housing instability / homelessness. Applicable experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment. Senior social workers are experts in their specialized area of practice.

In addition to the experience above candidates must demonstrate all of the following Knowledge Skills and Abilities:

1. Skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations. This includes individual group and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management.
2. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
3. Knowledge in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to design system changes.
4. Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients in the service delivery area as well as role modeling effective social work practice skills.
5. Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession and to write policies procedures and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements: All candidates must be physically and mentally able to perform efficiently the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation without hazard to themselves or others. Candidates must meet the physical requirements outlined in Section II and Section VI of the OPM Operating Manual Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions and must possess emotional and mental stability. The job is sedentary but requires movement throughout the medical center.