Supervisory Social Worker

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Duties for this position include but are not limited to:

• Fosters a culture of unwavering commitment to the VHA Mission: to honor Americas Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being. The Social Worker Discipline Lead communicates and promotes this vision in words and actions.
• Ensures compliance with all functions and standards of accrediting bodies such as The Joint Commission (JC) and the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) that are applicable to Mental Health programs (assessment of the patient; care of the patient; patient rights organizational ethics; continuum of care etc.).
• The Supervisory Social Worker for Mental Health Service is responsible for all mental health performance metrics and leads coordinates and plans improvement processes throughout the service.
• Directs patient care needs assessments identifies gaps in services and supports strategic planning and program development to meet those needs. Within the local planning process it develops short- and longrange goals and objectives for the provision of Mental Health services.
• Works collaboratively with the Chief of Social Work & Care Transitions to integrate Mental Health Services into the broader scope of patient care including but not limited to Emergency Department (ED) Inpatient MH Service Primary Care (PC) Medicine Service Community Living Center (CLC) Education Research etc.
• Ensures immediate access to Mental Health care and services. Identifies barriers to access (internal and external) and encourages appropriate collaboration within the Mental Health Service and with other G.V.
• (Sonny) Montgomery Service Chiefs to overcome obstacles to care.
• Serves as a member of the MHS Executive Team collaboratively working with the MHS ACOS and other MHS Discipline Leads to make informed service- level decisions compliant with national VISN and local facility directives handbooks policies and procedures
• Collaborates with all disciplines in MHS including executive leadership. The incumbent is expected to work with MHS on a broad scale supporting the Integration of Social Workers with other disciplines to deliver an Interdisciplinary care model.
• Serves as a champion for all National Directives related to patient care ensuring ongoing service-level compliance to meet National Directives (same-day access to care suicide prevention etc.).

• 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.

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).
  • NOTE: 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.
  • NOTE: 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).
    
    Grade Determinations:
    Supervisory Social Worker GS-13.
    Experience/Education. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment demonstrating progressively more professional competency. Candidates may have certification or other post-masters degree training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience. Example of experience at the GS-12 level include: Knowledge of program coordination and administration which includes consultation negotiation and monitoring; Knowledge and ability to write policies procedures and/or practice guidelines for the program; Ability to supervise multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program; Skill in organizing work setting priorities meeting multiple deadlines and evaluating assigned program area(s); and Ability to provide training orientation and guidance within clinical practice.
    
    Licensure/Certification. Individuals assigned as social worker program coordinator must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level and must be able to provide supervision for licensure.
    
    Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs.
    • Ability to independently organize work set priorities and meet multiple deadlines.
    • Skill in a range of supervisory duties which includes clinical supervision consultation negotiation with other departments and quality improvement.
    • Ability to ensure provision of clinical social work services by supervised social workers.
    • Ability to delegate authority manage priorities coordinate work and follow up on pending issues to complete duties in an accurate and timely fashion.
    • Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems develop and implement solutions that result in efficient operations and use data effectively to manage workload quality performance and productivity within the service.
    • Ability to provide staff training and development.
    
    Preferred Experience: One (1) year of supervisory and/or administrative experience.
    
    Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13.
    
    Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing lifting carrying sitting stooping bending pulling and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment.
    
    Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted heated and ventilated. However the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.
    Additional information

    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.

    Review our benefits

    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.