About Job

This Social Worker is assigned to Community Housing and Outreach Services Programs at VA Puget Sound Health Care System with responsibility to provide direct services for Veterans, their families, and caregivers.

RECRUITMENT OR RELOCATION INCENTIVE MAY BE AUTHORIZED

CLINICAL:

Develop, implement, and document the psychosocial assessment, treatment plan, progress notes and updates, and discharge planning for provision of clinical services to Veterans, including prompt completion of clinical reminders.
Provide psychoeducation to Veterans and family members about mental health conditions and treatment methods.
Conduct: routine suicide risk screens; comprehensive suicide risk evaluations, and collaborative safety plans when clinically indicated; follows-up with Veterans who fail to attend appointments per local procedures; seek needed consultation with the Suicide Prevention Coordinator, Disruptive Behavior Committee, and/or CHOS Program Manager, remains up to date on suicide prevention training materials and clinical tools and utilizes them as appropriate in clinical practice.
Aid and problem-solving, as requested by Veterans and/or staff members, to provide excellent customer service through additional support, providing further clarification on diagnosis, eligibility criteria, program rules and/or regulations, access to care/resources, etc. Incumbent provides education and advocacy in support of appropriate and prompt receipt of services to Veterans
Provide leadership in identifying and addressing ethical issues that impact patients and staff, including initiating and participating in ethical consultations. Maintain complete patient confidentiality. Analyze ethical/care issues, applying appropriate theoretical principles and ensure application of institutional policy. Serve as a resource and advocate for the protection of patient/family rights. Provide considerate care, respecting patient/family and staff personal values and belief systems.
Participate in regularly scheduled clinical consultations with staff/treatment teams to ensure for quality and continuity of care, as well as individual Veteran attainment of program and treatment goals.

ADMINISTRATIVE:

Lead multidisciplinary staff assigned to their team. Make sustained contributions to Veteran-specific healthcare by sharing subject matter expertise within and/or outside the facility.
Training and supervision of a multidisciplinary team. Supervised staff may include, but are not limited to, Social Workers, Registered Nurses, Peer Support Specialists, Social Service Assistants, Occupational Therapists, and administrative support staff.
Perform HUD-VASH voucher reconciliation and monitoring of utilization for geographic area (may include multiple public housing authorities
Ensure accuracy of staff's data collection in VA Homeless Operations Management and Evaluation System (HOMES) or other database systems as directed by the VA Central office and electronic medical charting documentation.
Ensure that appropriate coverage is arranged for patient care responsibilities when staff members are on leave.
Perform work related to the review, monitoring, analysis, planning and assessment of the programs and projects for which they are assigned. Provide technical assistance to team members, COC, community and/or PHA partners, and contracted providers and grantees, as appropriate.
Monitor compliance of their team members through VA-established performance measures, electronic medical record chart reviews, review of data collection and reporting, use of supervision.
Complete all mandatory trainings by stipulated due dates and monitor and ensure for the compliance of their staff members in such trainings.
Serve as a steward of program resources (human, financial, material, or informational) to facilitate safe, effective, and efficient care. Effectively manage program/service resources to increase efficiency, cost effectiveness, and maintain a safe environment.

Social Work:

Work Schedule: 8:00am-4:30pm Monday - Friday
Compressed/Flexible:Available
Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
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)
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: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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.
You may be required to serve a trial period.
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, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification 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).
A valid state issued driver's license with a clean driving history in accordance with VA Policy to drive a government vehicle.
Candidates must have an unrestricted State Driver's License and be cleared upon hire to drive a government vehicle for transporting Veterans.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS
1. United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

2. Education: Have a master's 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 master's degree in social work. Verification of the degree can be made by going to http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of social work.

3. Licensure: Individuals assigned as Supervisory Social Workers must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level, and must be able to provide supervision for licensure. Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/.

GRADE DETERMINATIONS
Supervisory Social Worker, GS-12
1. Education and Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills in a specialty area or in administration demonstrating progressively more professional competency and judgment. Candidate may have certification or other post-master's 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.

2. Licensure/Certification. Individuals assigned as Supervisory Social Workers must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level, and must be able to provide supervision for licensure.

3. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
(a) Ability to independently organize work, set priorities, and meet multiple deadlines.
(b) Knowledge of supervisory duties which includes clinical supervision, consultation, negotiation with other departments and quality improvement.
(c) Ability to ensure provision of clinical social work services.
(d) Ability to provide staff training and development.
(e) Skill in interpersonal relationships in dealing with employees, team leaders, and managers.

REFERENCE: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit .

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Moderate lifting & carrying (15-44 pounds), pushing (6 hours), operation of a motor vehicle, ability to distinguish basic colors, and hearing (aid may be permitted). Environmental factors include working outside & inside, working closely with others, and working alone.

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 or 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 applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit at .

Benefits

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. .

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.

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

License
Resume
SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
Transcript

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

Cover Letter
License
Other (1)
Performance Appraisal
Professional Certification
Resume
SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
Transcript

NOTE: Claiming Agency or Federal Employee Eligibility, you must submit a copy of your most recent (not more than 1 year old) Notification of Personnel Action, SF-50 (Not an award SF-50).Your SF-50 must include:

Position title, pay plan/series/grade
Tenure code
Position Occupied - type of appointment (Competitive or Excepted)

Within Grade Increase, General Adjustments, or Promotion SF-50's are best, Award SF-50's do not include this pertinent information.

Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 07/10/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click .

To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.

NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

Agency contact information

Randi Tran

Phone
Email
Address: .

NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.