Social Worker

VA Careers - Social Work:

Duties may include but are not limited to:

• Screening/Assessment-
  • The social worker will develop an assessment of the veteran in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team, the veteran, family members and significant others.
  • The initial assessment will be completed in a timely manner upon initial receipt of social work consult.
  • The goal of the assessment is to highlight the veteran's strengths, limitations, and internal/external supports and service needs, (specific to the injury and current medical status) to ensure and optimize the veteran's functional status and living environment.
  • All services provided in collaboration with other disciplines including providers nursing and support staff.
• Treatment Planning/Goal Setting-
  • The social worker is responsible for developing the treatment plans and setting achievable treatment goals with the veteran/family.
  • The in-patient social worker will work collaboratively with the veteran's assigned Firm/clinic social worker as appropriate for discharge planning, and community services.
  • The treatment plan will be completed and updated as needed to reflect specifies related to change in the patient's condition/plans.
  • Referrals to service providers- Throughout the course of treatment the social worker is the subject matter expert of VA and community resources.
  • The social worker will collaborate with other service providers in reassessing the veteran's needs.
  • The social worker is responsible for educating the veteran and/or caregiver of the available services and assisting them in establishing the appropriate referrals based on the veteran's preference or that of his surrogate decision-maker.
• Resource Usage/Development-
  • The social worker is responsible for using the current social work resource file of VA and community social service programs and enhancing the content to the benefit of veterans.
  • The social worker will maintain resource directories sufficient to meet variety of situations and conditions across age and gender specific needs.
• Advocacy-
  • Social worker understands the intimidation of bureaucracy and will act as an advocate when it serves the best interest of the veteran/family.
  • When appropriate and feasible, social worker will educate and encourage the veteran/family to advocate on own behalf, thus fostering a sense of independence and empowerment.
• Crisis Intervention-
  • Social worker is experienced in making rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans for referral to appropriate MH services.
  • Social worker has access to multiple resource directories in addition to previously developed resources to meet the demands of a crisis. In the event of a medical or psychiatric emergency, staff will follow facility protocols.
• Education/Health Promotion and Prevention-
  • Social worker provides education related to VA and community resources, entitlements, advance directives/Living
  • Will and will refer veterans/families to the appropriate interdisciplinary team member for identified health education needs.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
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 $144,000 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: This is not a telework eligible position.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 93000-A/93001-A
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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Loss of Licensure or Certification. Once licensed or certified, social workers must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment. Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment.

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 interest. In 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.
• 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.
• Licensure: Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level.
  • Exception. VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. This exception only applies up to the full performance level.
• English Language Proficiency: Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Regulations.

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:

• GS-09:
  • Experience: None beyond the basic requirements.
  • Demonstrated KSAs: In addition to the experience above, must demonstrate the following:
    • Ability to utilize a Veteran centric approach when providing interventions and counseling for Veterans, their family members, caregivers, and survivors.
    • Ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the Veterans problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed.
    • Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals. This requires judgment and skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving, or crisis intervention techniques.
    • Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies.
    • Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures. This includes acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses/injuries; common medications and their effects/side effects; and medical terminology.
  • Assignments. Individuals assigned as GS-9 social workers are considered to be at the entry level and are closely supervised, as they are not yet functioning at the independent practice level conferred by independent licensure or certification. Social workers at the GS-9 entry level are typically assigned to VHA program areas that do not require specialized knowledge or experience. Since these social workers are not practicing at an independent level, they should not be assigned to program areas where independent practice is required, such as in a CBOC, unless there is a licensed social worker in the program area who can provide supervision for practice. GS-9 social workers provide psychosocial services in the assigned area under supervision.
• 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-09 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 stat at the independent practice level; OR,
  • Education: In addition to meting the 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 KSAs: In addition to the experience above, must demonstrate the following:
    • 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: Inpatient Social Worker Experience-Screening/ Assessment, Discharge Planning, Treatment Planning, Case management, Crisis Intervention, Community referrals and resources.

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-09 to GS-11.

Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary but ambulation (walking) throughout the medical center and in the community according to the demands of daily tasks. Light carrying, less than 15 pounds-may be required as part of duties related to storing or moving files. Working around moving objects or vehicles-required as part of daily ambulating within the medical center around patients who use motorized scooters and wheelchairs. Working along-duties require working along at intervals during the day (i.e., documenting progress notes, completing phone call, etc.). Reaching above shoulder may be required during daily task to access files located in overhead cabinets. Walking required approximately 3-4 hours daily associated with walking from assigned office to outpatient clinics and other medical center departments as needed to complete duties of the position. Standing required approximately 3-4 hours daily associated with walking from assigned office to outpatient clinics and other departments within the medical center as needed to complete duties of the position and filling patient records as needed. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services.