Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) - a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval - award amount (up to $200 -000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

Qualifications

***This is an open continuous announcement until February 27 - 2026. Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available. *** 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:

• Citizenship - You must be a citizen of the United States English Language Proficiency - You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f) Education and/or Experience Combination - You must possess 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
• Note: A doctoral degree in Social Work may NOT be substituted for the master's degree in Social Work
• License or Certification* - You must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level
• *Exception - For assignments at the GS-9 level - VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified - pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations
• VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent - master's level within three years of their appointment as a social worker
• Grade Determinations: Social Worker Quals GS-0185-9 GS-09 Social Worker -Knowledge - Skills and Abilities: In addition to meeting the basic requirements - to qualify for the GS-09 - you must demonstrate the following Knowledge - Skills and Abilities: · Ability to utilize counseling skills when working with Veterans and family members
• · 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
• Social Worker Quals GS-0185-11 GS-11 Licensure Requirement: You must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level
• GS-11 Experience or Education Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements - to qualify for the GS-11 - you must possess 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
• Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: Working under close supervision in program areas that do not require specialized knowledge or experience
• Identifying behaviors or symptoms of abuse - neglect or exploitation
• providing education on advance directives and advanced care planning
• providing social work case management
• acting as a patient/family member/caregiver advocate with community service providers/agencies
• assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members
• In collaboration with the patient - family - and interdisciplinary treatment teams - identifying strengths - weaknesses - coping skills and psychosocial acuity
• Maintaining a current network of internal and external resources to educate the patient and/or family members/caregivers and assist with appropriate referrals.-OR-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 - you must demonstrate the following Knowledge - Skills and Abilities: · 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
• Driver's License: A current - valid state-issued Driver's License is required for this position
• NOTE: We cannot accept photographs - therefore
• please do not submit a copy of your license with your application package
• If an interview is requested - you will be required to provide a copy of your current - valid state-issued Driver's License
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• 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-9 to GS-11
• Physical Requirements: Must be in overall good health - able to sit at a desk working at a computer - engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting - walking - bending - and carrying supplies
• Social Worker must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands - exercise patience - and control emotions - with reasonable accommodation - if necessary - without endangering the health and safety of the social worker or others
• The emotional demands can be stressful in working with the patient population and their families
• A level of self-awareness is essential
• This position requires a valid - unrestricted state driver's license and local travel to provide community-based care to Veterans
• The position requires significant travel in the community - through use of a government vehicle or other individual arrangements - to meet with representatives/stakeholders who aid and support Veterans in clinics - medical centers - Community Clinics - etc
• This position also requires close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures
• transcribing
• viewing a computer terminal
• extensive reading
• and repetitive motions of the wrists - hands - and/or fingers.

Duties

• VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Assesses the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and family members to formulate and implement a treatment plan
• Completes thorough assessments to determine the presenting problem - to determine in-home factors impacting the problem - and to determine obstacles to treatment and/or follow through with recommended treatments
• Makes psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice
• Uses Housing First and other evidence-based practice models to promote Veteran engagement and self-efficacy
• Develops and implement methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area - utilizing clinical feedback and outcome evaluations to improve treatment services
• Coordinates the delivery of specialized and complex psychosocial - physical - and mental illness services and programs
• Serves as a liaison between Veterans and/or their families and VA and community resources to ensure thorough delivery of services
• Facilitates action for community placements through collaboration with Veterans and their families as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members to ensure that appropriate community placements are completed in a timely manner - beginning with the process of obtaining a HUD-VASH voucher from the Public Housing Authority (PHA) through the lease up process
• Provides consultation and education to Veterans and their families regarding community resources - VA benefits - and specialty programs - including the process for accessing and/or coordinating community-based services - information and referral for additional services from other VA programs - other government programs - and community programs
• Makes appropriate referrals to community and other governmental programs or agencies based on the benefits and services
• Assess psychosocial problems - often at a time when the Veteran is experiencing crisis and include the provision of short-term and long-term solution-focused counseling with Veterans and/or their families
• Provides case management services to Veterans and their families throughout the continuum of care
• Conducts home visits with the intent of removing barriers for access to care - supporting housing stability - and assessing social and community integration
• Implements treatment modalities - provide educational classes - and/or supportive groups for Veterans and families with clinical supervisory support
• Provides case management with members of the outpatient interdisciplinary team and home and community-based services
• This includes liaising with community professionals regarding needed services for Veterans and/or their families
• Provides subject matter consultation to colleagues on the psychosocial treatment of patients with housing-related issues
• Provides consultation to other treatment team and staff members regarding psychosocial needs of Veterans and/or their compliance with treatment
• Advocates on behalf of Veterans and their families with landlords - Public Housing Authorities - community providers - and internal VA stakeholders
• Reviews agreements between Section 8 - landlords - Public Housing Authorities - and the VA in establishing appropriate referral sites for HUD-VASH placements
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday
• 8:00am - 4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact Jillana.Martinez@va.gov - the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
• Learn more 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: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 51054-A
• 51055-A