Clarification from the agency

This position is ONLY open to current, permanent VA Employees Nationwide, current and former OAA students, and all other Federal Employees. *** If you are NOT a current federal employee or current and former OAA students, please apply to the Public Announcement CBSU-12874623-26-JH. *** NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Videos

VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU

Duties and Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Serves as an advocate on behalf of the Veterans, and their families, assigned to a BHIP team to ensure delivery of comprehensive, seamless mental health services is maintained throughout the continuum of care
• Acts as a clinical resource/point-of-contact to Veterans and other team/staff members
• Conducts biopsychosocial assessments to determine care coordination and treatment needs of Veterans
• Provides consultation/education to Veterans and families on VA resources (including self-management tools), community resources, Advance Directives, and VA benefits
• Participates in the treatment planning process with other disciplines and in discharge planning with other disciplines
• Ensures that discharge plans are executed in a manner that is timely and appropriate to promote care continuity
• Acts as liaison between VA and community resources, to include education and bidirectional communication that promotes seamless care
• Maintains familiarity and share responsibility with other team members for performance measures relevant to the BHIP team
• Serves on Interdisciplinary Treatment Team(s)
• Provides crisis intervention when indicated, including timely assessment of at-risk Veterans in crisis to identify immediate needs, evaluating risk, and initiating a safety plan
• Provides wellness/prevention education and facilitating patient/family educational/bridging supportive sessions
• Documents interventions and activities in the patient's electronic health record and ensuring appropriate hand-off communication and documentation when transferring patient care
• Actively participates in program planning and development, advising the supervisor of shifting trends with care coordination needs and caseloads, and identifying the need for making recommendations on program procedures and/or policy changes based upon work experiences
• Takes responsibility for improving professional skills, participating in planning and executing specific staff development projects, attending seminars and institutes, and participating in training programs of other disciplines as requested
• Performs other BHIP-related duties as directed by the Supervisor, such as, but not limited to: training/mentoring and oversight of new staff & those not yet clinically licensed, and preparing and training staff on The Joint Commission standards and accreditation process
• Follows national guidance and local policy and SOPs for the MHSL
• Participates in committee assignments, as deemed necessary by the service manager
• Occasionally provides individual, family, and group counseling
• Performs other related duties as assigned

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30 am to 4:00 pm
Compressed/Flexible: May Be Authorized
Telework: This position is authorized for telework-situational (ad-hoc) AND has NOT been authorized as remote. (NOTE: The Veterans Health Administration, including VISN 19 and the Sheridan VA Health Care System, will comply fully with the intention and instructions contained in the "Return to Office" Executive Order. This position will likely be eligible to telework on a limited Ad-Hoc basis only.)
Virtual: This is not a virtual position
Functional Statement #: 57262-A; 57263-A
EDRP Authorized: 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. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact Amber.Guinotte@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more.

Conditions of employment

NOTE: Prior to accepting a final employment offer, all selected applicants will be required to sign a Memorandum of Understanding regarding deployment responsibilities

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). 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 and maintain CDT physical readiness.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Must be able to meet physical demands which include strenuous physical activity to include carrying persons and equipment, walking long distances over difficult terrain, running, climbing, working long hours in primitive or arduous conditions, long periods of standing, and bending and stooping.
• 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-year 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

******This is an open continuous announcement until May 11, 2026. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis and qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager bi-weekly. The first group of eligibles will be referred on February 17th, 2026. Applications will be considered until the position is filled.******

Preferred Experience: Experience in mental health Care Coordination and Case Management. Familiarity with Suicide Prevention and Crisis Mental Health Care to include PTSD, Substance Use Disorders, and Co-occurring mental health disorders; Able to work within an interdisciplinary team (medical providers, psychiatrists, nursing staff, case managers).

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: You must be a citizen of the United States (Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy)
• English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.
• 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. 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.
• Licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work 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.

*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.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: Eligible applicants 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. Depending on the essential duties of a specific position, usable vision, color vision, hearing or speech may be required. However, in most cases, a specific physical condition or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your application, resume, C.V., and/or other 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.