Clarification from the agency

Open to current permanent Department of Veterans Affairs employees, current permanent Federal employees of other agencies, and current/past/upcoming VHA Health Professions Trainee (HPT) Graduates. Veterans' Preference is not applicable. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Videos

Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU
Total Rewards - Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

• Manages a HUD-VASH caseload of homeless and formerly homeless Veterans, providing intensive case management services to promote housing stability, recovery, and community reintegration.
• Conducts comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments to evaluate mental health, medical, substance use, functional, environmental, and social determinants of health factors; identifies strengths, barriers, and risk indicators impacting housing retention and treatment compliance.
• Develops, implements, and monitors individualized treatment and housing stability plans in collaboration with Veterans, families, landlords, Public Housing Authorities, and interdisciplinary team members.
• Coordinates care across VA Medical Centers, VA Regional Offices, community providers, and social service agencies to ensure seamless service delivery and continuity of care.
• Serves as a Veteran advocate, facilitating access to VA healthcare, benefits, supportive services, income resources, and community-based programs necessary to sustain permanent housing.
• Participates actively in interdisciplinary treatment planning and discharge planning to ensure timely transitions, reduce risk of rehospitalization, and prevent housing loss.
• Provides individual, family, and group counseling interventions utilizing supportive therapy, motivational interviewing, problem-solving strategies, and crisis intervention techniques within scope of practice.
• Conducts regular housing site visits to verify safe living conditions, ensure compliance with HUD and local housing standards, and address environmental or landlord-related concerns.
• Verifies Veteran eligibility for VA healthcare and HUD-VASH participation; reviews housing agreements and collaborates with Section 8, landlords, and housing authorities to facilitate appropriate placements.
• Identifies and mitigates high-risk factors, including behavioral health crises, medical instability, substance use relapse, and social barriers that threaten housing stability.
• Collects, analyzes, and submits required HUD-VASH data in accordance with NEPEC/HOMES reporting requirements and monitors performance measures to support program compliance and quality improvement.
• Maintains accurate, timely documentation of assessments, case management contacts, treatment plans, and care coordination activities in CPRS in accordance with VA policy and accreditation standards.
• Monitors caseload trends and service gaps; provides recommendations to leadership regarding program development, workflow efficiencies, and policy enhancements.
• Applies knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, treatment modalities, medications, and community resources in service delivery to complex, high-need populations.
• Establishes and sustains effective working relationships with Veterans, families, multidisciplinary clinical teams, and community stakeholders to achieve measurable housing and clinical outcomes.
• Participates in required training, professional development activities, peer consultation, and program meetings; adheres to VA policies, ethical standards, and accreditation requirements (e.g., CARF, Joint Commission).
• Perform other duties as assigned depending on grade level.

Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday-Friday, 8:00am -4:30pm
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact V19RMNHRSBUOKC@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
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)
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: Situational (Ad-hoc) as determined by the agency policy.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 635-52354-A, 635-51324-A

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 (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.
• 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.

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

Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

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. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency: You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f)
• Education: 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: 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.
• Grandfathering Provision: 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. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

GS-9 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 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.

• Licensure: You must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level.
• Experience or Education: 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 an 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.

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/.

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: The Social Worker must be in good overall health and capable of performing primarily light and sedentary duties such as desk work and computer tasks. They should be able to engage in light to moderate physical activities, including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying office supplies. The role requires handling emotionally demanding situations with patience and emotional control, with reasonable accommodations if necessary, ensuring the safety of themselves and others. Additionally, a high level of self-awareness is essential due to the stressful nature of working with patients and their families.

How you will be evaluated

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 VA for Vets 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.

Area of Consideration - Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:

1. Current permanent VA employees of the facility.
2. All other VA employees.
3. Current permanent Federal employees of other agencies.