Clarification from the agency

Current Department of VA employees with Permanent Appointments are encouraged to apply. ***NOTE*** The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. If you are having issues uploading your resume under the resume option, you can upload as an 'other' document.

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Supervisory Social Workers oversee the multi-disciplinary HUD-VASH staff at their respective CBOC, including fellow Social Workers, Peer Support Specialists, Housing Specialists, Community Integration Specialists, and Vocational Rehabilitation Specialists. In addition, the incumbent may be asked to supervise a fellow Supervisory Social Work and to provide task supervision of RN, NP and/or Occupational Therapist HUD-VASH staff.

This position is responsible for the professional and administrative management of the HUD-VASH team assigned as follows but not limited to:
1) Assist in planning, establishing, and implementing policies and procedures; developing individual or group goals and objectives as well as monitoring, operating, evaluating, coordinating and overseeing the HUD-VASH staff of their assigned team.
2) Assure the staff whom they supervise are aware of and adhere to all current directives of SFVAHCS and VHA, meet current JCAHO and CARF standards, state licensure standards, and VA-OIG expectations.
3) Conduct ongoing intensive reviews and appraisals to ensure the accomplishment of objectives and adherence to standards set by governing bodies. The incumbent may also provide direct clinical services.
4) Be licensed at the advanced practice level and must be able to provide clinical supervision for staff working towards their own professional licensure.
5) Demonstrates the ability to independently conduct a psychosocial assessment with a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds. The assessment includes documentation of identified behaviors or symptoms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and/or intimate partner violence, as well as strengths, limitations, coping skills, and internal/external supports and service needs to optimize the Veteran's functional status.
6) Possess knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities and treatment procedures (i.e. acute, chronic and traumatic injuries/illnesses, common medications and side effects, and medical terminology) to formulate a treatment plan.
7) Is the subject matter expert regarding VA and/or community resources.
8) Skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with this specialized population who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems to achieve treatment goals.
9) Provide case management and care coordination to facilitate appropriate delivery of health care services, incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of Veterans, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
10) Provide leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-­service training staff development and continuing education programs for social work staff. Must be able to provide supervision for licensure.
11) May be assigned administrative responsibility for clinical program development and accountability for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns.
12) Serve on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility, VISN and national level, or in the community as deemed appropriate by the supervisor and Social Work Executive/Chief.

Duty Location: 3841 Brickway Blvd, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm or as determined by the hiring manager
Driver License Requirement: This position is required to travel up to 76%. A Current and Valid CA Driver License is required.

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 2-year trial period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Subject to physical examination.
• 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.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

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-0185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level.
• English Language Proficiency: Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j, this part.

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: Supervisory Social Worker, GS-0185-13
Experience/Education. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-12 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.

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.

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) Skill in a range 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 by supervised social workers.
(d) Ability to delegate authority, manage priorities, coordinate work, and follow up on pending issues to complete duties in an accurate and timely fashion.
(e) Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems, develop and implement solutions that result in efficient operations, and use data effectively to manage workload, quality, performance, and productivity within the service.
(f) Ability to provide staff training and development.

References: See Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) website for VA specific qualification standards.

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.