Clarification from the agency

This job is open to current permanent Department of Veterans Affairs employees and current permanent Federal employees of other Federal agencies. (If you are a Veterans Affairs employee or an employee of another federal agency, ensure you submit an SF-50 per the required documents section to receive proper consideration for claimed eligibility) NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Supervisory Social Workers typically have significant personnel management responsibilities for a small to moderate sized professional and non-professional staff, including support staff and professional staff at the GS-12 grade level and below. They are responsible for the professional and administrative management of an area in a social work service, in a care/product line, or multiple facilities. They also provide direct clinical services with or without program coordination responsibilities.

The Supervisory Social Worker must be licensed at the advanced practice level and be able to provide supervision to subordinate staff. The major duties of the position includes, but is not limited to:

• Responsible for program coordination and supervision of the programs assigned.
• Manages responsibility for clinical and administrative operations at the John D. Dingell VAMC and four Community Based Outpatient Clinics located in Yale, Pontiac, Downriver, and Southfield.
• Requires the exercise of mature professional judgment and flexible use of administrative, leadership, and social work skills. (The population served in the ambulatory programs have unique needs - the re-adjustment to civilian life, mental health issues, and the involvement of family and other agencies often results in serious and complicated cases.)
• Embraces the VA strategic plan focused on patient driven care, as well as aligns with the PACT concept of health promotion, prevention and procedures related to introducing social work clinical case management into our Primary Care and ambulatory setting.
• Plans, establishes, and implements policies and procedures.
• Assures the interdisciplinary staff supervised adhere to licensing, accreditation and VHA directives.
• Conducts ongoing professional practice reviews to ensure the quality of patient care and adherence to standards set by governing bodies.
• Oversight and coordination of teamwork assignments to ensure practice is at the highest level.
• Exercises delegated managerial authority to set a series of annual, multiyear, or similar types of long-range work plans and schedules for staff.
• Assures implementation (by lower and subordinate organizational units or others) of the goals and objectives for the program segment(s) or function(s) they oversee.
• Determine goals and objectives that need additional emphasis; determine the best approach or solution for resolving budget shortages; and plan for long range staffing needs, including such matters as whether to contract out work.
• Direct, coordinate, or oversee work: supervisors, leaders, team chiefs, group coordinators, committee chairs, or comparable personnel; and/or providing similar oversight of contractors.
• Exercises significant responsibilities in dealing with officials of other units or organizations, or in advising management officials of higher rank.
• Assuring reasonable equity (among units, groups, teams, projects, etc.) of performance standards and rating techniques developed by subordinates or assuring comparable equity in the assessment by subordinates of the adequacy of contractor capabilities or of contractor completed work.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00a.m-4:30p.m. Schedule may be subject to change based on the needs of the Agency.
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 94445-A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification 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

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. 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 website to verify if that social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a master of 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.
• 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.

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 listed above, the following criteria must be met for the GS-13 grade level:

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.

In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the professional KSAs below. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to independently organize work, set priorities, and meet multiple deadlines.
• Knowledge of supervisory duties which includes clinical supervision, consultation, negotiation with other departments and quality improvement.
• Ability to ensure provision of clinical social work services.
• Ability to provide staff training and development.
• Skill in interpersonal relationships in dealing with employees, team leaders, and managers.

Preferred Experience: Prior management and/or supervisory experience.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.The full performance level of this vacancy is GS13. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS13.

Physical Requirements: The social work duties include sedentary and 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. Reaching above shoulder- may be required during daily tasks 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 filing patient records as needed. It is required that this individual be able to operate a motor vehicle as this position and it is expected that the incumbent visit patients off-site as part of their duties. Work will take place in- and outdoors, thus exposing them to the natural elements of the weather.

How you will be evaluated

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

Area of Consideration- Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:
1. Current, permanent VA employees of the facility (Station 553)
2. All other current, permanent VA employees at stations other than 553
3. Current, permanent employees of other federal agencies

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.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete application package which includes:

1. Resume (must include the following information):

• Job Title
• Duties (be as detailed as possible)
• Month and year start/end dates (e.g. June 2024 to April 2025)
• Full-time or part-time (include hours worked per week)

NOTE: Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. Including any of this information may result in an ineligibility rating.

2. Transcript (must include the following information):

• Your Name
• Name of the college or university
• Full address of the college or university
• Degree Received
• Date Conferred

REMINDER: A transcript, either official or unofficial, must be submitted with your application for ALL degrees. A copy of your certificate/degree or screenshot of your current classes are not a replacement of your transcript and they will not be used in the qualifying process.

3. License (must include the following information):

• Name on License
• Issuing state
• Complete license number
• Expiration date

*Note: Current, permanent John D. Dingell VA Medical Center employees and employees of other VA's or other Federal agencies MUST submit their most recent SF-50 dated 01/11/2026, or later to receive consideration as a federal employee. Failure to provide your most recent SF-50 dated 01/11/2026, or later, will exclude you from your claimed eligibility.