Clarification from the agency

This job is open to current permanent Department of Veteran Affairs employees, current permanent Federal employees of other agencies, and all US Citizens. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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The Supervisory Social Worker performs a full range of administrative, personnel, and clinical oversight responsibilities for assigned staff. The incumbent provides formal and informal feedback, completes performance evaluations, and conducts focused practice assessments. The supervisor oversees staff working varied tours, including evenings and weekends, and provides direct supervision, workload direction, and consultation on complex work-related matters.

The incumbent uses diplomacy when working with other services, manages conflict effectively, and applies negotiation skills to maintain productive interdisciplinary relationships and promote a team-based approach to patient care. The supervisor ensures adequate program coverage, timely completion of tasks, and documentation that meets VA, Medical Center, Joint Commission, CARF, and other accreditation standards.

The Supervisory Social Worker ensures compliance with policies and regulations relevant to the populations served, monitors program performance, and maintains treatment and documentation standards. The incumbent ensures staff competency, training completion, safety compliance, and quality service delivery. The supervisor verifies that social work and nursing documentation accurately reflects services provided and meets all required standards.

The incumbent ensures appropriate case management services for Veterans with complex needs and directs staff in the use of evidence-based counseling strategies such as conflict resolution, anger management, and coping skill development. As indicated by licensure and scope, the supervisor may provide individual, group, or family counseling, applying advanced practice skills and professional judgment.

The incumbent adapts to frequent changes and stressful situations with flexibility and creativity. The supervisor develops and evaluates programs, policies, and processes; oversees information and analytical systems; ensures evidence-based practice; and uses data to assess program effectiveness. The incumbent provides subject matter expertise, consultation, mentoring, and may participate in research related to specialized program areas.

The supervisor establishes performance expectations, observes staff performance, conducts critiques, resolves complaints and grievances, and implements disciplinary actions as delegated. The incumbent participates in hiring processes, develops functional statements and position descriptions, and assists with long-range staffing plans.

The Supervisory Social Worker provides consultation to interdisciplinary team members and ensures professional practice standards are maintained. The incumbent develops strong community partnerships to support continuity of care and transitions. The supervisor provides psychoeducation, crisis intervention, treatment planning, and independent clinical decision-making for high-risk Veterans.

The incumbent provides and oversees training for staff, Veterans, caregivers, students, and community stakeholders. The supervisor mentors staff, manages clinical supervision, ensures proper suicide risk screening, and promotes Whole Health and integrated care using the CCICM framework.

Responsibilities include supervising trainees and students, developing and evaluating training plans, participating in academic affiliations, expanding clinical knowledge, and developing innovative interventions. Additional duties and special assignments are performed as needed to support program goals and Veteran needs.

VA Careers - Licensed Clinical Social Worker: https://youtube.com/embed/U_xC25QsN0w

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm
Telework Eligible: Ad-hoc
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
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)
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #:54365-F
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.

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

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. 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.
• 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. Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/.
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

Grandfather Provision. A Social Worker employed in VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard (9/10/2019) who did not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply:

• Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level or changed to lower grade within the occupation but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
• Employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/ registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/ certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels.
• Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
• Employees who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation.
• Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.

Grade Determinations:

Supervisory Social Worker, GS-12

Education and Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 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) Knowledge 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.
(d) Ability to provide staff training and development.
(e) Skill in interpersonal relationships in dealing with employees, team leaders, and managers

Assignment. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. At the GS-12 grade level, 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. The supervisory social worker is responsible for the professional and administrative management of an area in a social work service, in a care/product line, or multiple facilities. They provide direct clinical services with or without program coordination responsibilities.

Preferred Experience:

• 2 years of experience providing case management services.
• 2 years of experience conducting psychosocial assessments.
• Experience coordinating community based services including information, education and referrals
• Experience working with an interdisciplinary team.
• 1 year as a supervisor, team lead or lead social worker.

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-12.

Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds.

Frequent/Occasional Travel: The position requires occasional travel away from the duty station for local meetings; and infrequent distant meetings and conferences. Must be able to obtain and maintain a valid Texas and Federal Driver License to operate a government vehicle.

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.