Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results
 

Social Services Assistant

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Veterans Health Administration

Summary

The position serves as the Community Health Worker (CHW) and is responsible for leading, coordinating, facilitating and providing ongoing support to care partners (e.g., a primary family member, neighbor, or friend providing regular care to a veteran at home) engaged in care or Research protocols in the Veterans Affairs Health Care Systems (VAHCS) in the Mid-Atlantic Region (VISN 6).

Overview

Help
Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
12/08/2025 to 12/12/2025
Salary
$40,332 to - $54,746 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 5
Locations
4 vacancies in the following locations:
Durham, NC
Garner, NC
Greenville, NC
Raleigh, NC
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Temporary - 1 year
Work schedule
Part-time - 30 Hours
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
CARZ-12840666-26-EAE
Control number
851848000

Videos

Duties

Help

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION***

This is a TEMPORARY appointment (not-to-exceed 1 year). This appointment may be renewed for additional service in accordance with Agency needs for 1 additional year. Temporary positions offer health insurance (if the employee is expected to work at least 130 hours per month for at least 90 days) but do not offer life insurance or retirement benefits and may be terminated at any time before the expiration date. The appointment to a Temporary position does not confer eligibility for promotion or reassignment to other positions or the ability to be non-competitively converted to permanent employment.

NOTE: This is a part-time position (30 hours/week). The salary listed represents full-time employment and will be pro-rated based on the actual number of hours worked each pay-period. Likewise, benefits and time-off accrual will also be prorated and based on your part-time work schedule.

  • Schedules virtual visits with enrolled study participants.
  • Follows study protocols and procedures to provide individualized help to care partners to reduce or eliminate barriers to managing social and health needs in the community setting.
  • Guides care partners in the exploration of their personal priorities and preferences.
  • Assess the needs of care partners.
  • Problem-solve with care partners to find solutions.
  • Assesses progress and assists care partner in navigating obstacles or challenges.
  • Guides care partners to learn about available support tools in the VA and the community.
  • Communicates proactively and effectively with Care Partners, the project improvement team, the research team, and community partners and agencies.
  • Uses paper or electronic data collection systems.
  • Documents study process or outcomes data in a timely fashion.
  • Adheres to specific protocols and methodologies when collecting data.
  • Maintains comprehensive records and documentation.
  • Reviews study materials for clarity, appropriateness, and comprehension.
Work Schedule: Part-time, Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm, with weekend shifts required, Work schedule may change depending on the needs of the service.

Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not authorized

Requirements

Help

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
  • 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.
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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 probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, you must meet one of the following:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: Must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-04 grade level in Federal service. Specialized experience include: group leader in community or residential recreation or training programs; counselor in a youth summer camp; instructor in a training program for the development of job skills; work that demonstrated the ability to be responsible for and to lead and train members of a job crew; group activities leader in the Armed Services; unit leader-monitor-proctor for a dormitory group in a boarding school or other residential facility; aid or assistant to professional or specialist staff in such fields as personnel (private or government), employment guidance in a vocational or academic institution, social service, or manpower development; aid or assistant to professional or associate staff engaged in work of a social services nature in private, public welfare, government program, or community organizations, or in voluntary activities; aid or assistant to professional or specialist staff working with individuals who are addicted to or abuse alcohol and/or drugs. NOTE: This experience must be detailed in your resume to receive credit.

OR Education Substitution: Possess a bachelor's degree or 4 years of study leading to a bachelor's degree that included at least 24 semester hours in any combination of subjects directly related to the work of the position; that included a major in social behavior, human behavior, or health care, or; was supplemented by specialized experience in activities that afforded the opportunity to acquire and demonstrate the skills required by the position (gained, for example, in part-time or summer employment, in volunteer social welfare or recreation programs, or in community organizations). Education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college, or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. One year of full-time undergraduate study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business or technical school. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

OR Combination: An equivalent combination of specialized experience and post high school education as described that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position. NOTE: Your experience must be detailed, and transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:

  • Attention to Detail
  • Customer Service
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Technical Competence
  • Technical Credibility


IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such 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; religious; 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.

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. Typically, the employee will sit to do the work. However, there may be some walking, standing, bending, carrying of small items.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

NOTE: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).

Additional information

Note: Per "Executive Order 14251: Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs", this position is no longer eligible for bargaining unit participation.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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 WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

Your responses to the assessment questionnaire will be reviewed along with the information provided in your resume and supporting documentation to determine if you are qualified for the position. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your rating may be lowered and/or you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

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.

Candidates who apply under All U.S. Citizens announcements will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. Qualified candidates will be assigned to a quality category. The categories are defined as follows:

  • Best qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position;
  • Highly qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the requirements of the job;
  • Well qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in some, but not all, of the requirements of the job; and
  • Qualified - applicants possessing experience and/or education that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors.
Application of Veterans' Preference: Category rating and selection procedures place those with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligible applicants that meet the eligibility and qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category (except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher).

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.

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.