Senior Social Worker (CLC) - Recruitment/Relocation Incentive & EDRP Authorized Job in Big Spring, TX

Vacancy No. CAZM-12821592-26-AM Department Veterans Health Administration
Salary $102,309.00 to $133,007.00 Grade 12 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/23/2025 Close Date 1/27/2026
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Big Spring, TX


Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

Duties

This vacancy will remain open until filled. The first cut-off date is 11/17/2025. Additional applications will be referred as needed.

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

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

The Senior Social Worker is a professional whose duties and responsibilities center on the care management of Veterans in the CLC. The incumbent must use a high level of skill in assessing and treating the complicated psychosocial problems of Veterans as they adjust to their stay at the CLC or transition to appropriate placement alternatives. Care management responsibilities include the management, coordination, and provision of
social work and supportive services to Veterans and/or their families.

The Social Worker is a member of the referral screening team and participates in the evaluation and decision-making process of accepting and/or denying CLC referrals. A significant portion of admissions are from within the WTV AHCS; therefore, this role also serves as a liaison between the CLC and WTV AHCS regarding their referrals and screening process.

The Senior Social Worker will provide consultation and guidance to colleagues, role model effective social work practice skills, teach or provide orientation to less experienced social workers, and develop innovations in practice interventions. The CLC Social Worker will manage and coordinate both the CLC resident and family/caregiver councils.

Treatment Planning/ Goal Setting- The Senior Social Worker is responsible for contributing to the development of the treatment plan and setting achievable treatment goals with the Veteran and family members/caregiver. The psychosocial assessment and minimum data set (MDS) assessment will be completed as specified by the policy for the assigned work area. When a Veteran is admitted under hospice, the CLC Social Worker will ensure documentation of what the Veteran's/Family desires are for their funeral and burial arrangements. The incumbent will participate in weekly Interdisciplinary Treatment Team Meeting for treatment planning and provide updates related to psychosocial functioning and discharge.

Referral to service providers - Throughout the course of treatment, the Senior Social Worker/ incumbent is the subject matter expert on VA and/or community resources. The Senior Social Worker will collaborate with other service providers in assessing the Veteran's needs and educate the Veteran and family members on the available services and assist them in establishing the appropriate referrals based on the Veteran's preference or that of his
surrogate decision-maker.

Advocacy - The Senior Social Worker understands the intimidation of bureaucracy and will act as an advocate when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver. When appropriate, the incumbent will educate and encourage the Veteran to advocate on his/her own behalf, thus fostering a sense of independence and empowerment.

Crisis Intervention - The Senior Social Worker will perform risk assessments and
develop crisis intervention planning as clinically indicated.


****Duties are continued in the Education Section of this announcement****


Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 4:30 PM
Recruitment/Relocation Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
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) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
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: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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

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/. NOTE: Licenses from the state of Alabama no longer meet VA regulatory requirements for independent licensure. If you are licensed in the State of Alabama, you must also be licensed at the Independent Level in another state.
  • Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
  • English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
Preferred Experience:GS-12
  • Knowledge in completion of biopsychosocial assessments.
  • Ability to complete admission, case management and discharge planning to include making referrals for VA and community providers.
  • Basic knowledge of eligibility in admission criteria and insurance regulations. within the long-term care arena.
  • Ability to work in a stressful environment with ability to adapt to change in schedule while maintaining professionalism and courtesy.
  • Knowledge or experience in working within a multi-disciplinary team, providing clinical feedback to address the needs of Veteran/family.
  • Ability to complete psychotherapy sessions with CLC Veterans when appropriate.
Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade level.

Senior Social Worker, GS-12 Experience and Education. The candidate must have at least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which, one year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Senior social workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment. Senior social workers are experts in their specialized area of practice. Senior social workers may have certification or other post-masters training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience in a specialty.

Licensure/Certification. Individuals assigned Senior Social Worker must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level and must be able to provide supervision for licensure.

NOTE: Licenses from the state of Alabama no longer meet VA regulatory requirements for independent licensure. To qualify for the assignment of Senior Social Worker at the GS-12 level, you must have 2 years of experience at the advanced practice level, earned while having an active, unrestricted advanced practice license in a U.S. state or territory other than Alabama.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
(a) Skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations. This includes individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management.
(b) Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
(c) Knowledge in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to design system changes.
(d) Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients in the service delivery area, as well as role modeling effective social work practice skills.
(e) Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession, and to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area

References: Reference can be found at the VA Qualification Repository, VA Qualifications Standards - Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) GS-0185, Social Worker Qualification Standard, dated 09/10/2019.

The grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12

Physical Requirements:
There are no set physical requirements for this position. Use of eyes, hands, walking/standing and hearing may be needed to perform some functions. Mental, emotional, and cognitive stability are required.

Education

****Duties Continued****

Education/Health promotion and prevention - The Senior Social Worker provides education related to VA and community resources, entitlements, Advance Directives/Living Will. Should the Veteran express an interest in completing a VA Advance Directive: Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care and Living Will or the Mental Health Advance Directive, the Senior Social Worker will assist with the completion of said documents to the extent assistance is desired. If needed, the Social Worker will refer Veterans and family members/caregiver to the appropriate interdisciplinary team member for identified health education needs.

Coordination of non-institutional and institutional services - The Senior Social Worker will review the progress notes from the other providers to accurately determine the strengths and limitations of each Veteran admitted to the CLC. The incumbent will educate the Veteran, their family members and the team of all resource options available to them and will collaborate with the Veteran and family members/caregiver on the preferred option.

Therapy and Supportive counseling - The Senior Social Worker will provide evidence based therapy as appropriate to Veterans relevant in assessing, diagnosing and treating of mental health disorders, within h/her scope of practice at a level appropriate to licensure. The Senior Social Worker will provide the Veterans and their family members/caregiver with ongoing supportive counseling. The purpose of such counseling is to deal with the
psychosocial impact of coping with severe mental illness (es) to include substance abuse, chronic/disabling illness (es), and onset of a catastrophic illness within his/her scope of practice at a level appropriate to licensure.

Discharge planning - The Senior Social Worker, in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team and other appropriate hospital clinical staff, will assist Veteran and their family members/caregiver in planning for discharge by offering appropriate options to the Veteran and family members/caregiver. They will work with community partners and Adult Protective Services to ensure Veterans are discharged to safe home environments. The Senior Social Worker will provide follow-up support for Veterans recently discharged from the CLC to ensure all the needed services have been provided and prevent unnecessary rehospitalizations.

Community Nursing Home-The Senior Social Worker will provide back up to the Community Nursing Home Senior Social Worker in providing coverage to the many areas of care and service, including but not limited to conducting nursing home Veteran assessments every 60 days or more often as needed. The Senior Social Worker will review progress notes from other providers to accurately determine the strengths and limitation of each Veteran being referred, addressing quality care needs. The Senior Social Worker will coordinate referrals/consults for both non-institution services and institutional services such as Home Based Primary Care, alternative community/contracted placement, non-contracted skilled nursing facilities, Medical Foster Home, hospice, transitional and supportive housing, and skilled and non-skilled homecare services in collaboration with the
interdisciplinary team members.

Administrative responsibilities - The Senior Social Worker will enter all Veteran/family contacts in the electronic record using appropriate formats and templates. This information will be entered in a complete, confidential and professional manner to ensure information regarding the patient is shared within the CLC interdisciplinary team. The Senior Social Worker will establish and maintain positive working relationships with employees, volunteers, consumers and stakeholders within the VA and outside community agencies. The CLC Senior Social Worker will manage and coordinate both the CLC
resident and family/caregiver councils. The CLC Social Worker will Chair/Co-Chair the Palliative Care Committee for the WTVAHCS. The Senior Social Worker will attend all appropriate staff meetings, which include interdisciplinary treatment team meetings, Social Work staff meetings, other committees and workgroups as appropriate, and perform other duties as required. The Senior Social Worker will also collaborate in the performance improvement processes and comply with performance measures as required by the VA.

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Failure to provide transcripts may result in non-referral of your application if education cannot be verified.

Note: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

Note: If your school was accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) at the time of graduation but is no longer listed on the CSWE website, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet. 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.

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

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

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

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.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

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.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

  • Resume

Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.

Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

  • Cover Letter
  • DD-214/ Statement of Service
  • Disability Letter (Schedule A)
  • Disability Letter (VA)
  • License
  • Resume/CV
  • PCS Orders
  • Performance Appraisal
  • Professional Certification
  • Resume
  • Separation Notice (RIF)
  • SF-15
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
  • Transcript

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 01/27/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12821592.

  1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
  2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.

NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

Agency contact information

VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
Address
George H O'Brien Jr VA Medical Center
300 Veterans Boulevard
Big Spring, TX 79720
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.

You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.

NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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