Clarification from the agency

This is an external announcement open to all US citizens. This occupation is listed on the OIG Determination of Veterans Health Administration's Occupational Staffing Shortages list for this fiscal year through September 30, 2026. Therefore, this vacancy announcement is exempt from Veterans Preference. Current permanent VA/Federal employees may apply under announcement CBTC-12911480-26-DMD to receive internal consideration.

The Senior Social Worker provides intensive treatment and case management services to assigned Veterans and significant others, consistent with the goals and methods of MHICM and the VA Mental Health initiative and with all relevant medical center policies and procedures. Intensive treatment and case management services are characteriized by assertive outreach, individualiized treatment planning, multidimensional orientation, and intensive delivery of services.

Duties may include but are not limited to:

• Frequent (at least weekly and sometimes daily) direct contact with Veterans and persons involved in Veterans care to provide therapy and support. Frequency of contacts is increased in times of crisis.
• Flexibility of Veteran contact (Veterans are seen in any location and with any qualified MHICM team clinician who can provide assistance).
• A focus on strengthening the patients' ability to address acute and chronic problems.
• Use of naturalistic community settings for teaching and modeling problem-solving skills.
• Provision of continuity of care within the framework established by MHICM. For example, collaborates and consults with other interdisciplinary treatment teams and programs to promote and enhance the care of patients.
• Outreach and assertive provision of services to treatment resistant patients.
• Mobiliization of environment and organiization supports, including family members, professional, and other interested parties. For example, undertakes individual, family and group therapies as well as educational programs for Veterans, families, and staff. Also responsible for linking patients to
  other VA programs and to community resources.
• The Senior social worker participates in team staffing regarding patient selection, determination
  of treatment plans, and goals, progress evaluation, discharge planning, and after care. Provides
  consultation to social workers and interdisciplinary teams.
• The senior social worker works assertively and consistently with VA staff and inpatient teams to assure continuity of care by providing consultation regarding clinical needs, treatment plans, and case management services for assigned patients. Works assertively to promote appropriate treatment, rehabilitation, and expeditious discharge of assigned patients, consistent with program goals and with individual treatment plans.
• The incumbent is actively involved in readmission and discharge decisions, using criteria established locally and informed by national directive.
• The incumbent in assigned administrative responsibility for clinical program development and is
  accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns.
• The incumbent completes clinical documentation according to MHICM and medical center standards; this includes but is not limited to electronic programs notes, clinical progress reports, the initial assessments and multidisciplinary treatment plans.
• The incumbent is responsible for completion of required clinical recores as well as MHICM forms for evaluation and monitoring of service delivery and for MHICM program manager, and the Northeast Program Evaluation Center (NEPEC).
• The incumbent coordinates work with other clinical programs and service lines tht share the care of Veteran patients.
• Transports clients in accordance with local operational manuals and procedures.
• Performs other duties as required/assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
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 #: PD52176F

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

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

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.
• 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.
• 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).
• 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.

GRADE REQUIREMENTS

In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

Senior Social Worker, GS-12:

• Experience: At least two (2) years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure, of which one (1) year of experience is equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency.
• Education: 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. Individuals assigned as social worker program coordinator 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) 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.

Prefered Experience: Previous intensive case management and treatment services experience or Mental Health experience.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit Human Resources and Administration (HRA) Employee Resources Hub - VA Qualification Standards - Social Worker Qualification Standard - GS-0185

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements: It is VA policy to ensure that all selected applicants and employed personnel are physically, mentally and emotionally fit to perform the duties of the position to which assigned. A pre-placement physical examination is required for all full-time, part-time and intermittent employees identified by VA Directive and Handbook 5019. The pre-placement physical examination shall be completed prior to appointment to determine the physical and mental fitness for candidates for appointment in VA. The examination will be concerned with the mental and physical ability of the applicant to satisfactorily perform the duties of the proposed assignment and will include requisite laboratory and other screening as required by Federal regulatory agencies. The work is primarily sedentary, but may require some walking, bending, stooping, standing, stretching and carrying objects. The physical demands of the work requires use of fingers; moderate walking and standing; near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in on eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; hearing aid permitted; clear speech; emotional stability; moderate duty.

Driving Requirement and Current/Valid Driver's License Requirement:
This position requires the incumbent to drive and utilize a government vehicle. Additionally, the incumbent must possess or be able to obtain a current/valid Driver's License.

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.

This occupation is listed on the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) Bulletin - Annual Determination of Staffing Shortages - September 25, 2025. Therefore, this vacancy announcement is EXEMPT from Veterans Preference.

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

• License
• Standard Clinical Resume
• Resume
• Transcript

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 (VA)
• License
• Standard Clinical Resume
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Next steps