Senior Social Worker (Substance Use Disorder) Job in Pueblo, CO

Vacancy No. CBSU-12698316-25-SM Department Veterans Health Administration
Salary $97,744.00 to $127,073.00 Grade 12 to 12
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 3/11/2025 Close Date 3/31/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Pueblo, CO


Summary

The Social Worker practices in the VA Eastern Colorado Healthcare System (VAECHCS) assigned to the outpatient Substance Use Disorders Clinic under the Mental Health Service. The incumbent participates as part of a multidisciplinary treatment team.

This is a multi-discipline announcement and can be filled by either a Psychologist, Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor and Social Worker.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to the public, all current Federal employees should apply to CBSU-12698318-25-SM.

Duties

Senior Social Worker dutiesinclude, but aren't limited to the following:
  • The Senior Social Worker is certified in at least two evidence-based treatments (or non-VA equivalent) and has actively practiced each for at least two years. It is preferred that at least one of these directly targets Substance Use Disorders (e.g., MI/MET, CBT-SUD). The Senior Social Worker actively implements these evidence-based treatments within the SUD Clinic.
  • The Senior Social Worker, in addition to the functions listed below, provides clinical supervision towards licensure in social work or addictions counseling and/or actively represents the SUD Clinic in facility or VISN-level workgroups/committees.
  • The Senior Social Worker provides clinical consultation to other members of the workgroup, as needed.
  • The Senior Social Worker provides administrative and/or clinical coverage in the absence of the Program Manager, Detox/MAT Coordinator, or as other clinical needs indicate.
  • The incumbent, being trained and experienced in the assessment and treatment of substance use and co-occurring disorders completes all components of the intake and assessment process and develops a treatment plan pertaining to all assessed needs.
  • The incumbent, being trained and experienced in case management, serves as case manager for a panel of patients, the size of which is commensurate with other clinicians on the staff of the SUD Clinic. As case manager, the incumbent attends to a broad range of patient needs that are not fully met directly through the clinical services provided by the SUD Clinic itself, including but not limited to those needs dealing with physical health, employment, finances, family, social support, and housing.
  • The incumbent, being trained and experienced in crisis management, provides same-day services, as needed, for Veterans, including referring patients for emergency medical treatment, psychiatric medication evaluation, SUD specialty care or non-medical detoxification as well as coordinating the admission of patients to the inpatient psychiatric unit of the nearest VA Medical Center or local non-VA facilities.
  • The incumbent, being trained and experienced in the treatment of patients with substance use disorders, and cooccurring disorders, provides a range of treatment services, including but not limited to individuals and group treatment. Group treatment includes psycho educational as well as psychotherapeutic groups. The incumbent utilizes evidence-based treatment methods whenever possible. They employ Motivational Interviewing skills and techniques, as clinically indicated, and applies, as clinically indicated, interventions based on both abstinence and harm reduction approaches to substance use disorders.
  • The incumbent assesses patient interest in and eligibility for Medication Assisted Therapies and provides referrals for evaluation for these treatments.
  • The incumbent participates in triage services through the daily same-day access clinics and assists with drug and alcohol monitoring, as needed, in conjunction with psychosocial services.
  • The incumbent is responsible for timely follow up with Veterans on their case load who prematurely drop out of treatment in compliance with any VA policies or SOPs.
  • The incumbent actively participates in weekly staff meetings and team huddles regarding clinical, administrative, and staff development issues.
  • The incumbent maintains up-to-date charting in the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS), documenting all assessment, treatment and case management contacts with patients. Documentation meets all local, state, and national guidelines and is completed in a professional and timely manner.
  • The incumbent actively participates in program planning and development, making recommendations for changes in policies and procedures as needed, as opportunities arise.
  • The incumbent takes responsibility for meeting continuing education requirements and completing all mandatory trainings including those accessed on the Talent Management System (TMS). The incumbent participates in the planning and executing of specific staff-development projects, attends seminars and other training events, and participates in the training programs of other disciplines (psychology, psychiatry, nursing, addiction counseling) as requested.
  • General knowledge of Veterans' benefits and services relating to special programs, service-connected compensation, and non-service-connected pension is required. The incumbent facilitates referrals based upon veterans needs and eligibility.
  • The incumbent may provide services in Community Based Outpatient locations other than their assigned duty station and/or may provide services to these locations over Telehealth, including VA Video Connect and other technology.
Work Schedule: 8:00am-4:30pm Monday-Friday
Telework: Not available.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 58536-A

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.
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period.
  • Subject to background/security investigation.
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
  • Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

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:
  • U.S. Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
  • English Language Proficiency. Must be proficient in spoken and written English
  • 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 the social worker position GS-0185 series in the 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/ORHM//T38Hybrids.
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. 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 Determination Requirements:

GS-12

Experience/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.

AND

Licensure/Certification. Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California, which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure.

AND

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

1) 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.
2) Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
3) 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.
4) 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.
5) 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.

Preferred Experience: Experience providing individual and group therapy to individuals with addictive disorders, including dual diagnosis.

References: VA Handbook 5005/120 PART II APPENDIX G39.

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

Physical Requirements:

Primarily light and sedentary duties, occasional moderate physical demands
Able to sit at desk for prolonged periods of time-typing/using mouse & keyboard
Frequently engages in light to moderate physical activities including sitting, walking, bending and carrying supplies up to 35 pounds
Must be able to exercise patience and control emotions

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Transcripts must include your name, the school's entire name, can be unofficial transcripts, must have the name of the course, date course taken, grade received for the course, amount of credits earned for the course, date degree conferred, (if applicable), (name of degree received, (if applicable).

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.

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.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

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.

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.

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
  • Transcript


The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please use this checklist to 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
  • Other (1)
  • Professional Certification
  • Resume
  • SF-15
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
  • Transcript


Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

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 03/21/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12698316.

  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. To verify your application is complete, log into your USA JOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USA JOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USA JOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

Agency contact information

VISN 19 HR Contact Center
Address
VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System
1700 N Wheeling St
Aurora, CO 80045
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.


© 2006-2025, exclusive of U. S. government job opportunity announcements