Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. **This job is open to current permanent Department of Veteran Affairs, Tucson VA Medical Center, Mental Health Department employees ONLY.**

The MHRRTP is a 25-bed residential mental health treatment program on the SAVAHCS campus in Tucson with specialty care bed sections serving Veterans with Substance Use Disorders and PTSD/Trauma-related readjustment difficulties.

Duties Include Not Limited to:

• Has a high level of skill and expertise in establishing and maintaining effective therapeutic relationships with the Veteran and their families. The incumbent is able to independently work with the Veteran and their families who may be experiencing a wide range of complicated medical, psychiatric, substance use, behavioral, and/or psychosocial problems.
• Completes thorough biopsychosocial assessments to determine the substance use and mental health diagnoses, psychosocial functioning, and associated needs of the Veteran and/or their family. The social worker utilizes this assessment to develop and implement a comprehensive treatment plan in Mental Health Suites to address assessed needs including community integration.
• Conducts screenings and assessments for suicidal risk, engages in monitoring/reporting suicidal and/or overdose-related behaviors, and develops/ updates safety plans that incorporate knowledge of risk and protective factors specific to the patient and clinical context.
• Provides substance use, and mental health focused psychosocial interventions outlined in the VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Substance Use Disorders and Mental Health.
• Provides post-traumatic stress disorder and mental health focused psychosocial interventions outlined in the VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines for Management of Post-traumatic stress disorder and Mental Health.
• Actively participates as an interdisciplinary treatment member through collaboration with the Veteran and family to develop and implement social work treatment goals and interventions.
• Develops a timely and viable transition/discharge plan in concert with the Veteran and family. The incumbent educates the Veteran and family regarding community resources and makes referrals to these resources for community reintegration. Referrals may include but are not limited to medical, substance abuse, mental health, potential crisis support, housing, and financial resources.
• Facilitates community placements through partnership with the Veteran and their family as well as the interdisciplinary treatment team in a timely manner. Community placement referrals may involve but are not limited to contract nursing homes, community living centers, residential care homes, and inpatient and outpatient hospice services.
• Possesses knowledge and the ability to provide psychotherapeutic treatment modalities, educational classes, and/or treatment including supportive groups for the Veteran and his or her family.
• Demonstrates knowledge of evidence-based therapies and experience in providing individual, group, and family psychotherapy.
• Provides consultation and education to the Veteran and their family regarding advanced directives, community resources, eligibility for benefits and specialty programs. Consultation and education include the process of providing information, referrals, accessing and/or coordinating the VA and/or non-VA community-based services.
• Provides consultation to the treatment team and staff members regarding psychosocial needs of the Veteran and/or family and how these needs impact the Veteran's health care planning and compliance with treatment.
• Maintains knowledge of the Veteran's benefits and services, community resources, and process for making appropriate referrals to the community and other governmental programs or agencies.
• Possesses skills and knowledge to provide case management services to the Veteran and his or her family throughout the continuum of care.
• Demonstrates ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people from diverse backgrounds.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m./7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. work schedule, but work schedule may be adjusted to meet the needs of the service.
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 eligible for Telework.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

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.
• 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).

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 Determinations:

Social Worker, GS-11

• Experience and Licensure. Appointment to the GS-11 grade level requires completion of a minimum of one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the field of health care or other social work-related settings, (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level.
• Education. In addition to meeting basic requirements, a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required one year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
  • Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services.
  • Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational and other diversified backgrounds.
  • Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities and treatment procedures (i.e. acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology) to formulate a treatment plan.
  • Skill in independently implementing different treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems to achieve treatment goals.
  • Ability to provide consultation services to new social workers, social work graduate students, and other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment.

Preferred Experience: At least 1 year of experience providing evidence based psychotherapy for substance use disorders (SUD; CBT-SUD, MI/MET, CM).

*Must have a current valid driver's license.*

Reference: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G39 - Social Worker Qualification Standard. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11.

Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary but also demands standing, walking, bending, twisting, and carrying light items.

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.

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

• First for Independent Practice Level (LIP) Licensure
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• 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
• License
• First for Independent Practice Level (LIP) Licensure
• Curriculum Vitae
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Next steps