Duties
VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional
- Administers information and analytical systems to evaluate and enhance the quality of service provided to patients.
- Develops and implements information systems to track service activities.
- Develops implements and evaluates clinical guidelines and protocols to establish appropriate utilization of services.
- Supervises a group of employees performing work at various GS levels
- Performs the administrative and personnel management function relative to staff supervised.
- Establishes guidelines and performance expectations for staff.
- Observes workers' performance; demonstrates and conducts work performance critiques.
- Resolve informal complaints and grievances.
- Develops work improvement plans
- Provides advice and counsel to workers related to work and administrative matters.
- Assures that subordinates are trained and fully comply with the provisions of the safety regulations.
- Responsible for furthering the goals of equal employment opportunity (EEO) by taking positive steps to assure the accomplishment of affirmative action objectives and by adhering to nondiscriminatory employment practices in regard to race, color, religion, sex, and affirmative action for the area under his/her supervision.
- Exercises supervisor authorities and responsibilities involving work assignment and review.
- Technical assistance provided is based on monitoring activities and program reviews, and the development and analysis of information.
- Uses sound judgment in the interpretation of trends and patterns; the application of guidelines; and the recommendation of program enhancements.
- Performs program analysis, development, review, research, design, and contact work as possible with various agencies (public, DOD, state, etc.).
- Performs work related to the review, monitoring, analysis, planning and assessment of various programs.
- Responsible for key project activities related to the planning, development, and implementation of the project component.
- Provides clinical care to Veterans to include group and individual in addition to administrative duties. Percentage of clinical time determined as needed.
Work Schedule: Monday to Friday - 07:30am - 04:00pm
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
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: Maybe authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 25143-F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
- All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
- 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
- Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation/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 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:
a. Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is
not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A,
paragraph 3g this part).
b. 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.
c. 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/.
Failure to Obtain License or Certification. In all cases, social workers must actively
pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure or certification starting from the date
of their appointment. Failure to become licensed or certified within the prescribed
amount of time will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may
result in termination of employment.
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.
.
e. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational
Health Services.
f. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written
English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
GRADE DETERMINATIONS.
In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.
Supervisory Social Worker, GS-13
(1) Experience/Education.
One year of experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level.
Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills in a specialty
area or in administration demonstrating progressively more professional competency
and judgment.
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.
(2) Licensure/Certification.
Individuals assigned as supervisory social workers must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level, and must be able to provide supervision for licensure.
(3) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.
In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
(a) Ability to independently organize work, set priorities, and meet multiple deadlines.
(b) Skill in a range of supervisory duties which includes clinical supervision,
consultation, negotiation with other departments and quality improvement.
(c) Ability to ensure provision of clinical social work services by supervised social
workers.
(d) Ability to delegate authority, manage priorities, coordinate work, and follow up on
pending issues to complete duties in an accurate and timely fashion.
(e) Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems, develop and implement
solutions that result in efficient operations, and use data effectively to manage
workload, quality, performance, and productivity within the service.
(f) Ability to provide staff training and development.
(4) Assignment.
For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level
duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety and be
performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Supervisory social workers at the
GS-13 grade level typically supervise professional and non-professional staff. They are
responsible for the professional and administrative management of an area in a social
work service, in a care/product line, or across multiple sites, (e.g., multi-division
facilities and CBOCs). Incumbent may also provide direct clinical services.]
Preferred Experience: 5+ years of experience to include supervisory or leadership.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit
https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13.
Education
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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Additional information
"Whole Health is an approach to health care that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their life to the fullest. The VA is committed to Whole Health and values Veteran and Employee health and wellbeing. As a VA employee, you will practice Whole Health in an environment that supports personalized and proactive care.
"OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans?
The VA has adopted Core Values and Characteristics that apply universally across the Department. The five Core Values define "who we are," our culture, and how we care for Veterans, their families and other beneficiaries.
The Values are Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect and Excellence ("I CARE"). As a VA professional, your opportunities are endless. With many openings in the multiple functions of VA, you will have a wide range of opportunities and leadership positions at your fingertips.
Receiving Service Credit for 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.
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.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
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
- Other (1)
- 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.