Senior Social Worker

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. The The basic requirements for employment as a VHA social worker are prescribed by statute in 38 U.S.C. § 7402(b)(9), as amended by section 205 of Public Law 106-419, enacted November 1, 2000. To qualify for appointment, all applicants for the position of social worker in VHA must meet the following: United States Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States. 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 in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j and 38 U.S.C. 7403(f). Education: Must 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. Licensure: 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/. Grandfathering Provision: 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). Senior Social Worker, GS-12 Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: Experience/Education: 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: 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 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. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. 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. 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. 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. Physical Requirements: The work is performed in an office setting. The position requires some standing, bending, and carrying items such as training material. 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-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-12. NOTE: This only applies to past, current, and upcoming VA Health Professional Trainees (HPT). An HPT is an individual appointed to temporary positions in one or more VA medical facilities performing clinical or research training experiences to satisfy program or degree requirements or receiving VA Health Professional Scholarship Program. HPTs can be either VA-paid or Without Compensation (WOC). NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

• The Senior Social Worker - Clinical Care Coordinator, serves as the clinical Mental Health expert for Veterans Crisis Line (VCL). Ensuring that evidence -based, comprehensive crisis intervention, suicide prevention, assessment, and triage procedures are used to deliver high-quality services. Major Duties include, but are not limited to: Assist VCL management with ongoing program evaluation activities and data-driven quality improvement projects.Facilitate and coordinate internal/external partnerships. Consults with Suicide Prevention Coordinators and other professional staff at local VA Medical Centers across the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Veteran Affairs (VA) Health Care System (HCS), and/or with other community partners involved in the Veteran's care to ensure continuity of care. Ensures policies and clinical procedures of the VCL are up to date and consistent with crisis intervention and suicide prevention best practice and they ensure effective coordination of treatment. Facilitate compliance with national, network-level and facility-based performance measures. Ensures that evidence-based, comprehensive crisis intervention, suicide prevention, assessment, and triage procedures are used to deliver high-quality services. https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2025-Total-Rewards-Allied-Health-Professions-VA-Career.pdf Work Schedule: Tour of Duty is typically Administrative Hours. Tour is subject to change based on program needs. Compressed/Flexible Work Schedule: May be authorized upon supervisor approval after training per Agency policy. Remote: This is remote position. Selectees will work 100% of the time in a non-VA-owned space outside of the local commuting area of a parent station. The employee's workspace must be suitable for conducting business and as such, remote employees are expected to provide a secure, distraction-free home-based worksite with reliable high speed internet connectivity. The employee will be required to travel to the closest VA Medical Center or VA Outpatient Clinic for issuance of equipment, and as needed for technical support. Selectees will be required to self-certify that their remote workplace meets all safety, privacy, and internet speed requirements. Job Title / Functional Statement #: Senior Social Worker / 65412A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not required Financial Disclosure Report: Not required This is a bargaining unit position