Social Worker

About the role

The Social Worker supports veterans in the Salem VA Healthcare System's Community Residential Care (CRC) Program and other specialty medical programs. Responsibilities include providing case management, clinical treatment, advocacy, and support services to veterans and their families. The role involves coordinating care with VA and community providers and addressing complex psychosocial needs as veterans transition to residential care.

Responsibilities

• Provide case management, clinical treatment, advocacy, and support services to veterans and their families.
• Coordinate care with VA and community providers as veterans transition to residential care.
• Establish and maintain therapeutic relationships with veterans engaged in mental‑health or substance‑use services and their families.
• Conduct thorough psychosocial assessments and diagnostic interviews to determine needs and formulate patient‑centered treatment plans.
• Develop and set achievable treatment goals in collaboration with veterans, families, and inpatient mental‑health staff.
• Implement treatment modalities for individuals, families, and groups, using supportive, problem‑solving, and crisis‑intervention techniques.
• Provide consultation to other social workers, graduate students, and treatment‑team members regarding psychosocial needs and their impact on health‑care planning.
• Maintain effective communication with clients, staff, and community‑agency representatives.
• Keep supervisors apprised of problems and recommended solutions.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements

• U.S. citizenship (non‑citizens may be appointed only when qualified citizens cannot be recruited, per VA policy).

Education

• Master’s degree in Social Work from a program fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
• Doctoral degree in Social Work does not substitute for the required master’s degree.
• Accreditation can be verified at http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation.

Licensure

• State license or certification to independently practice social work at the master’s level (GS‑0185 series).
• Current state requirements are available at http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38.
• Grandfathering provision may apply to current VHA employees who meet the VA Qualification Standard.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Veteran‑centric approach to interventions and counseling for veterans, families, caregivers, and survivors.
• Ability to assess psychosocial functioning, identify problems, strengths, coping skills, and formulate treatment plans.
• Skill in implementing treatment modalities for individuals, families, and groups, including supportive, problem‑solving, and crisis‑intervention techniques.
• Effective communication and relationship‑building with clients, staff, and community agencies.
• Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental‑health diagnoses, disabilities, treatment procedures, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology.
• Knowledge of community resources and ability to make appropriate referrals and coordinate services.
• Ability to provide consultation and education to other social workers, graduate students, and interdisciplinary team members.

Grade Determinations

• GS‑9: Entry level; less than one year post‑MSW experience; may be selected pending licensure qualification.
• GS‑11: Requires at least one year of post‑MSW experience equivalent to GS‑9 level (or a doctoral degree may substitute for the experience) and state licensure at independent practice level.

Physical Requirements

A pre‑placement physical examination to determine physical, cognitive, and emotional fitness is required for all full‑time appointments under Title 38.

Pay

Competitive salary with regular salary increases. Higher step rates may be awarded based on unique qualifications or special needs of the VA.

Schedule

Monday – Friday, 7:45 am – 4:30 pm.

Benefits

• Paid time off: 37–50 days per year (13–26 days annual leave, 13 days sick leave, 11 federal holidays).
• Parental leave: Up to