Senior Social Worker (VASH)

The Senior Social Worker serves as a case manager in the VA Supported Housing (VASH) Program within Social Work Service located at the VA San Diego Healthcare System . VASH is a collaborative effort, supported through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 8 rental assistance program, and VA's provision of intensive case management services.

Major Duties:

- Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with Veterans, VA staff, community partners, landlords, and PHAs.
- Work collaboratively as part of an interdisciplinary team and to maintain positive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
- Proficiency with word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and email systems required to manage housing-related information and documentation.
- Experience in administrative coordination, preferably in housing or social services
- Familiarity with project-based housing programs and/or voucher systems is preferred
- Ability to manage data systems such as CES with accuracy and attention to detail
- Strong organizational, communication, and multitasking skills
- Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams and external partners
- Act as a liaison between VASH and VA SUD treatment programs, i.e. SARRTP, ADTP.
- Establish and maintain relationships with community substance use treatment providers
- Provide ongoing therapy and case management for VASH Veterans to achieve their substance use recovery goals
- Receive and process referrals from case managers for Veterans interested in engaging in substance use treatment
- Complete necessary assessments to facilitate linkage for Veterans to enter the appropriate programs to address substance use disorder symptoms
- Develop VASH program's Addiction Therapist role, to enhance the provision of addiction therapy to VASH Veterans
- Mentor other social workers and addiction therapists. This may include provision of clinical supervision for unlicensed addiction therapists and entry-level social workers.
- Maintain accurate data within the Coordinated Entry System (CES)

The Senior Social Worker performs other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:00am - 3:30pm

Telework: N/A

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 000000

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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 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

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: Senior S ocial Worker 0185, 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.

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

(a) 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.

(b) Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.

(c) 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.

(d) 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.(e) Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession, and to write policies,

Preferred Experience: Best qualified candidate will have two years of experience in the specialized area of medical/psychiatric social work.

References: VA Handbook 5005/120, PART II, APPENDIX G39 dated September 10, 2019

This position is above the Full Performance Level for this series. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements: This work is primarily sedentary but also requires some standing, walking, bending, lifting and carrying of items. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application.

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: 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: