Senior Social Worker

Senior Social Worker

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): Boise, Idaho

Salary Range: $88621 - $115213 Per Year

Job Summary: The senior social worker is an advanced clinical social worker in the Social Work Service and is assigned to the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Outpatient Program at the Boise VA Medical Center. The senior social worker provides substance abuse services for the Boise CBOC's and assisting with coverage as needed at the Boise VAMC SUD Outpatient program.

Major Duties:

• VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Provides leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs for assigned social work staff. Demonstrates an understanding of the range of treatment and skills needed for all adult patients including geriatric patients related to their physical limitations, substance use/abuse/dependence, psychological needs and age associated illnesses and conditions. Works with patients and families who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical and social problems utilizing individual, group and family counseling and therapy skills. Provides consultation services to other staff regarding the psychosocial needs of Veterans and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and adherence to treatment plans. Conducts individual and family clinical interventions, to include interventions designed to facilitate the identification of substance abuse, psychiatric illnesses and social needs as treatment issues. Collaborates with other service providers in reassessing the Veteran's needs. Understands the intimidation of bureaucracy and will act as an advocate when it serves the best interest of the Veteran/family. Makes rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans for admission to mental health inpatient/SUD inpatient and residential as well as Intensive Outpatient Treatment (IOP) programs. Provides education related to VA and community resources, entitlements, Advance Directives/Living Will and will refer Veterans/families to the appropriate interdisciplinary team members and learners for identified health education needs. Documents patient's progress by creating a progress note for each encounter; progress notes are written to address the treatment plan problem list. Collaborates in the performance improvement processes and comply with performance measures as required by the VA for their specific population and/or program. Consults with the supervisor as needed and with colleagues to develop knowledge and apply agency policies and practices to new matters. Uses initiative and resourcefulness in deviating from traditional methods or trends and patterns to develop new methods, criteria, and proposed new policies. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4pm Telework: Ad Hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Qualifications: 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. English Language Proficiency Requirement - Per VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, Paragraph 3j: No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C., chapter 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English. 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 dependently practice social work at the master's degree level. Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/. Grade Determinations: Senior Social Worker GS-12 Experience and 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. 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, the candidate 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. Preferred Experience: Minimum 2 years substance use disorder services.

How to Apply: All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 11/20/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12830851. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

Application Deadline: 2025-11-20