Social Worker - Outpatient Substance Use Disorders Program

Social Worker - Outpatient Substance Use Disorders Program

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): Waterloo, Iowa

Salary Range: $65113 - $102420 Per Year

Job Summary: This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

Major Duties:

• **This position may be filled as a Social Worker or Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor. These positions are advertised on separate USA jobs announcements. If you are interested in the LPMHC position, you will need to apply to that vacancy announcement. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.** This position serves as a highly skilled and independent social worker responsible for providing comprehensive psychosocial services to veterans, their families, and caregivers. The incumbent applies expert knowledge of community resources, medical and mental health conditions, disabilities, and treatment procedures to conduct thorough assessments, develop effective treatment plans, and deliver a wide range of therapeutic interventions. They coordinate care across the continuum of services, collaborate closely with interdisciplinary teams, and serve as a consultant and educator to colleagues, students, and residents. The role also includes case management, community liaison responsibilities, documentation and data management, and participation in professional development and performance improvement activities, all with the goal of ensuring holistic, patient-centered care. Duties include, but are not limited to: Independently conduct comprehensive psychosocial assessments for veterans, families, and caregivers. Develop and implement treatment plans using appropriate clinical interventions for individuals from diverse backgrounds. Apply knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, common medications, and treatment procedures to inform clinical practice. Provide individual, family, and group counseling to address psychiatric, medical, and social challenges, including disability, chronic illness, terminal conditions, and end-of-life issues. Coordinate services and make appropriate referrals to community resources, ensuring effective continuity of care. Serve as a liaison between the VA and community agencies, assisting with outreach, marketing, and public relations as needed. Offer consultation and education to veterans and families regarding community resources, advance directives, and VA benefits. Provide guidance and consultation to interdisciplinary team members on psychosocial issues impacting healthcare and treatment adherence. Deliver case management services across the continuum of care to support veteran and family needs. Maintain accurate documentation in patient records and manage required data and statistical reports in compliance with VHA, JCAHO, and medical center standards. Utilize computer applications for documentation, tracking, and data management. Foster effective, culturally sensitive communication and relationships with patients, families, and community partners. Participate in professional development, peer reviews, and case conferences to support continuous learning and service improvement. Provide clinical supervision to social work students or social workers pursuing advanced practice licensure. Educate medical residents on social work practice and VA policies and procedures. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am to 4:00pm or 8:00am to 4:30pm Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact to VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Qualifications: BASIC REQUIREMENTS: (a) Citizenship. 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) English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). (c) Education and Experience. 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. (d) 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/. Exception. VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level. For the GS-11 grade level and above, the candidate must be licensed or certified. For appointments at the GS-9 grade level, VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent, master's level within three years of their appointment as a social worker. 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). GS-9 Grade Requirements: (a) Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills. Ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the Veterans problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed. Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals. This requires judgment and skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving, or crisis intervention techniques. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures. This includes acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses/injuries; common medications and their effects/side effects; and medical terminology. GS-11 Grade Requirements: (a) Experience and Licensure. Appointment to the GS-11 grade level requires completion of a minimum of one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the field of health care or other social work-related settings, (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level; OR (b) Education. In addition to meeting basic requirements, a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required one year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting. (c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services. Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational and other diversified backgrounds. Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities and treatment procedures (i.e. acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology) to formulate a treatment plan. Skill in independently implementing different treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems to achieve treatment goals. Ability to provide consultation services to new social workers, social work graduate students, and other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment. **All qualifying experience you possess must be clearly described in your application package. We will not make assumptions when reviewing applications. Failure to demonstrate your experience in your resume may result in disqualification. It is strongly recommended that you write to each KSA in your application package.** 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-9. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to GS-11.

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 03/13/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12897484. 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: 2026-03-13