Senior Social Worker - EDRP, Recruitment/Relocation Incentive Authorized

Senior Social Worker - EDRP, Recruitment/Relocation Incentive Authorized

The Veterans Health Administration was seeking a Senior Social Worker for the Behavioral Health Service Line at the West Texas VA Health Care System in Big Spring, TX. This advanced practice role provides high-level professional social work services to Veterans and families through behavioral health and telemental health modalities, including assessment, psychotherapy, case management, program coordination, consultation, education, and treatment planning for complex mental health, substance use, trauma, and psychosocial needs.

Location: Big Spring, TX

Vacancies: 1

Salary: $103,332 - $134,335 per year

Pay Scale & Grade: GS-12

Promotion Potential: None

Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm

Appointment Type: Permanent

Telework: Not available

Remote/Virtual: Not available

Travel Required: Not required

Relocation Expenses: Not reimbursed

Recruitment Incentive: Authorized

Relocation Incentive: May be authorized for eligible federal employees who must physically relocate

EDRP: Authorized; student loan reimbursement may be available up to $200,000, subject to eligibility and VHA approval

PCS: Not authorized

Drug Test: Not required

Security Clearance: Other

Position Sensitivity/Risk: Non-sensitive / Low Risk

Background Check: Credentialing and suitability/fitness required

Financial Disclosure: Not required

Union Representation: Yes

Supervisory Status: No

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide advanced professional social work services within the Behavioral Health Service Line.
• Provide a full range of psychodiagnostic services, including assessment and evidence-based psychotherapy.
• Deliver individual, family, and group psychotherapy and psychoeducation as clinically indicated.
• Evaluate patients representing a wide range of diagnostic entities.
• Provide education to patients, family members, and significant others regarding mental disorders and treatment approaches.
• Assess mental health disorders and symptom changes using psychological screenings and assessments.
• Use goal-oriented and measurement-based care to guide treatment decisions.
• Develop, implement, and document psychotherapeutic treatment plans for an assigned caseload.
• Comply with Behavioral Health Service documentation standards, CPRS note requirements, treatment plans, clinical reminders, risk assessments, and patient checkout procedures.
• Provide consultation to health care providers regarding assessment findings and treatment plans.
• Coordinate care to ensure it is collaborative and integrated within the West Texas VA Health Care System.
• Follow policies and practices related to suicide and violence risk assessment and reduction.
• Function independently as a member of the VA health care system medical staff with full clinical privileges.
• Participate as an active Mental Health Clinic team member.
• Support program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement projects.
• Assist with selection, training, and supervision of lower-grade staff within the assigned program area as needed.
• Coordinate with Behavioral Health leadership and the local evidence-based psychotherapy coordinator.
• Attend Behavioral Health meetings, Medical Staff meetings, administrative meetings, and peer review activities.
• Maintain current knowledge of Joint Commission, CARF, and other accrediting or governing body requirements.
• Protect printed and electronic files containing sensitive patient, employee, and program information.

Basic Qualifications:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen. Non-citizens may only be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Must be proficient in spoken and written English.
• Must have a master's degree in Social Work from a school fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
• Must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level.
• Must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level, including an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless grandfathered by the licensing state.
• Must be able to provide supervision for licensure.
• Must be subject to a background/security investigation.
• Selective Service registration is required for males born after December 31, 1959.
• Must complete all application requirements and online onboarding requirements.
• Must provide acceptable identification for employment eligibility verification.
• Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program as required for Department of Veterans Affairs health care personnel.
• Selected applicant will be required to serve a one-year or two-year trial period.

Eligibility:

• This announcement was open to current permanent federal employees and U.S. Citizens.
• The two-page resume requirement did not apply to this position.
• Veterans' preference was waived for external applicants under 38 U.S.C. § 7412.
• This position was posted to multiple occupations, including Staff Psychologist, Marriage & Family Therapist, Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, and Senior Social Worker.
• This job announcement closed when it reached the application limit or on the listed closing date.

GS-12 Qualification Requirements:

• Must meet all basic Social Worker requirements.
• Must have advanced practice licensure or certification from a state at the advanced practice level.
• Must have at least two years of experience after advanced practice clinical licensure.
• At least one year of experience must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level.
• Experience should be in a specialized area of social work practice.
• Specialized experience may include assessment and documentation of abuse, neglect, exploitation, intimate partner violence, psychosocial functioning, coping skills, patient strengths and weaknesses, psychosocial acuity, patient advocacy, and community service coordination.
• Experience must demonstrate advanced practice skills and judgment.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Skill in specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations.
• Ability to provide individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced psychosocial or case management services.
• Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation into differential diagnosis and treatment.
• Knowledge of methods for measuring social work practice effectiveness and using outcomes to improve treatment services or design system changes.
• Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on psychosocial treatment.
• Ability to role model effective social work practice skills.
• Ability to expand clinical knowledge and write policies, procedures, or practice guidelines for the service delivery area.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience working in a VA Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program or within VA.
• Experience delivering evidence-based psychotherapies.
• Experience facilitating care for patients with serious mental illness, PTSD, and substance use disorder.
• Experience working on a Behavioral Health interdisciplinary team and coordinating care with other services and providers.

Education:

• Master's degree in Social Work from a Council on Social Work Education-accredited school is required.
• A doctoral degree in Social Work may not be substituted for the required master's degree.
• Graduates of schools in candidacy status do not meet the requirement until the school is fully accredited.
• If the school changed names or is no longer in existence, documentation must be provided.
• If the school was accredited at the time of graduation but is no longer listed by CSWE, documentation of accreditation must be provided.
• Foreign education must be evaluated as equivalent to U.S. education by a recognized credential evaluation organization.

Physical Requirements:

• Physical aspects associated with this assignment are typical for the Social Worker occupation.
• A pre-placement physical examination is generally not required for this assignment.

Required Documents:

• Resume
• Standard Clinical Resume Document uploaded into the restricted resume field
• Full resume or CV may be uploaded separately into the other document upload field without page limitation
• License, if applicable or required
• Transcript, if using education to qualify
• Professional certification, if applicable
• SF-50 / Notification of Personnel Action, if current or former federal employee
• Performance appraisal, if applicable
• DD-214 / Statement of Service, if applicable
• SF-15, if applicable
• Cover letter, disability letter, PCS orders, separation notice, and other supporting documents, if applicable

Benefits and Incentives:

• Competitive salary with regular salary increases.
• 37 to 50 days of paid time off per year, including annual leave, sick leave, and federal holidays.
• Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work experience or military service, subject to approval.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment.
• Potential child care subsidy for eligible full-time employees after 60 days of employment.
• Federal retirement benefits, including a traditional pension and 401(k)-style plan with up to 5% VA contributions.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term care insurance options.
• Recruitment incentive authorized.
• Relocation incentive may be authorized for eligible relocating federal employees.
• Education Debt Reduction Program eligibility may provide student loan reimbursement up to $200,000, subject to VHA approval and eligibility requirements.

Application Deadline: July 10, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET

Status: Closed; reviewing applications

This announcement for a Senior Social Worker position at the West Texas VA Health Care System closed on July 10, 2026. Applications are currently listed as being reviewed.

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