Summary
The Senior Social Worker serves as a Veterans Justice Programs (VJP) Specialist and functions as a community-facing outreach clinician in accordance with VHA Directive 1162.06. The incumbent is responsible for outreach, identification, engagement, treatment matching assessment, referral, linkage, systems coordination, and short-term case management for justice-involved Veterans in criminal justice settings including jails, prisons, courts, and community supervision environments.
Duties
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The primary purpose of the position is to facilitate access to appropriate VA and community-based services, promote stabilization, and reduce risk of homelessness and recidivism. The VJP Specialist works in partnership with criminal justice agencies, community organizations, and VA clinical programs to support successful community reintegration. The VJP Specialist is licensed at the independent practice level and practices within professional scope. While capable of diagnostic formulation within scope of practice, the primary focus of the role is outreach, engagement, coordination, and facilitation of care rather than serving as a primary outpatient psychotherapist. Ongoing clinical treatment responsibility transfers to receiving VA programs once the Veteran is engaged in care, consistent with VHA Directive 1110.04( 1 ), Integrated Case Management Standards of Practice. The incumbent is administratively responsible for daily operation of the VJP program, data management, and compliance with national program monitoring requirements. The Senior Social Worker conducts active outreach to justice-involved Veterans in jails, prisons, courts, and community supervision settings. Outreach activities include field interviews, identification of Veterans through approved processes, coordination with correctional staff, and provision of education regarding VA services. establishes and maintains professional relationships with judges, officers of the court, probation and parole officers, correctional administrators, law enforcement agencies, and community partners to ensure access to justice-involved Veterans and continuity of care. conducts psychosocial treatment-matching assessments to identify biopsychosocial needs and determine appropriate referrals to VA and community-based services, to include: Assessing risk factors, acuity, and stabilization needs. Developing individualized referral and engagement plans. Facilitating linkage to medical, mental health, substance use disorder, housing, employment, peer support, and other supportive services. Providing consultation regarding engagement strategies and clinical needs. Duties are continued in the Education Section Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8 AM - 4:30 PM Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): A Recruitment or Relocation incentive may be offered at the discretion of the Hiring Manager to highly qualified candidate. Incentives are considered on a case by case basis. Incentives must be approved by the Medical Center Director or designee before being offered to individual candidates. The incentive must be approved, and an incentive agreement must be signed before Entry on Duty (EOD). VA Handbook 5007/58 June 22, 2020 PART VI CHAPTER 2, Page VI-8 Recruitment Incentives. Recruitment incentives may be authorized to full-time, part time[,] or intermittent individuals in their first appointment as a Federal employee or to a newly appointed former Federal employee with at least a 90-day break in service Relocation Incentives. Relocation incentives may be authorized to full-time Federal employees who must change worksite[s] and physically relocate to a different geographic area when the approving official determines that without the incentive, it would be difficult to fill the position with a high-quality candidate. Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). This may be requested at the hiring manager's discretion and requires facility director approval to be offered. Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Ad-hoc Telework is available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 55020-F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Requirements
You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment pre-placement evaluation/examination to operate a government vehicle. Valid driver's license required. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Education
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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. You must possess 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. Note: A doctoral degree in Social Work may NOT be substituted for the master's degree in Social Work. NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application. NOTE: If your school was accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) at the time of graduation but is no longer listed on the CSWE website (https://www.cswe.org/accreditation/about/directory/), you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet. Duties Continued: provides short-term case management when clinically indicated, particularly for: Veterans participating in Veterans Treatment Courts, Veterans transitioning from incarceration, and Veterans requiring stabilization support to engage in VA services. serves as the VA liaison to criminal justice partners participates as a member of Veterans Treatment Court teams when applicable. provides treatment progress updates with appropriate authorization. ensures compliance with privacy and release-of-information standards. does not influence criminal justice outcomes, charging decisions, or provide legal advocacy engages in non-clinical program development activities to include: Negotiating and maintaining access to correctional facilities, Participating in community reentry boards and planning committees, Providing education and training to VA staff and community stakeholders, Developing innovative outreach strategies, Coordinating with VJP Specialists across VISNs to ensure continuity of care for Veterans relocating between jurisdictions. Documents clinical contact and relevant treatments Completes mandated reporting and national program monitory requirements Workload expectations account for: Travel to jails, prisons, and courts, Court participation and criminal justice collaboration, Community liaison and systems coordination, Outreach development activities, and Administrative documentation and reporting requirements.
How you will be evaluated
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.