About this role
Job SummaryThis Social Worker is assigned to Inpatient Med/Surg Programs at VA Puget Sound Health Care System located in Seattle, Washington with responsibility to provide direct services for Veterans, their families and caregivers.
QualificationsBasic 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 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 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/. Loss of Licensure or Certification: Once licensed or certified, social workers must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment. Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment. English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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: Supervisory Social Worker, GS-12 Education/Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills in a specialty area or in administration demonstrating progressively more professional competency and judgment. Candidate may have certification or other post-master's degree training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship, or equivalent supervised professional experience. Licensure/Certification: Individuals assigned as supervisory social workers must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level, and must be able to provide supervision for licensure. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to meeting the licensure and experience for the GS-12 level, do you possess the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Ability to independently organize work, set priorities, and meet multiple deadlines. Knowledge of supervisory duties which includes clinical supervision, consultation, negotiation with other departments and quality improvement. Ability to ensure provision of clinical social work services. Ability to provide staff training and development. Skill in interpersonal relationships in dealing with employees, team leaders, and managers. 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-12. Physical Requirements: There are no physical requirements for this occupation per OCHCO Communications email to VA Handbook 5019, updated on 4/17/2026.
Major DutiesTotal Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Supervision & Leadership - Provides administrative, technical, and clinical supervision to unlicensed, independent, and advanced practice social workers. - Maintains an onsite supervisory presence and conducts regular in-person staff meetings to ensure effective oversight, engagement, and support. - Establishes and communicates performance expectations; observes performance; provides ongoing feedback; completes formal evaluations; and addresses complaints and grievances. - Develops and implements work improvement plans, recommends personnel actions, and provides guidance on administrative and clinical matters. - Exercises disciplinary authority within delegated parameters, approves leave, ensures training compliance, and promotes staff development across multiple grade levels. Inpatient Med/Surg Unit Oversight and Compliance - Provides oversight of inpatient Med Surg Unit to ensure compliance with national directive, VA policies, Joint Commission standards, and facility expectations. - Develops, supports, maintains, and updates standard operating procedures for inpatient programs in coordination with the Social Work Service Line. - Monitors program performance, ensures all performance measures are met or exceeded, and adjusts operations based on emerging trends or new requirements. Quality Improvement and Data-Driven Management - Interprets unit trends, analyzes patterns, and recommends enhancements to improve service deliver and Veteran outcomes. - Supports facility-wide efforts to reduce length of stay & optimize performance measures reflected in OMELOS, and other hospital metrics. - Leads or supports quality improvement activities with interdisciplinary partners to ensure high quality care and regulatory compliance. Committee & Team Participation - Serves on as an active participant on Utilization Management Committee to represent the Social Work perspective while acknowledging facility and interquel standards. - Collaborates closely with ELT leadership including regular occurring meetings to discuss Veterans with long hospital stays to remove barriers from discharge. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) - Promotes nondiscriminatory practices, affirmative action principles, and equitable treatment for all employees. - Ensures merit-based promotion, supports hiring and recruitment efforts, encourages career development, and fully utilizes staff skills Administrative Responsibilities - Ensures timely completion of JPRS actions and prepares briefing materials for Social Work Service Line and facility leadership Coverage & Cross-Functional Support - Serves as primary coverage for the Specialty Care Unit and may provide coverage for other Supervisory Social Workers within Social Work Service. - Performs duties that may overlap with areas within Social Work Service or programs outside the service based on facility need. Other Duties - Will be expected to provide direct clinical services to Veterans as appropriate. The balance between clinical and administrative responsibilities will be determined by the SW Clinical Care Program Manager. - Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30am - 4:00pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. 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) 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: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not AuthorizedRequirementsYou 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 physical evaluation. 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.