Social Worker (Family Advocacy)
U.S. Army Medical Command
Posted: February 17, 2026 (3 days ago)
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Veterans Health Administration
Department of Veterans Affairs
Location
Bonham, Texas
Salary
$115,956 - $150,746
per year
Type
Full-Time
More Social Services jobs →Closes
Base salary range: $21,996 - $27,534
Typical requirements: No experience required. High school diploma or equivalent.
Note: Actual salary includes locality pay (15-40%+ depending on location).
This job is for an experienced social worker who will provide advanced mental health support to veterans through a program focused on integrated primary care.
It involves assessing needs, offering counseling, and coordinating care in a hospital setting.
Ideal candidates are licensed social workers with at least two years of specialized clinical experience in mental health or similar fields, passionate about helping veterans.
This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program.
You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment.
Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.
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.
Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
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/. 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.
At the time of appointment, the supervisor, chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification, including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline.] 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- 12: Senior Social Worker Experience/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.
Advanced practice level social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which includes 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.
All states except California use a series of licensure exams administered by the ASWB. Information can be found at https://www.aswb.org/. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.
In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) 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.
(b) Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
(c) 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.
(d) 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.
(e) 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. Assignments.
For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.
Senior social workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work at an advanced level.
Senior social workers typically practice in a major program area such as but not limited to: Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center or Polytrauma Network Site; a Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Center, or a national VHA referral center, such as a national Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or a national Transplant Center, or other program areas of equivalent scope and complexity.
Preferred Experience: Case Management Assessments and Interventions Treatment plan development Supportive Therapy and Psychotherapy Working With Clients Living with Serious Mental Illness Providing Brief Evidence Based Psychotherapy 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: The work is sedentary.
Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work.
Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site.
Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds. Major Duties:
VA Careers - Social Work: https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Duties are but not limited to: The incumbent performs specialized treatment of physical or mental illness as it relates to mental health illness, severe mental health illness and comorbid substance use disorders.
Incumbent incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of Veteran patients, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved scope of practice.
The incumbent expands clinical knowledge in the profession, demonstrating innovation in the creation of new models of psychosocial assessment or intervention to identify and address specialized clinical needs of mental health, severe mental health, substance use disorders and comorbid diagnoses.
Ability to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the specialty population or specialty treatment program.
The incumbent develops and implements methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services, utilizing outcome evaluations and use of evidence-based treatment modalities that are effective with Veterans who demonstrate signs of mental health illness, comorbid and substance use disorders along with medically and psychiatrically conditions.
The incumbent also provides specialized assessments, and treatment planning, as well as mental health, substance use disorders and comorbid consultation, to other team members to provide interventions and strategies for engagement for clients.
The incumbent independently conducts comprehensive assessments and develops treatment plans in collaboration with Veteran, family, and interdisciplinary treatment team.
The incumbent will monitor e-consults, complete assessments, and make recommendations to the Mental Health Division Outpatient Teams in addition to provide direct clinical care to Veterans demonstrating mental health illness, substance use disorder and comorbid concerns.
The incumbent develops and maintains effective partnerships with other VANTHCS mental health, severe mental health, substance abuse disorders and comorbid leadership guidelines regarding access to VA mental health programs within VISN 17, including use of VA contracted care.
The incumbent routinely participates in PCMHI team meetings to ensure good care for population served.
The incumbent develops and provides ongoing training and in-services to multidisciplinary team members in area of expertise.
In addition to the specialty specific job duties listed above the PCMHI Senior Social Worker is also required to perform the general social worker duties required as a Clinician.
The incumbent develops effective and strong relationships with community resources to ensure continuity of care and to promote successful transitions of services.
Incumbent has advanced skills in community partnership building and expertly represents VANTHCS.
Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 8am- 4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.
Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more 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 #: 54443F
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