Social Worker - Substance Abuse Treatment Team
What you'd do
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.
Major duties
The Substance Abuse Treatment Team (SATT) Social Worker provides clinical psychosocial, mental health, and case management services to eligible Veterans who have problems with substance abuse or dependence and may include work with family members and the Veteran as part of the treatment plan. Their health care, mental healthcare, psychosocial problems, and needs are complex and require a high degree of clinical oversight and creative problem-solving. This position is located in Jacksonville. The Substance Abuse Treatment Team (SATT) Social Worker facilitates efficient and appropriate delivery of services across episodes of care, which may encompass discharge issues from inpatient detoxification, ambulatory detoxification, outpatient treatment, and residential treatment within the VA or under contract in community care programs. The SATT social worker coordinates care with other services provided within the Medical Center, including Vocational Rehabilitation, Health Care for Homeless Veterans Program, the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Clinical Team, and other Mental Health Services, along with community partners. Duties may include but are not limited to: Interviews Clients and Conducts Psychosocial/Mental Health Assessments The SATT social worker interviews Veterans and their family members/significant others to establish facts about the Veteran's situation, presenting problems and their causes, and the impact of such problems on the Veteran's functioning and health as part of a comprehensive psychosocial and/or mental health assessment. Interprets and explains the VA's treatment and benefit programs. Reviews all data, subjective and objective, and makes a clinical assessment, identifying needs and strengths. Effectively uses professional skill, objectivity, and insight. Assesses high risk factors, acuity and need for services. Has the ability to serve Veterans who tend to have frequent and severe crises, lack family or an adequate community support network, be poor at self-monitoring, frequently fail to comply with instructions and treatment, have significant deficits in coping skills, and require continuing professional psychological support. Case Management The SATT social worker completes a psychosocial and/or mental health assessment documenting appropriate treatment plans, interventions, VA/community resource referrals and follow-up case management services; services provided are focused on helping Veterans maximize their treatment potential and achieve a more satisfying and productive level of emotional, social and physical functioning. Case management entails ensuring that the Veteran receives needed substance abuse, psychological, and psychosocial services in the most appropriate treatment setting and is assisted with resolution of access to these services and facilitating linkage of the Veterans and/or family members with community resources The SATT social worker generally practices as part of an interdisciplinary team and has specialized knowledge of practice typically related to a particular diagnosis or population. Other assigned duties may include but are not limited to: Makes Psychosocial/Mental Health Diagnoses Plans Effective Treatment Implements Treatment Plans Provides education to Patient, Stakeholders, and Staff Other duties will be performed as assigned. Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00AM to 4:30PM Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 55606F / 50626F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: May be authorized to highly qualified candidates. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Additional Benefits 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) 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.
What you need to qualify
Applicants must meet the requirements by the closing date of this announcement. 08/07/2026 BASIC REQUIREMENTS. The basic requirements for employment as a VHA social worker are prescribed by statute in 38 U.S.C. § 7402(b)(9), as amended by section 205 of Public Law 106-419, enacted November 1, 2000. To qualify for appointment as a social worker in VHA, all applicants must meet the following: 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. Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j, this part. 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). Licensure. Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. GS-9 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. 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. Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of the Social Worker Qualification Standard - GS-0185 - September 10, 2019 are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. 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. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Social Worker, GS-09: Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, you must demonstrate all of the following KSAs on their resume and in their experience. Please ensure your resume/CV/application contains sufficient information to support the level of experience/education/training listed below; otherwise, we will not be able to award you credit for the experience/education/training you claim. If selected, you may be required to submit narrative responses then. (a) Ability to utilize a Veteran centric approach when providing interventions and counseling for Veterans, their family members, caregivers, and survivors. (b) 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. (c) 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. (d) Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. (e) 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. Social Worker, GS-11: Experience. 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 nonVA experience). -OR- Education and Licensure. 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. You must attach additional transcripts to support this substitute. Licensure or certification at the independent practice level is required at the GS-11 level. -AND- Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, you must demonstrate all of the following KSAs on their resume and in their experience. Please ensure your resume/CV/application contains sufficient information to support the level of experience/education/training listed below; otherwise, we will not be able to award you credit for the experience/education/training you claim. If selected, you may be required to submit narrative responses then. (a) Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services. (b) Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, educational, and other backgrounds. (c) 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. (d) 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. (e) 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. References: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit Social Worker Qualification Standard - GS-0185 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to GS-11. Physical Requirements: Must pass a pre-employment physical examination as required by VA Handbook 5019. This examination is administered by VA Occupational Health. This position requires moderate lifting up to 44 lbs., carrying objects up to 15 lbs., frequent reaching above shoulder, use of fingers, hands and legs, walking & standing up to 8 hours, bending and climbing and able to hear whisper. Ability to work in a fast paced environment with a lot of sitting, standing and walking up to 5 miles per day on the job. The incumbent must be physically, emotionally and mentally stable in order to efficiently perform the essential functions of this position without hazard to themselves or others.
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