JobSummary
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.LowGrade
12HighGrade
12PromotionPotential
NoneSubAgencyName
West Texas VA Health Care SystemOrganizationCodes
VA/VATARelocation
FalseHiringPath
MCOTags
TotalOpenings
1AgencyMarketingStatement
OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans? The West Texas VA Health Care System (WTVAHCS) located in Big Spring Texas provides a variety of inpatient and outpatient care services, with state-of-the-art technology as well as offering numerous educational programs. The facility serves counties in West Texas and the New Mexico area, with a Veteran population of approximately 57,000. The West Texas VA Health Care System (WTVAHCS) located in Big Spring Texas provides a variety of inpatient and outpatient care services, with state-of-the-art technology as well as offering numerous educational programs. The facility serves counties in West Texas and the New Mexico area, with a Veteran population of approximately 57,000. www.visitbigspring.comTravelCode
0ApplyOnlineUrl
https://apply.usastaffing.gov/Application/ApplyDetailStatusUrl
https://apply.usastaffing.gov/Application/ApplicationStatusMajorDuties
Education
****Duties Continued**** Education/Health promotion and prevention - The Senior Social Worker provides education related to VA and community resources, entitlements, Advance Directives/Living Will. Should the Veteran express an interest in completing a VA Advance Directive: Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care and Living Will or the Mental Health Advance Directive, the Senior Social Worker will assist with the completion of said documents to the extent assistance is desired. If needed, the Social Worker will refer Veterans and family members/caregiver to the appropriate interdisciplinary team member for identified health education needs. Coordination of non-institutional and institutional services - The Senior Social Worker will review the progress notes from the other providers to accurately determine the strengths and limitations of each Veteran admitted to the CLC. The incumbent will educate the Veteran, their family members and the team of all resource options available to them and will collaborate with the Veteran and family members/caregiver on the preferred option. Therapy and Supportive counseling - The Senior Social Worker will provide evidence based therapy as appropriate to Veterans relevant in assessing, diagnosing and treating of mental health disorders, within h/her scope of practice at a level appropriate to licensure. The Senior Social Worker will provide the Veterans and their family members/caregiver with ongoing supportive counseling. The purpose of such counseling is to deal with the psychosocial impact of coping with severe mental illness (es) to include substance abuse, chronic/disabling illness (es), and onset of a catastrophic illness within his/her scope of practice at a level appropriate to licensure. Discharge planning - The Senior Social Worker, in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team and other appropriate hospital clinical staff, will assist Veteran and their family members/caregiver in planning for discharge by offering appropriate options to the Veteran and family members/caregiver. They will work with community partners and Adult Protective Services to ensure Veterans are discharged to safe home environments. The Senior Social Worker will provide follow-up support for Veterans recently discharged from the CLC to ensure all the needed services have been provided and prevent unnecessary rehospitalizations. Community Nursing Home-The Senior Social Worker will provide back up to the Community Nursing Home Senior Social Worker in providing coverage to the many areas of care and service, including but not limited to conducting nursing home Veteran assessments every 60 days or more often as needed. The Senior Social Worker will review progress notes from other providers to accurately determine the strengths and limitation of each Veteran being referred, addressing quality care needs. The Senior Social Worker will coordinate referrals/consults for both non-institution services and institutional services such as Home Based Primary Care, alternative community/contracted placement, non-contracted skilled nursing facilities, Medical Foster Home, hospice, transitional and supportive housing, and skilled and non-skilled homecare services in collaboration with the interdisciplinary team members. Administrative responsibilities - The Senior Social Worker will enter all Veteran/family contacts in the electronic record using appropriate formats and templates. This information will be entered in a complete, confidential and professional manner to ensure information regarding the patient is shared within the CLC interdisciplinary team. The Senior Social Worker will establish and maintain positive working relationships with employees, volunteers, consumers and stakeholders within the VA and outside community agencies. The CLC Senior Social Worker will manage and coordinate both the CLC resident and family/caregiver councils. The CLC Social Worker will Chair/Co-Chair the Palliative Care Committee for the WTVAHCS. The Senior Social Worker will attend all appropriate staff meetings, which include interdisciplinary treatment team meetings, Social Work staff meetings, other committees and workgroups as appropriate, and perform other duties as required. The Senior Social Worker will also collaborate in the performance improvement processes and comply with performance measures as required by the VA. IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Failure to provide transcripts may result in non-referral of your application if education cannot be verified. 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, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet. 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. 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. 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.Evaluations
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.HowToApply
All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 07/16/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12936550. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.WhatToExpectNext
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made. You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center. NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.RequiredDocuments
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: Resume Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field. Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field. The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc. Cover Letter DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (Schedule A) Disability Letter (VA) License Other (1) PCS Orders Performance Appraisal Professional Certification Resume Separation Notice (RIF) SF-15 SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action TranscriptBenefits
BenefitsUrl
http://www.vacareers.va.gov/why-choose-va/benefits/index.aspOtherInformation
Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.KeyRequirements
WithinArea
FalseCommuteDistance
0ServiceType
02AnnouncementClosingType
01AgencyContactEmail
VISN17SSUUSAS@va.govSecurityClearance
OtherDrugTestRequired
FalsePositionSensitivitiy
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low RiskAdjudicationType