Senior Social Worker

Veterans Health Administration

Syracuse, NY

JobSummary

The Syracuse VA Medical Center Senior Social Worker is a full-time position aligned under the Caregiver Support Program in Social Work Service. The Syracuse VAMC is a large social work service located in a highly complex (complexity level 1) VA facility, covering thirteen (13) counties and including seven (7) CBOCs. It provides diverse services to Veterans, families and caregivers, and is an affiliated tertiary care health care system.

LowGrade

HighGrade

PromotionPotential

SubAgencyName

Veterans Health Administration

OrganizationCodes

VA/VATA

Relocation

False

HiringPath

fed-excepted
public
vet

MCOTags

TotalOpenings

AgencyMarketingStatement

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per 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 review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants are ineligible to apply.

TravelCode

ApplyOnlineUrl

https://apply.usastaffing.gov/Application/Apply

DetailStatusUrl

https://apply.usastaffing.gov/Application/ApplicationStatus

MajorDuties

Processing for the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) according to national program guidelines. This includes, but is not limited to, completing VFAIs and HCAs for Veterans and Caregivers applying or currently enrolled in the program, coordinating with other disciplines to obtain needed assessments, coordinating with the VISN Centralized Eligibility and Appeal Team (CEAT) who reviews applications to ensure they have needed information, and working with Veteran and Caregiver once decision from CEAT is received to complete application process or refer to other services. Participates in direct caregiver and Veteran contacts to identify and assess caregiver stress/burden and the development and application of directed clinical treatment interventions. Assisting all VISN 2 Caregiver Support Programs with arranging for respite for Veterans enrolled in PCAFC. Completes Veteran functional assessments, known as the VFAI, as well as Home Care Assessments (HCA) for the PCAFC. Advises and collaborates with interdisciplinary teams throughout the medical center on caregiver issues. Creates educational tools, develops programs and implements training focused on specific caregiver needs/issues. Develops and facilitates caregiver support groups (face-to-face, VVC, or telephone line) and educational programs. Distributes educational materials provided by VA, local, state and national caregiver organizations. Conducts caregiver and family clinical interventions to facilitate the identification of caregiver stress, psychiatric illness, emotional distress and social needs as treatment issues. Provides referral to VA medical and mental health treatment and to other VA services including VA benefits, as well as community-based social services and other non-VA entitlement programs. Stays abreast of current federal and state legislation directed at assisting caregivers to continue to provide caregiving in an environment that is safe for both them and the Veteran. Collaborate with the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT), mental health and geriatric care clinicians to provide Veteran and staff education on caregiver issues. Coordination will include hands-on support group work involvement, and training of patient aligned care team clinical social work staff in the development and facilitation of such groups. Develop a library of caregiver support information material for distribution through the various inpatient/outpatient and specialty clinic settings. Educational material must be specific to the age group serviced in the clinic, i.e. Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson disease in the general and geriatric settings and PTSD and TBI information in the general, post-9/11 M2VA, and Polytrauma Center settings. Participates in caregiver support activities in the local community and state to promote and recognize the role of the caregiver. Develops and fosters relationships with community partners to assist with system navigation, maintain collaboration and coordinate services. Provides outreach presentations to community social service agencies, military units, Veteran Service Organizations, and other groups on VA caregiver benefits, programs and services. Provides consultation, guidance and expertise to community organizations regarding Veteran caregiver specific issues and needs. Maintains knowledge of local VA Medical Center programs, community services and VA Central Office Caregiver Support Program initiatives. Maintains knowledge of current federal and state legislation related to caregiver initiatives. Collaborates with other clinical staff and program managers will establish a caregiver support protocol (resources, education and training) sensitive to the issues of the caregivers who are providing care to our Veterans. Assists in the coordination of events and programs for the annual National Family Caregiver Month every November that includes announcement and advertising of activities, mobilization of participants, educational sessions, caregiver recognition events and caregiver support programs. Participates in committee assignments, discipline specific meetings and initiatives, as deemed necessary by the service manager. May participate in a rotation of on-call social workers, including modification of tour of duty to accommodate patient care needs on weekends. May provide supervision to a Social Work intern or be generally involved in the MSW training program. May provide orientation and/or consultation to less experienced social workers. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30am - 4:00pm Compressed/Flexible: Not available Telework: This is not a telework position Virtual: This is not a virtual or remote position. Functional Statement #: 12615F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

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/.

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. You may be required to serve a trial period. 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. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

Evaluations

Your application, resume, C.V., and/or other 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.

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 04/23/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12930873. 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 submit a C.V. and/or resume. Other documents may be requested later in the process if needed. 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. Veterans' Preference Note: Preference eligible candidates and other Veterans will be given preference when qualification of candidates are approximately equal for Title 38 positions in VHA. When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

Benefits

BenefitsUrl

http://www.vacareers.va.gov/why-choose-va/benefits/index.asp

OtherInformation

Receiving Service Credit or 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

False

CommuteDistance

ServiceType

AnnouncementClosingType

AgencyContactEmail

Stephen.Jones6@va.gov

AgencyContactPhone

315-751-2837

SecurityClearance

Not Required