Senior Social Worker - Veterans Justice Program and Grant and Per Diem Liaison

Veterans Health Administration • Fairbanks, AK

7d

About The Position

The Senior Social Worker serves in the Veterans Justice Program (VJP) and as a Grant and Per Diem (GPD) Liaison, providing advanced social work services and program oversight for justice-involved Veterans and Veterans experiencing homelessness. The position works with judges, court personnel, correctional administrators, treatment courts, correctional facilities, interdisciplinary VA teams, and community agencies to support Veterans’ access to care and successful reintegration into the community.

The role includes case management, counseling, discharge planning, care coordination, community outreach, clinical case reviews, contract and program administration, and monitoring program quality and compliance. The Senior Social Worker also provides specialized consultation and leadership, supports staff development and training, contributes to policy and procedure development, and documents patient interactions and program activity in accordance with VA requirements.

The schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; compressed or flexible scheduling is available. The position is not virtual, though ad hoc telework is available. A relocation incentive may be authorized. The position may be eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program, subject to program requirements and approval.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in social work from a school fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE); a doctoral degree does not substitute for the master’s degree.
• State licensure or certification to independently practice social work at the master’s degree level; the license or certification must remain full, valid, and unrestricted.
• At least two years of experience after advanced practice clinical licensure in a specialized area of social work practice, including one year equivalent to GS-11.
• Advanced-practice-level state licensure or certification, including an advanced generalist or clinical examination, with the stated exception for qualifying grandfathered licenses.
• Ability to provide supervision for licensure.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Skill in specialized interventions and treatment modalities, including individual, group, or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced psychosocial or case-management services.
• Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation into differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
• Knowledge of methods for measuring the effectiveness of social work practice and services and using outcome evaluations to improve services and design system changes.
• Ability to provide specialized consultation and model effective social work practice.
• Ability to expand clinical knowledge and write policies, procedures, or practice guidelines for the service area.
• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception under VA policy for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Valid state-issued driver’s license and clearance to operate a government-owned vehicle.
• Successful completion of a pre-employment physical examination and background/security investigation.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Service of a one- or two-year trial period, as applicable.
• For education used to qualify, the degree must be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education; foreign education requires a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency and transcript documentation.

Nice To Haves

• Certification or post-master’s training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university, including a defined curriculum or course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience in a specialty.

Responsibilities

• Engage with judges, court personnel, correctional administrators, and other justice-system stakeholders to develop, review, and maintain policies and procedures supporting justice-involved Veterans.
• Conduct outreach in correctional facilities and treatment court programs, identify and interview justice-involved Veterans, and complete comprehensive needs assessments.
• Coordinate referrals, service linkages, and care planning to support continuity of care during transitions to the community, including release from jail or prison.
• Case-manage Veterans in treatment courts or recently released from correctional institutions, facilitating access to VA health care, mental health services, benefits, and community resources.
• Perform duties in varying security-level environments and follow VA safety protocols in situations that may involve psychiatric crises, acute medical issues, or high-risk behaviors.
• Oversee assigned GPD programs, including contract administration, enrollment, billing, timely payments, and community outreach and partnership development, including in rural areas.
• Establish and maintain referral, evaluation, and admission procedures; conduct complex clinical case reviews; ensure compliance through audits; and support accreditation activities.
• Monitor performance measures, implement improvement plans, and take a leadership role in service-line and team meetings.
• Provide advanced social work services, including case work, counseling, discharge planning, case management, and continuity-of-care coordination with interdisciplinary teams.
• Coordinate community-based services and advocate for Veterans, linking them with VA Medical Centers, Regional Offices, and community agencies.
• Participate in VJP and GPD program conference calls and homeless-program training, and ensure adherence to local policies, documentation standards, and data submission requirements such as HOMES.
• Document patient interactions, prepare reports according to VAHCS policy, participate in treatment planning, and serve as a social work expert across teams.
• Provide leadership, direction, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education for assigned social work staff, as appropriate to the assignment.
• Develop and implement methods for evaluating social work practice and service effectiveness, using outcomes to improve treatment services and system changes.
• Provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students and contribute to policies, procedures, or practice guidelines for the service area.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off, including 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment, in connection with birth, adoption, or foster-care placement.
• Potential childcare subsidy for eligible full-time employees after 60 days of employment, subject to income and program limits.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting and federal 401(k) with up to 5% in VA contributions.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term life, and long-term-care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.
• Potential Education Debt Reduction Program reimbursement, subject to eligibility and approval.
• Relocation incentive may be authorized.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior