Senior Social Worker

Veterans Health Administration • Shreveport, LA

5d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Social Worker works in the Mental Health Service line as part of the post-traumatic stress disorder clinical team (PCT). This is an above-full-performance-level position providing independent and expert clinical social work and case-management services in an outpatient mental health setting. The role serves Veterans with serious and severe mental health needs, crisis concerns, and ongoing needs for professional psychological support.

The social worker provides screening, assessment, diagnosis, and therapeutic interventions for psychiatric disorders, emphasizing time-limited, evidence-based approaches. The role includes developing treatment plans with Veterans through shared decision-making, setting projected discharge goals and timelines, and coordinating discharge when identified goals are achieved. The position uses specialized interventions and treatment modalities, including individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy, psychosocial interventions, and case management for Veterans with complex needs. The incumbent must be trained in at least two evidence-based psychotherapy modalities, including a PTSD-specific treatment such as CPT, PE, or EMDR, as recommended by VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines.

The position also involves assessing at-risk Veterans in crisis, identifying immediate needs, evaluating risk, initiating safety plans as appropriate, providing psychoeducation to patients and family members, and collaborating with the interdisciplinary team to support care. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telework is available; this is not a virtual position. The position is permanent and full-time. The position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program, subject to individual eligibility and approval. Recruitment/relocation incentives and permanent-change-of-station assistance are not authorized.

Requirements

• Master's degree in social work from a school fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE); a doctoral degree cannot substitute for the master's degree.
• State licensure or certification to independently practice social work at the master's degree level.
• For the Senior Social Worker GS-12 grade, at least two years of experience after advanced practice clinical licensure, including one year equivalent to the GS-11 grade level, in a specialized area of social work practice.
• Advanced-practice-level state licensure or certification, including an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless covered by the specified state grandfathering provision; California licensees must meet the stated California clinical examination requirement.
• Ability to provide supervision for licensure.
• Demonstrated skill in specialized interventions and treatment modalities, including individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced psychosocial or case-management interventions.
• Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation into differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
• Knowledge of developing and implementing methods to measure the effectiveness of social work practice and services, use outcome evaluations to improve treatment, and design system changes.
• Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on psychosocial treatment and model effective social work practice.
• Ability to expand clinical knowledge and write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines relevant to the service delivery area.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Must pass the required pre-employment physical evaluation and background/security investigation and meet onboarding and identification requirements.
• Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program and comply with applicable pre-employment requirements.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to written certification for continued employment.

Nice To Haves

• Training and proficiency in at least two evidence-based therapy techniques.
• Skills in patient engagement, crisis response, interdisciplinary collaboration, recovery-oriented practice, adaptability, and data-informed clinical decision-making.
• Knowledge of community and VA resources.
• Specialty 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.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the assigned interdisciplinary team to ensure Veteran needs are met and support optimal clinical care.
• Provide screening, assessment, diagnosis, and therapeutic interventions for a variety of psychiatric disorders, with emphasis on time-limited, evidence-based approaches.
• Develop comprehensive treatment plans with Veterans through shared decision-making, including projected discharge goals and timelines.
• Discharge Veterans from care when they have reached identified goals, integrating internal and external support resources.
• Provide specialized interventions and treatment modalities for Veterans with complex needs, including individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced psychosocial or case-management interventions.
• Provide evidence-based interventions using at least two trained psychotherapy modalities, including a PTSD-specific treatment such as CPT, PE, or EMDR.
• Conduct timely comprehensive assessments of at-risk Veterans in crisis, identify immediate needs, evaluate risk, and initiate safety plans as appropriate.
• Provide psychoeducation to patients and family members to support healthcare adherence and relapse prevention.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to individual eligibility and approval; award amounts may be up to $200,000 and the eligibility period may be one to five years.
• Competitive salary and regular salary increases; a higher step rate may be considered based on higher or unique qualifications or VA special needs.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, including 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid Federal holidays.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to approval.
• 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 after 60 days of employment for eligible full-time employees and children, 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.

What This Job Offers

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