Senior Social Worker (Veterans Justice Outreach) - Recruitment/Relocation Incentive may be offered.

Veterans Health Administration • San Angelo, TX

8d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Social Worker serves as a Veterans Justice Programs (VJP) Specialist and community-facing outreach clinician under VHA Directive 1162.06. The role supports justice-involved Veterans in criminal justice settings, including jails, prisons, courts, and community supervision environments. Its primary purpose is to facilitate access to appropriate VA and community services, promote stabilization, and reduce risks of homelessness and recidivism. The VJP Specialist partners with criminal justice agencies, community organizations, and VA clinical programs to support community reintegration.

The incumbent is licensed at the independent practice level and works within professional scope. The primary focus is outreach, engagement, coordination, and facilitation of care—not serving as a primary outpatient psychotherapist. Ongoing clinical treatment responsibility transfers to receiving VA programs once the Veteran is engaged in care, consistent with VHA Directive 1110.04(1), Integrated Case Management Standards of Practice. The incumbent is also administratively responsible for daily VJP program operations, data management, and compliance with national program monitoring requirements.

The position includes active outreach and identification of Veterans, psychosocial treatment-matching assessments, referrals and linkage to VA and community services, consultation, and short-term case management when indicated. It also serves as a liaison to criminal justice partners and supports Veterans Treatment Court participation and continuity of care. The stated schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Ad-hoc telework is available; this is not a virtual position. Travel to jails, prisons, and courts is part of the workload.

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 level.
• For the GS-12 Senior Social Worker grade, advanced-practice-level state licensure or certification that includes an advanced generalist or clinical examination, subject to the stated grandfathering provisions; ability to provide supervision for licensure.
• 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; the announcement's preferred-experience section notes that two years of post-LCSW experience is not required.
• Experience demonstrating advanced practice skills and judgment, including independently assessing psychosocial functioning and needs, identifying strengths and coping skills, and evaluating psychosocial acuity.
• Skill in specialized interventions and treatment modalities, including individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced psychosocial or case management.
• Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation into differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
• Knowledge of methods to measure effectiveness of social work practice and services, use outcome evaluations to improve services, and design system changes.
• Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students and model effective social work practice.
• Ability to expand clinical knowledge and write policies, procedures, or practice guidelines for the service delivery area.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizen appointments when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Valid driver's license and ability to meet medical and vision, field-of-vision, color discrimination, and hearing requirements for safe operation of a government vehicle.
• Ability to complete required background/security investigation, pre-employment evaluation, onboarding, and required influenza vaccination program participation.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period, as applicable.
• Meet the physical requirements for safely operating a government-owned or leased vehicle when required.

Nice To Haves

• Experience providing direct clinical social work services to justice-involved Veterans, including biopsychosocial assessment, crisis intervention, treatment planning, and care coordination for people with co-occurring substance use disorder and serious mental illness.
• Experience conducting outreach and identifying justice-involved Veterans across jails, courts, and correctional facilities, and coordinating VJO consults, CPRS documentation, and referral/linkage processes.
• Experience training, guiding, or providing clinical consultation to interdisciplinary staff and justice system partners on evidence-based practices such as Motivational Interviewing and Seeking Safety.
• Experience developing and maintaining partnerships with courts, judges, attorneys, probation and parole officers, law enforcement, and correctional administrators to support Veteran diversion, treatment court participation, and continuity of care.
• Advanced clinical knowledge and independent judgment in complex or high-risk justice-involved situations, with ability to consult on psychosocial needs with interdisciplinary teams and court partners.
• Experience conducting program audits, chart reviews, or quality/performance monitoring to ensure documentation, court reporting, and service delivery meet regulatory, confidentiality, and accreditation requirements.
• LCSW.

Responsibilities

• Conduct outreach to justice-involved Veterans in jails, prisons, courts, and community supervision settings, including field interviews and identification through approved processes.
• Coordinate with correctional staff and educate Veterans about VA services.
• Establish and maintain professional relationships with judges, court officers, probation and parole officers, correctional administrators, law enforcement agencies, and community partners.
• Conduct psychosocial treatment-matching assessments, assess risk, acuity, and stabilization needs, and develop individualized referral and engagement plans.
• Facilitate linkage to medical, mental health, substance use disorder, housing, employment, peer support, and other supportive services.
• Provide consultation regarding engagement strategies and clinical needs.
• Provide short-term case management when clinically indicated, particularly for Veterans in Veterans Treatment Courts, transitioning from incarceration, or needing stabilization to engage with VA services.
• Serve as the VA liaison to criminal justice partners and participate in Veterans Treatment Court teams when applicable.
• Provide treatment progress updates when authorized and comply with privacy and release-of-information standards.
• Avoid influencing criminal justice outcomes or charging decisions and do not provide legal advocacy.
• Negotiate and maintain access to correctional facilities; participate in community reentry boards and planning committees.
• Provide education and training to VA staff and community stakeholders, develop outreach strategies, and coordinate with VJP Specialists across VISNs for Veterans relocating between jurisdictions.
• Document clinical contacts and relevant treatments, complete mandated reporting, and meet national program monitoring requirements.
• Manage daily VJP program operations and data, including program compliance and reporting.
• Conduct program audits, chart reviews, or quality/performance monitoring activities, as applicable to the role.
• Travel to jails, prisons, and courts and participate in court and criminal justice collaboration activities.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• Potential higher step rate based on qualifications or VA needs, subject to approval.
• 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 for 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 for eligible full-time employees after 60 days of employment, subject to income and other eligibility requirements.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting and a 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 may be carried into retirement.
• A recruitment or relocation incentive may be offered to a highly qualified candidate at the hiring manager's discretion, subject to approval.

What This Job Offers

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