Social Worker-Community Living Center

Veterans Health Administration • Saint Cloud, MN

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Community Living Center (CLC) Social Worker is assigned to the St. Cloud VA Health Care System and contributes to health care services for Veterans and their families. Social work services include case management, resource linkage, clinical interventions, and crisis interventions to address psychosocial, emotional, and economic concerns associated with illness.

The incumbent conducts behavioral health and mental health biopsychosocial assessments; makes clinical judgments and develops treatment plans; coordinates care transitions; connects Veterans with VA, community, and governmental resources; and advocates to address barriers to care. The role also includes goals-of-care discussions and assistance with advance directives, donation forms, and guardianship documentation. The social worker assesses for abuse, neglect, and exploitation and practices within applicable ethical, licensure, and certification requirements.

CLC-specific work includes orienting new residents and their families to the CLC, explaining expected length of stay and discharge goals, facilitating the long-term care copayment process, and coordinating discharge planning with Veterans, families, and other disciplines. The incumbent provides psychosocial treatment for concerns such as financial, legal, and housing issues and helps Veterans and families cope with diagnoses, declining function, limitations, and death. The social worker serves as a contact for families and significant others and coordinates family conferences and meetings.

Administrative duties include maintaining complete and timely clinical records and data, participating in meetings and approved committees or work groups, contributing to performance improvement, and communicating effectively with people from varied backgrounds. The position may include assigned on-call duties, potentially involving transportation of a Veteran, and other duties or assignments as required by the health care system. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Telework is not available, and the position is not virtual.

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 requirement.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• State licensure or certification to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. At GS-9, an exception may allow appointment while completing state prerequisites, with licensure or certification required within three years; GS-11 candidates must already be licensed or certified at the independent practice level.
• For GS-11, at least one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to GS-9 in health care or another social work-related setting, or a doctoral degree in social work may substitute for the required year of clinical professional experience.
• Ability to use a Veteran-centric approach when providing interventions and counseling to Veterans, families, caregivers, and survivors.
• Ability to assess psychosocial functioning and needs and formulate and implement treatment plans that identify problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and needed assistance.
• Ability to implement treatment modalities with individuals, families, and groups, using supportive, problem-solving, or crisis intervention techniques as appropriate.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and community agency representatives.
• Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, treatment procedures, acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses or injuries, common medications and their effects or side effects, and medical terminology.
• For GS-11, knowledge of community resources and referral processes and ability to coordinate services.
• For GS-11, skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions with people from varied socioeconomic, educational, and other backgrounds.
• For GS-11, skill in independently implementing treatment modalities with individuals, families, and groups experiencing psychiatric, medical, and social problems.
• For GS-11, ability to provide consultation to new social workers, social work graduate students, and other staff about patients' psychosocial needs and the effects of psychosocial problems on health care and treatment compliance.
• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated VA policy exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Unrestricted driver's license and a clean driving record report from the DMV during onboarding.
• Complete a driver's physical and any required pre-employment examination or evaluation.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA health care personnel.
• Complete the required online onboarding and provide acceptable identification; identification requirements include REAL ID-compliant driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards effective May 7, 2025.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period, during which continued employment is subject to written certification that it advances the public interest.
• Submit a transcript with the application to document education; foreign education used to meet requirements must include a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with the transcript.
• For males born after December 31, 1959, Selective Service registration is required.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in long-term care.

Responsibilities

• Conduct behavioral health and mental health biopsychosocial assessments.
• Make clinical judgments regarding impressions, treatment approaches, and treatment planning.
• Coordinate with internal and external professionals to support appropriate care transitions and treatment.
• Maintain knowledge of VA and Veteran benefits, services, community resources, and referral processes; connect Veterans with appropriate programs and agencies.
• Advocate to overcome barriers to access to care or services when in the Veteran's best interests.
• Conduct goals-of-care discussions and educate and assist with advance directives, organ, tissue, and eye donation release-of-information forms, and guardianship documentation.
• Assess for signs and symptoms of abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
• Practice according to VA and social work ethical requirements and within current licensure or certification limits.
• Complete assigned on-call duties, which may include transporting a Veteran.
• Communicate effectively, orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds; use computer systems and the internet for communication with Veterans who choose that modality.
• Serve on supervisor-approved committees, work groups, and task forces; collaborate in performance improvement and comply with applicable performance measures.
• Attend required administrative and clinical meetings.
• Maintain accurate, timely, and complete clinical records and maintain data and statistical compilations for accreditation and VA requirements.
• Orient new CLC residents and their families or significant others, explaining the CLC's purpose, expected length of stay, and discharge goals.
• Facilitate the long-term care copayment process with Veterans and family members.
• Participate in discharge planning with other disciplines, Veterans, and families, and ensure discharge plans are executed timely and appropriately toward the least restrictive environment through shared decision making.
• Provide psychosocial treatment addressing concerns including financial, legal, housing, and other issues affecting health and functioning; help Veterans and families cope with diagnoses, declining or limited functioning, and death.
• Serve as the CLC contact for family members and significant others; coordinate family conferences and meetings and address family issues affecting the Veteran's health and function.
• Perform other assigned duties, assist other incumbents, or take on special assignments as needed; may be assigned to other areas of need as determined by the direct supervisor.

Benefits

• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, consisting of 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 the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify for a child care subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to family income and other eligibility limits; subsidy is up to 25% of eligible child care costs, with a monthly maximum of $416.66.
• 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 can be carried into retirement.
• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.

What This Job Offers

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