Social Worker

Veterans Health Administration • Los Angeles, CA

5d • Onsite

About The Position

This position plays a vital role in supporting the Center's mission to enhance Veteran independence through coordinated services, strategic outreach, and programmatic excellence. Ideal candidates are motivated, adaptable, and committed to improving Veteran outcomes through collaboration, innovation, and high-quality service delivery. The role involves supporting interdisciplinary teams, managing key program functions, and helping drive initiatives that empower Veterans to thrive in their communities. This vacancy is a solicitation for a Hiring Fair/Onboarding Event, which will be offered on an invite-only basis once the minimum position qualifications have been verified. Candidates who reside in the West Los Angeles commuting area will be required to attend in person. Candidates who reside outside of West Los Angeles commuting area will have the opportunity to tele-interview: Date: Saturday, November 7, 2026 Time: 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM Location of Hiring/Onboarding Event: VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System 11301 Wilshire Ave Los Angeles, CA 90073. This announcement will fill Social Worker vacancies within the Community Engagement and Reintegration Service (CERS) and Mental Health located at the Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System in Los Angeles, California.

Requirements

• 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.
• 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.
• Have a master's degree in social work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
• Must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level.
• Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/.
• Documentation must be submitted with your application.
• May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).
• For appointments at the GS-9 grade level, VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent, master's level within three years of their appointment as a social worker.
• A social worker who does not yet have a license that allows independent practice must be supervised by a licensed independent practitioner of the same discipline who is a VA staff member and who has access to the electronic health record.
• All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard (September 10, 2019) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation.
• GS-9 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): Ability to utilize a Veteran centric approach when providing interventions and counseling for Veterans, their family members, caregivers, and survivors.
• Ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the Veterans problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed.
• Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals. This requires judgment and skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving, or crisis intervention techniques.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies.
• Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures. This includes acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses/injuries; common medications and their effects/side effects; and medical terminology.
• GS-11 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services.
• Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational and other diversified backgrounds.
• Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities and treatment procedures (i.e. acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology) to formulate a treatment plan.
• Skill in independently implementing different treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems to achieve treatment goals.
• Ability to provide consultation services to new social workers, social work graduate students, and other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working with the Homeless/Unhoused population, experience must reflect on resume.

Responsibilities

• Supporting National Center for Warrior Independence programs that enhance Veteran resilience and promote independent living.
• Assisting with coordination, planning, and execution of service delivery initiatives across healthcare and administrative service lines.
• Engaging in outreach, partnership building, and communication efforts that improve access, awareness, and effectiveness of Veteran programs.
• Ensuring timely and accurate support to Veterans, staff, and interdisciplinary teams through data gathering, scheduling, documentation, and workflow management.
• Contributing to innovation and process improvements aimed at strengthening Veteran outcomes and operational success.
• CERS - Care, Treatment & Rehabilitation Service (CTRS): is a low-barrier, harm-reduction program on the West LA campus that supplies safe shelter (tiny shelters), healthcare access, behavioral health support, meals, hygiene facilities, and housing assistance for unsheltered Veterans. Its mission is to stabilize high-risk Veterans and move them toward permanent housing.
• Mental Health - ACT Team (Assertive Community Treatment) ACT Teams: provide intensive, community-based, multidisciplinary support for Veterans with serious mental illness who struggle to engage in traditional outpatient care. Staff offer psychiatry, case management, crisis intervention, medication support, and rehabilitation directly in community settings to maintain stability and reduce hospitalizations.
• CERS - HCHV Street Outreach: teams engage unsheltered Veterans living in encampments, vehicles, streets, and other unsafe settings. Outreach staff identify vulnerable Veterans, offer immediate connection to VA services, provide crisis intervention, and link Veterans to treatment, rehabilitative programs, and transitional or permanent housing pathways.
• Mental Health - Substance Abuse Treatment: provides evidence-based outpatient care to help Veterans manage substance use and behavioral addictions, improve their quality of life, and support recovery through counseling, assessment, care coordination, and referrals.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) - student loan payment reimbursement program.
• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year).
• Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA.
• Recruitment/Relocation Incentive may be approved for highly qualified applicants.

What This Job Offers

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