Supervisory Social Worker - Health Care for Homeless Veterans

Veterans Health Administration • Tacoma, WA

6d • Onsite

About The Position

The Supervisory Social Worker oversees program integrity and the delivery of social work services within the Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) program in the Community Housing and Outreach Services coverage area within VA Puget Sound. The role provides clinical and administrative leadership, ensuring coordinated, collaborative care for Veterans experiencing homelessness and supporting program and treatment goals.

The position develops and documents psychosocial assessments, treatment plans, progress notes, updates, and discharge plans; provides psychoeducation to Veterans and families; and consults with health care providers about assessment findings and treatment. It also carries out suicide-prevention activities, coordinates outreach and services with community partners, and provides training, consultation, and supervision to trainees, unlicensed staff, and a multidisciplinary team.

The supervisor manages team operations, including hiring and human-resources actions, performance evaluations, time and attendance, workload distribution, data quality, and caseload reviews. The position is scheduled Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is not virtual, and telework is not available.

Requirements

• Master's degree in social work from a school fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education; a doctoral degree cannot substitute for the master's degree.
• Licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• One year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level, demonstrating advanced practice skills in a specialty area or administration and progressively greater professional competency and judgment.
• Advanced-practice-level licensure or certification and ability to provide supervision for licensure.
• Ability to independently organize work, set priorities, and meet multiple deadlines.
• Knowledge of supervisory duties, including clinical supervision, consultation, negotiation with other departments, and quality improvement.
• Ability to ensure provision of clinical social work services.
• Ability to provide staff training and development.
• Interpersonal skills for dealing with employees, team leaders, and managers.
• U.S. citizenship, except where appointment of a non-citizen is permitted under VA policy when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Valid state-issued driver's license with a clean driving history under VA policy, and ability to operate a government vehicle as determined by an Occupational Health driving physical examination.
• Must pass a pre-employment physical examination and a background/security investigation; seasonal influenza vaccination is required.
• Must complete the required online onboarding and application documentation and serve a one- or two-year trial period.

Nice To Haves

• Certification or post-master's training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum or course of study and internship, or equivalent supervised professional experience.

Responsibilities

• Oversee program integrity and the provision of social work services within the HCHV program in the VA Puget Sound coverage area.
• Develop, implement, and document psychosocial assessments, treatment plans, progress notes and updates, and discharge planning; complete clinical reminders promptly.
• Provide psychoeducation to Veterans and family members about mental health conditions and treatment methods.
• Consult with health care providers about assessment findings and treatment plans to support coordinated, collaborative, integrated care.
• Conduct routine suicide risk screens and comprehensive suicide risk evaluations, and develop collaborative safety plans when clinically indicated.
• Follow up with Veterans who miss appointments according to local procedures and consult with the Suicide Prevention Coordinator, Disruptive Behavior Committee, and/or CHOS Program Manager as needed.
• Keep current with suicide-prevention training materials and clinical tools and use them in clinical practice as appropriate.
• Provide consultation and supervision to social work trainees and unlicensed staff.
• Participate in scheduled clinical consultations with staff and treatment teams to support quality and continuity of care and Veteran attainment of program and treatment goals.
• Coordinate outreach with local community partners, including linkages to VA services and the local SPC for Veterans experiencing literal street homelessness and at high risk for suicide; participate in case conferencing and other community meetings as needed.
• Maintain regular outreach and communication with community partners and serve as a link between community services and CHOS homeless services, including VA mental health services for Veterans at high risk for suicide.
• Train and supervise a multidisciplinary team, which may include Social Workers, Peer Support Specialists, Social Service Assistants, and administrative support staff.
• Provide administrative supervision, including hiring, HR actions, performance evaluations, time and attendance procedures, and workload management.
• Ensure staff data collection in HOMES or other VA-directed databases and electronic medical chart documentation is accurate.
• Review caseloads regularly to ensure appropriate Veteran acuity assignments in HOMES and balanced caseloads across supervised staff.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to eligibility and approval, with an award of up to $200,000 over an eligibility period of one to five years.
• Competitive salary and regular salary increases; a higher step rate may be considered based on qualifications or VA needs.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, including annual leave, 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.
• Child-care subsidy may be available to eligible full-time employees after 60 days of employment, subject to income and other 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.
• Annual leave accrual credit may be available for qualifying prior federal or military service, subject to request and approval before appointment.

What This Job Offers

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