Summary The Director National Care and Peer Support (Social Worker) position is part of the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL). The VCL is a 24-hour, 7-days-a-week, 365-days-a-year service aimed at connecting callers worldwide to a caring, qualified Veterans Administration employee. The VCL's mission is to provide 24/7, world-class suicide prevention and crisis intervention services to Veterans, Service Members, and their family members. Responsibilities Major Duties: Oversight of a large number of virtual personnel across the country. Ensure Veterans who are in a crisis receive a consistently high-quality response whenever and wherever they reach out for help. Extensive oversight and knowledge include phone, text, chat, and correspondence demand as well as Disruptive Behavior (DBRT), Callers with Complex Needs (CWCN), Field Operations, Graduated Interventions and Peer Support. Extensive engagement in employee/labor relations, data analytic review and oversight, strategic planning, and critical high-level reporting internal and external to the VA. Actively engage with other VCL leadership to ensure all requirements of service are met (Ex: Quality/Training, Business Info, Business Operations, Knowledge Management, Innovations/Technology) Duties are performed with wide latitude, exercising independent judgment under the ultimate guidance of the Executive Director. Administrative and technical work is of exceptional difficulty and responsibility, and consultation is provided to the Executive Director, VCL, and potentially other high-level officials throughout the VA. Position Title / Functional Statement #: Social Worker (National Program Director) / 457190 Work Schedule: Tour of Duty is typically Administrative Hours. Flexible Schedule may be available after training. VCL has multiple tours that cover our 24/7/365 operations (this does include Holidays). Tour is subject to change based on program needs. Compressed/Flexible: May be authorized, based on program needs. Remote: This is remote position. Selectees will work 100% of the time in a non-VA-owned space outside of the local commuting area of a parent station. The employee's workspace must be suitable for conducting business and as such, remote employees are expected to provide a secure, distraction-free home-based worksite with reliable high speed internet connectivity. The employee will be required to travel to the closest VA Medical Center or VA Outpatient Clinic for issuance of equipment, and as needed for technical support. Selectees will be required to self-certify that their remote workplace meets all safety, privacy, and internet speed requirements. Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. Paid Time Off: 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)Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA. Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Virtual: This is a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional VA Careers - Social Work Requirements Conditions of Employment You 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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. 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. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications **NOTE: This position is multi-disciplinary and can be filled by: Psychologist (CBZY-12848311-26-SG) or Social Worker (CBZY-12848312-26-SG). Each discipline is announced separately, and applicants must apply to the announcement for which they are qualified. BASIC REQUIREMENTS. The The basic requirements for employment as a VHA social worker are prescribed by statute in 38 U.S.C. § 7402(b)(9), as amended by section 205 of Public Law 106-419, enacted November 1, 2000. To qualify for appointment, all applicants for the position of social worker in VHA must meet the following: United States Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j and 38 U.S.C. 7403(f). Education: Must have a Master's Degree in Social Work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Graduates of schools of Social Work that are in candidacy status do not meet this requirement until the School of Social Work is fully accredited. A doctoral degree in social work may not be substituted for the Master's Degree in Social Work. Licensure: 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/. Grandfathering Provision: 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). Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: Social Worker (National Program Director), GS-15 Experience/Education: Must have at least four years of experience as a VA clinical social worker with at least one-year equivalent to the GS-14 grade level, and evidence of at least two years of supervisory and management experience. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills in administration, demonstrating professional competency, skills and judgment including knowledge of the VHA System and operations. Individual may have certification or other post-master's degree training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship, or equivalent supervised professional experience. Licensure/Certification: Must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California, which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to lead a large, group of clinical and administrative professionals to facilitate collaboration, and individual and organizational development. Knowledge of Department Level communication protocols to effectively communicate the program specific information, including regulatory changes and policies to VHA leadership, VA staff and community partners. Skill in advising high level officials in adoption of, and conformance to, performance measures, monitors, and other policy guidelines related to specific program areas; setting policy for national program(s) and directing VHA staff in the monitoring, assessment, and implementation of national program(s) throughout VHA. Ability to develop education/training initiatives in concert with clinical and education officials; monitor key activities in program(s) and projects for timeliness, accomplishment of key milestones, and support of overall objectives outlined in directives and other publications of a specific program area. Ability to develop and sustain strategic partnerships with key internal and external VA stakeholders and community partners on a national level. Skill in providing technical consultation and support for various projects and special initiatives, including responses to Congressional inquiries; developing high level briefing papers to convey findings and VHA program positions. Ability to develop and maintain national program databases to track program data and trends across VHA. Ability to respond to inquiries from within the Department, the Administration, Congress, Office of Management and Budget, the Government Accountability Office, and others as appropriate. Physical Requirements: The work is performed in an office setting. The position requires some standing, bending, and carrying items such as training material. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-15. NOTE: This only applies to past, current, and upcoming VA Health Professional Trainees (HPT). An HPT is an individual appointed to temporary positions in one or more VA medical facilities performing clinical or research training experiences to satisfy program or degree requirements or receiving VA Health Professional Scholarship Program. HPTs can be either VA-paid or Without Compensation (WOC). Education Note: Only education or degrees fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) at the time the program was completed, may be used to qualify for employment. For further information, visit: https://department.va.gov/employees/va-qualifications-standards/. Additional Information Order of Referral: This job announcement will remain open until 12/17/2025. Applications received up to 11:59pm EST on the date in which 50 applications is reached will received first consideration (initial cutoff). Applications received after 11:59pm EST on the date in which 50 applications are received may not receive consideration unless otherwise requested by management. Additional applications will be reviewed in one-day increments at management request. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
