Social Work Associate

Summary This position is located within the Social Work Service at the Columbia VA Health Care System in Greenville, South Carolina, under the Department of Housing and Urban Development/Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD/VASH) Program. Learn more about this agency Duties ***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** Major duties and responsibilities include: Developing psychosocial assessment of clients in order to identify emotional, social, physical, familial, economic and vocational needs and resources. Identifies appropriate VA and Community resources and facilitates utilization of these resources by the Veterans and families. Identifies problems and recommends plans and discusses the particular circumstances of the case with supervisor. s the veteran to complete applications for financial assistance, employment and housing. Documents all activities in the patient's medical records in accordance with social Work Service and Medical Center policies and procedures. Researches community resources and makes information available to Veterans and families. Participates in program planning and in developing sound working relationships with Medical Center personnel, community agencies and other government and community agencies. Support services such as acquiring of follow up on documents, reports needed for admissions and treatment planning. Will use computers for word processing, spreadsheets, reports and maintenance of accurate statistics. A valid driver's License is required as some driving and/ or transportation may be required to take Veterans to medical appointments, job sites, social activities and other community resources. Must complete any driver training that may be required by the facility in order to drive a government vehicle Performing other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm, Work Schedule is subject to change based on agency need. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Telework: Not authorized Requirements Conditions of employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. 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) - See "Required Documents" below for details. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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 probationary, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications Individual Occupational Requirements Basic Education(Undergraduate Education): Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in any field leading to a bachelor's degree, in an accredited college or university Specialized Experience One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower level in the normal line of progression is qualifying for positions above the GS-5 level. Specialized experience is experience in a program of direct social welfare services that required the application of program policy and operations knowledge in providing social welfare services and/or assisting social workers. To qualify for this position at the GS-7 level, applicants must meet one of the following applicants must have had 1 year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the next lower grade (i.e., GS-06) in Federal service. You must have one (1) year of experience as a social welfare worker or social work assistant in a voluntary, public, social, or health agency. Examples of qualifying experience include completion of psychosocial assessments. Working with a client population with multiple complex mental health and substance use disorder needs and crisis management; Performs outreach and works with community resources to include local, State and Federal benefits. Provides and maintains housing lists for Clients and conducts housing searches with the Client. Works with team members to obtain needed funds for security and utility deposits and furnishings needed for the housing unit. Acts as a liaison between all parties which includes landlords, Public Housing Authority and Clients to address housing needs. NOTE: Qualifying experience must have been of a quality and scope to enable applicants to perform assignments typical of the grade level for which they are considered. (CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Your resume must show complete information for each job entry, such as beginning and ending dates of employment, duties performed, and/or total hours worked per week.) ~OR~ EDUCATION: You must have successfully completed one-full academic year of graduate level education with a major study in social sciences. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ~OR~ COMBINATION: You must have an equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience as described above may be used to meet total qualification requirements. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. knowledge in providing social welfare services and/or assisting social workers. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. Driver's License Requirement: A current and valid state-issued driver's license is required for this positionto operate the government vehicles. NOTE: We cannot accept photographs, therefore; please do not submit a copy of your license with your application package. If an interview is requested, you will be required to provide a copy of your current and valid state-issued Driver's License. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application as part of your qualifications on education. NOTE: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional information Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. 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. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 80 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. Note: Per "Executive Order 14251: Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs", this position is no longer eligible for bargaining unit participation. Expand Hide  additional information Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.