Summary
Miami VA Medical Center is looking for a Social Worker Associate. They accept and support the guiding principles of the Medical Center, performs assigned duties in a manner that promotes quality health care, outstanding customer service, and the maintenance of an environment committed to serving veterans. They actively support the team concept and functions as a team player, contribute to team initiatives and continuously strive to improve the effectiveness of the team to which s/he is assigned.
Learn more about this agency
Duties
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This position is located within Bruce W Carter Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Miami, FL. The Social Worker Associate helps to enable patients and their families to function at their fullest potential, and to enhance their quality of life through the development of personal, familial, social, medical, economic resources and facilitates linkage between patient and family with VA and community support systems which allows patients to remain in their homes.
The major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, with rotating tours of duty as needed.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Social Worker Associate/PD546-08498A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Requirements
Help
Conditions of employment
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period 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:
Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/28/2026.
Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-08 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.
Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.
Individual Occupational Requirements (Basic Requirements): You MUST meet the Basic Requirements and the Minimum Qualifications to qualify for this Social Worker Associate position.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position.
AND
BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: Bachelor's or higher degree from an accredited college or university in major fields of study such as: social welfare, sociology, psychology, public administration, philosophy, education, anthropology, history, economics and/or English.
NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcript with your application. Education cannot be credited without documentation.
AND
NOTE: Your experience must be fully documented in your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week.
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….
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
Competency #1 Manages and Organizes information: Definition: Gathers, organizes, maintains, and delivers relevant information for a specified need or requirement. Determines the importance and accuracy of information and works to ensure its completeness.
Competency #2 Problem Solving-Definition: Identifies the problem and uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives. Determines the accuracy and relevance of information before recommending a solution.
Competency #3 Written Communication Definition: Writes in a clear, concise, organized and convincing manner for the intended audience.
Preferred Experience:
Selective Placement Factor:
Quality Ranking Factor: Social Work Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree in Social Work. Case Management Certification.
Physical Requirements: Applicants must be physically and mentally able to efficiently perform the essential functions of the position without hazard to themselves or others. Depending on the essential duties of a specific position, usable vision, color vision, hearing, or speech may be required. However, in most cases, a specific physical condition or impairment will not automatically disqualify an applicant for appointment. The loss or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid. Reasonable accommodation may also be considered in determining an applicant's ability to perform the duties of a position. Reasonable accommodation may include, but is not limited to: the use of assistive devices, job modification or restructuring, provision of readers and interpreters, or adjusted work schedules.
All positions involving Federal motor vehicle operation carry the additional medical requirements specified in 5 CFR, part 930, subpart A.
Education
A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or 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-qualification….
Additional information
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.
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.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employ….
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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
Help
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.
Miami VA Medical Center is looking for a Social Worker Associate. They accept and support the guiding principles of the Medical Center, performs assigned duties in a manner that promotes quality health care, outstanding customer service, and the maintenance of an environment committed to serving veterans. They actively support the team concept and functions as a team player, contribute to team initiatives and continuously strive to improve the effectiveness of the team to which s/he is assigned.
Learn more about this agency
Duties
Help
This position is located within Bruce W Carter Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Miami, FL. The Social Worker Associate helps to enable patients and their families to function at their fullest potential, and to enhance their quality of life through the development of personal, familial, social, medical, economic resources and facilitates linkage between patient and family with VA and community support systems which allows patients to remain in their homes.
The major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Identifies appropriate community and VA resources, and facilitate utilization of these resources by the Veteran, families, and non-patients;
- Assists Veteran patients with use of video technology;
- Triages mental health crises;
- Assists patients and families by providing counseling and/or appropriate referrals, with problems that are tangible and overt in nature i.e., inability to meet mortgage payments, to difficulties, and employment problems;
- Assist patients and families by counseling and/or making appropriate referrals, with problems that are intangible in nature i.e., marital conflict, family dysfunction, chronic mental illness and substance use disorders;
- Provides on-going supportive counseling to patients to maximize their coping and adjustment, to illness, injury, treatment, living demands, one by-product of which is to avoid or forestall readmission to the medical center;
- Assists our Veteran patients in understanding medical protocol and VA benefits;
- Identifies unmet needs within the community and assist in developing these needed resources;
- Represents Service assigned and the Medical Continuum (as assigned) on committees/task forces which address program development and program maintenance, direct service, education, or matters of an administrative nature;
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, with rotating tours of duty as needed.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Social Worker Associate/PD546-08498A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Requirements
Help
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)
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period 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 probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/28/2026.
Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-08 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade.
Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.
Individual Occupational Requirements (Basic Requirements): You MUST meet the Basic Requirements and the Minimum Qualifications to qualify for this Social Worker Associate position.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position.
AND
BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT: Bachelor's or higher degree from an accredited college or university in major fields of study such as: social welfare, sociology, psychology, public administration, philosophy, education, anthropology, history, economics and/or English.
NOTE: You must submit a copy of your transcript with your application. Education cannot be credited without documentation.
AND
- SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: At least two years of experience as a social welfare worker or social work assistant in a voluntary, public, social, or health agency agency that is equivalent to the next lower grade in the Federal service. At least one year of this experience must have been in a medical setting. Examples of specialized experience would typically include: providing assistance and service support as prescribed by social workers in conjunction with patients' treatment plans; interviewing patients; handling referrals to social and health facilities; obtaining and compiling data; organizing mental health and medical treatment needs; and assisting with local, state or federal benefits and referrals for food, shelter, transportation, etc.
NOTE: Your experience must be fully documented in your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week.
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….
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
Competency #1 Manages and Organizes information: Definition: Gathers, organizes, maintains, and delivers relevant information for a specified need or requirement. Determines the importance and accuracy of information and works to ensure its completeness.
- Help Veterans fill out applications/paperwork & gather information.
- Make telephone calls or personal contacts on behalf of social workers, to providers and community agencies.
- Conduct interviews and develop patient centered plans.
Competency #2 Problem Solving-Definition: Identifies the problem and uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives. Determines the accuracy and relevance of information before recommending a solution.
- Interview people to establish nature of their problem and assist and assist with deciding the appropriate course of action.
- Participates in program planning in the development of sound working relationships w/ medical center personnel. gov't & community agencies.
- Provides total social services to selected cases by which goals can be achieved by the knowledge, skills, & abilities by which he/she has been trained.
Competency #3 Written Communication Definition: Writes in a clear, concise, organized and convincing manner for the intended audience.
- Documents all social work associate activities in the Veterans medical record in accordance with service & medical center policies.
- Provides social work support, case management & care coordination follow up & documents accordingly.
- Completes necessary paperwork to initiate community services for Veterans & conducts screenings as applicable.
Preferred Experience:
- Basic knowledge of general counseling skills and crisis interventions to support MSW social workers in their clinical work with Veterans.
- Fundamentals of oral and written communication skills.
- Experience with social service agencies and programs.
Selective Placement Factor:
- Decision making skills.
- Customer Service Skills.
- Ability to organize and manage information.
- Problem solving.
- Written communication skills.
Quality Ranking Factor: Social Work Bachelor's Degree, Master's Degree in Social Work. Case Management Certification.
Physical Requirements: Applicants must be physically and mentally able to efficiently perform the essential functions of the position without hazard to themselves or others. Depending on the essential duties of a specific position, usable vision, color vision, hearing, or speech may be required. However, in most cases, a specific physical condition or impairment will not automatically disqualify an applicant for appointment. The loss or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid. Reasonable accommodation may also be considered in determining an applicant's ability to perform the duties of a position. Reasonable accommodation may include, but is not limited to: the use of assistive devices, job modification or restructuring, provision of readers and interpreters, or adjusted work schedules.
All positions involving Federal motor vehicle operation carry the additional medical requirements specified in 5 CFR, part 930, subpart A.
Education
A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or 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-qualification….
Additional information
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.
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.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employ….
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
Help
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.