Senior Social Worker – Pain Management

Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Engages Veteran/Family/Caregiver and significant others in assessments, counseling activities, Whole Health discussions, and collaborative goal-setting.
• Communicates program expectations, processes, and treatment goals clearly to Veteran/Family/Caregiver.
• Coordinates with interdisciplinary team members, VA providers, and community partners to support continuity of care.
• Participates as a consultant and provider in the Anesthesia Pain Clinic, collaborating with Pain Clinic providers to support Veteran-centered pain care.
• Coordinates continuity of care with Pain Management, Opioid Safety, PMOP partners, and community resources to ensure integrated and consistent pain-care delivery.
• Supports ongoing interdisciplinary communication to align treatment goals, intervention strategies, and Veteran-centered care plans.
• Participates in outreach activities to enhance Veteran engagement in pain-management services and increase access to care.
• Identifies and connects Veteran/Family/Caregiver with appropriate VA, community, and government resources to support chronic pain recovery.
• Coordinates services with external agencies to address housing, legal, employment, financial, and social support needs.
• Connects Veteran/Family/Caregiver to Whole Health wellness programs, and complementary integrative health services supporting pain management.
• Serves as an expert on medical and psychiatric issues and the unique needs of this Veteran population, including common psychiatric diagnoses, relevant medications, and VA/community resources for psychiatric treatment.
• Documents assessments utilizing the using the Clinical Intervention Note for brief assessments or, when applicable, completing the Comprehensive Psychosocial Assessments for referred Veterans and collaborate with the Veteran/Family/Caregiver, and interdisciplinary team.
• Engages Veteran/Family/Caregiver and significant others in assessment and goal-setting whenever possible.
• Exercises independent clinical judgment when developing, adjusting, and monitoring treatment plans, ensuring clinical decisions reflect interdisciplinary input and Veteran preferences.
• Incorporates complex multiple causation into psychosocial and, within scope of practice, DSM-based diagnostic formulations.
• Facilitates Family/Caregiver/Team conferences to ensure communication remains current and aligned with shared goals of care.
• Documents all contacts and interventions in the EHR using appropriate templates, ensuring compliance with VHA, facility, and accrediting body standards, comprehensive and ongoing assessments, safety plans, and required screenings.
• Monitors and reviews each Veteran's VA Pain Management Agreement ("pain contract").
• Applies a social work person-in-situation framework.
• Educates Veteran/Family/Caregiver regarding VA services, Whole Health offerings, community supports, entitlements, and health-related resources.
• Educates and provides consultation to Veteran/Family/Caregiver regarding benefits and services related to special programs.
• Serves as a practicum instructor or preceptor for social work trainees, providing supervision and structured learning experiences.
• Conducts suicide-risk assessment and safety planning, participate in high-risk case reviews.
• Work Schedule: Monday
• Friday; 8:00 am
• 4:30 pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.
• Contact joshua.titensor@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance.
• Learn more Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
• 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.
• 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 not a virtual position.
• Functional Statement #: 613500 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

• 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 identification 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
• 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.

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/.

Required Documents

• To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
• License Resume Special Note for
• Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume
• This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.
• Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.
• The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position.
• Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former
• Federal employees), etc. Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (VA) License Other (1) Resume
• SF-15 SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Transcript