Social Services Assistant at Veterans Health Administration

About the role

The position is located at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center (MEDVAMC) and is organizationally aligned under the Domiciliary Residential Rehabilitation and Treatment Program (DRRTP) within the Veterans Care and Transitional Service. The Domiciliary is a Residential Rehabilitation and Treatment facility which provides extended care to Veterans with complex medical, psychiatric, alcohol and drug abuse and homelessness problems. Major Duties: Provides orientation to new residents by explaining Domiciliary policies/procedures, treatment expectations and goals, as well as ensuring that all admission requirements are signed. Interview each resident to assess skills associated with activities of daily living, leisure and work interests, personal hygiene, interpersonal communication, etc. Performs administrative functions, e.g. makes bed assignments and maintains accurate bed control count, prepares, and processes patients for admission, clearance and completes entries in communication log. Organizes and facilitates small psycho-educational groups of residents for development of problem-solving skills for return to independent living in the community. Utilizes a guidance model and applies experience and knowledge of problems. Monitors compliance with treatment plan requirements as well as Domiciliary regulations. Monitors compliance with sobriety requirements for abstinence from alcohol and drugs by performing breath checks and urine screens according to established procedures and documents results. Demonstrates the ability to work with a variety of residents' physical, mental, emotional, and behavior problems using different techniques. Responsible for maintaining a clean, safe, and healthful environment for all patients assigned to the Section. Daily room inspections to check for physical plant equipment, health and safety, and security problems and initiate appropriate corrective actions. Provides crisis intervention in situations of medical, psychiatric and/or behavioral in nature by assessing the situation and initiating action to secure medical care or police assistance. Utilizes appropriate precautions in cases of injury, potential suicide, or infectious diseases. Conducts section meetings for all patients in assigned sections to communicate information, listen to patient concerns and inform patients about changes in Domiciliary or VAMC requirements. Work Schedule: Rotating 12 hour shifts to include evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays. Subject to change based on the needs of the facility. Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized. Telework: This position is not authorized for telework. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Social Services Assistant/PD03204A To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/26/2026. 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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6. 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. Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-6 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Group leader in community or residential recreation or training programs; Counselor in a youth summer camp; Instructor in a training program for the development of job skills; Work that demonstrated the ability to be responsible for and to lead and train members of a job crew; Group activities leader in the Armed Services; Unit leader-monitor-proctor for a dormitory group in a boarding school or other residential facility; Aid or assistant to professional or specialist staff in such fields as personnel (private or government), employment guidance in a vocational or academic institution, social service, or manpower development; Aid or assistant to professional or associate staff engaged in work of a social services nature in private, public welfare, government program, or community organizations, or in voluntary activities; Aid or assistant to professional or specialist staff working with individuals who are addicted to or abuse alcohol and/or drugs. Note: This 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. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have one (1) full year of graduate education. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. Education at the graduate level must have been obtained in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond a bachelor's degree may be used to qualify applicants for the GS-07 level. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Experience must be clearly indicated in your resume. Physical Requirements: Work is carried out mostly in an office. However, the position regularly conducts inspections and supervises building cleanup, etc. Travel among different PODS is necessary. Occasional duties require lifting, carrying 50+ lbs, sitting, standing, walking, climbing stairs, kneeling, bending, stooping, twisting, pulling/pushing, simple grasping, reading above shoulder. Conditions during inspections and drills may also include heat, cold, excess humidity, work with chemicals, dust, noise, driving a vehicle, and fire manipulation. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Reading Comprehension Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork 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/. 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 A pre-placement physical examination is required. Driver's license is required for this position Must be able to independently operate Government Vehicle. Must provide clean driving record report from the DMV during the pre-employment process. 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) 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.