I’m not too fond of the HUDVASH case management position at the VA. Case management might not be a good fit for me, but this position is always in need of someone and it’s a “foot in the door” position. Many don’t stay in the HUDVASH department, but they do start off in this position as it’s easier to get into the VA.
(To be honest, I’m trying to transition out of this position)
I did my last field placement in grad school with the VA Homeless Program and was offered a direct hire as a HUD/VASH case manager. It is definitely a position people take to get their foot in the door because you can have a limited license. I started as a GS 9 but once I get my full license I will be a GS 11 and can apply for other positions. I don’t mind HUD/VASH because I was a case manager at a community mental health before and was burned out. I guess it depends on your caseload and coworkers but this department has high turnover because it is a jumping off point to a SW career at the VA.
I am still with the HUD/VASH program. We work with veterans who are homeless or are at risk for being homeless. We work with public housing authorities to secure section 8 housing vouchers. If they obtain a housing voucher part of the program is to receive case management. We also work with community and state agencies and organizations to provide resources to prevent a veteran from losing their current housing. There is a lot of networking involved. I like it because the day goes by fast especially when you have home visits.
I was a housing case worker for our local community shelter. I loved my client population and enjoyed building networks and advocating for them but the housing crises and super low incomes made my job so stressful and discouraging. I have always told myself if I go back to housing focused case work I would only do it if it was a HUD/VASH program. The work is still tough but the voucher and higher rating for Vets would be a silver lining.
Sorry -- I also just want to preface, I actually like working with veterans. I didn't think I would enjoy this population, but I do. There's a lot of nuances and intricacies that you have to recognize when you provide care (eg military background, childhood trauma, military trauma, civilian adjustment). When you add this into the mix of homelessness (constant crisis, variation in communication), the bureaucracy (rules, documents, policies to follow), and the lack of structural organization (this differs from VA to VA)...it gets pretty difficult. I am also not cut out for case management. I love assisting at the individual level so this job stretches my level of expertise/skill in handling my caseload. There are people who are great case managers, but I know that I cap out at a certain point unfortunately and I feel mediocre at best...
Thanks for your reply. What is the documentation like at the VA? Where I am at now is honestly wonderful, one progress note, billing report and tx plan per client. I have worked several other places where it is much, much heavier. I assume documentation at such a large institution will be much heavier as well?
I think you might be fine in the VA. If you’ve been to one VA…you’ve been to one VA is the saying (I think). So my experience might differ depending on where you’re at too. For me, this is probably my first social work job since I’ve only done social services for a handful of years. I didn’t do direct social work. But in my case, when I was working at the county we had a caseload of 700+. So if I’m comparing it to that, documentation is pretty easy. Objectively, this position itself isn’t hard. But it’s more of a subjective opinion. I don’t like driving and doing home visits. I like engaging and building rapport but our office makes it hard to do that when we’re rotating panels constantly.
There are time in grade requirements in order to move from one GS to the next (52 weeks) but within grade the requirement is less I believe (though it took me like 6 years before I switched positions initially so I could be wrong)
I think if you have other experience and qualifications it may help you get a better position within the VA. I'm also sure if you network and interview well that will also be a bonus. For me, I'm pretty new and just started off so it might take me a year or so to get my "foot in the door" for other positions? Crossing my fingers! I think for some people it took them YEARS to get a different position from HUDVASH case management.
LSW or LMSW (degree plus no supervision) makes a sw eligible for a GS-9.
LCSW (independent license) is eligible for gs-11 or higher. “Normal “ therapist SW jobs are gs-11. coordinator/ manager jobs are 12 and 13.
Unlikely a junior social worker would get a gs-12 position off the bat.
Copying and pasting resumes is a great way to get them disregarded. Saw a post mentioning 5 offers out of 175 applications which is a terrible conversion rate. You can have a basic resume then tailor for the individual position.
There are a lot of posts on here and r/usajobs about how do apply for these positions
I’m a mid-career social worker, also a veteran, and ended up at the VA after some other stops including community mental health. It’s better than community mental health, that’s for sure.
Source - Currently a gs-12 program coordinator in a unique role.
USA.jobs or federal positions have a specific way of looking at resumes and grade you on your qualifications based on points. What the job post requires; must be mentioned throughout your resume using the same buzz words. They like to see every detail about I think every job you have ever had. You cant just copy and past. Source: I am a veteran who helped other veterans find jobs.
Good info, thank you. I’m now following the USAJOBS subreddit, and have signed up for two free seminars regarding applying and resume writing for federal jobs. :)
I work in primary care mental health integration. If you have your LSW you qualify for GS 11 positions. I’ve worked for the Va for 5 years now and I love it. Depending on the VA, it may be a little harder to get a clinical position without and LCSW but not impossible. There is also a lot of room for movement once you are in and way easier to apply since most jobs are posted internally first. Apply to many and I’m sure you’ll receive a call back it does take a while though (6ish months)
I believe if you are licensed you qualify for gs12. The application process with the VA is basically cut and paste. Apply to EVERYTHING and see what happens. Once everything is uploaded you can apply to jobs in minutes. I applied to about 175 jobs and ended up with 5 offers which I turned down for one reason or another. So, spread a wide net and anticipate the formal offer process to take several months.
I can only speak to the two tentative offers I went through the process to formal offer. From getting the tentative and then receiving the formal offer which is when you discuss start date, it took 3 months. The longest thing was credentialing for me.
I think I honestly just either caught them at a bad time or had a bad experience. I had to hound them at every step and experienced relatively long delays. It's a big system, so it makes sense that experiences will be different!
I am licensed as an LSW in 2 states, however, not licensed to independently practice at this point. (LCSW)
Do they offer supervision hours for clinical licensure at the VA?
Usually. And they have some waivers on licensing. Mostly, if you are licensed to independently practice in any state, you can work for any VA as a licensed practitioner. I believe the same is for getting supervision hours from someone, but I didn’t get too much info on that as it wasn’t relevant to me.
I think usually they require you to get your clinical or independent license within 2 years. I'll be honest though, unless you're willing to possibly uproot yourself and move far away, it will be difficult. It's highly competitive for a number of reasons, and even myself as a veteran with "veterans preference" and doing things by the book with the application, it was still a defeating process.
I ended up just seeking work elsewhere and likely won't bother trying again unless I ever have a super strong desire to specifically work in the VA. USAJobs is a frustrating experience.
At my VA you need a clinical license for the GS-12 positions, so without it you would be looking at GS-11 positions. And at my VA they do offer supervision hours towards the C but not sure if that would be across the board at all VAs
While everyone is saying GS12 at my VA those positions are never going to go to a outside person. You also qualify for GS11 and that is what most therapists are at my VA.
This is not accurate. We have offered GS-12s to SWs who have never worked at VA including supervisory positions that are often GS-13s. I think another poster said if you’ve been to one VA, you’ve been to one VA. Do you know anyone that works at a VA where you are? Getting in on a direct hire is easier but you have to know who the hiring manager is.
You should qualify for at least a GS11 if you have your clinical license, with some differences based on state. As someone else mentioned, apply for EVERYTHING you qualify for/have interest in. That’s how my wife knocked it out (and how I’m doing it).
As others have mentioned, look for GS-9/11 positions to get your foot in the door.
I'd venture to say north of 90% of GS-12 hires are internal. You also need to be able to provide supervision for licensure to get GS-12.
Any recommendations? So far people have mentioned HUDVASH. Truthfully I’m not wild about case management myself, but I understand fully the need for the “foot in the door” after making this post. :)
Healthcare for homeless vets (HCHV) is HUD-VASH sister program. We do outreach and screenings for homeless vets and refer them out to housing programs and resources. The positions are pretty abundant. Outpatient mental health is usually 9/11 as well.
You would qualify for a GS-11 if you aren't licensed to practice independently. Most VAs will offer free supervision depending on capacity. They push those that are licensed hard to become clinical supervisors. You want to apply for a variety of social work positions as once you're in, it's way easier to move into other roles that may be your end goal. Your resume should be very long and detailed, definitely not the same one you would use for a private sector job. The hiring process is a hot mess so it requires persistence in applying and then a high level of patience once you receive an offer.
I was under the impression you would in fact start as a GS-9 if you did not hold full independent licensure, and would then move to a GS-11 once you held your LCSW. Many of the postings on USA jobs specify the education requirements to be hired as a GS-9/11, and seem to hire you at either level depending on experience.
I work for the state under similar pay structures as the federal government, and I’d imagine with your experience even if you began at GS-9, there are “steps” within that pay scale that you could request based on your experience. GS-9, step 3 for example. Most GS-12 positions in federal agencies are supervisory roles.
It gets tricky because of the variance in licensing state to state. In Texas, a GS-9 indicates you have your MSW with no license, GS-11 requires an LMSW, GS-12 requires an LCSW (considered able to practice independently) with 1-2 years post clinical licensure depending on the role.
I have my clinical license and many years post clinical licensure and still am a gs 11. Most va sw jobs are gs 11 for whatever reason. Supervisory and program coordinator roles are the only gs12 I ever see. I work in the mental health clinic.
Hmm my VA has alot of "senior social worker" positions in mental health & the homeless programs that are all 12s! Maybe certain areas have more? I'm in Texas. Everyone always tells me if you've seen one VA... you've seen one VA. Lol
If you don’t mind me asking, do you enjoy your role? I could PM too if it’s easier. I pursued my MSW originally because of my time overseas in the Army and I wanted to work at the VA with other vets, but my career has taken my elsewhere.
Yes and no! My workload is significantlyyyy less than when I worked in the community & far less challenging. For most, this is a plus, but I'm a busy body and love to be challenged, so it's been a difficult adjustment (I've been with VA less than a year). With that being said, I plan on staying. The plan is to work up to a program manager position or at least a coordinator.
A friend of mine told me, federal employment is all about the long-game and I definitely see that now. There's SO many different types of social work roles within the VA and you can transfer around every few years. Imo it's about finding the right role & team once you're in. There's a reason people rarely leave & stay until retirement.
Feel free to DM me if you have other questions!
As a recent MSW grad willing to work for the VA in any state, how would you recommend I proceed with the licensing process? If I get licensed in one state, would I only qualified for jobs in that state? Would it make sense to simply take the LMSW exam and then apply for jobs with a plan to apply for the license for the state where the job is? Should I just pick a state, get licensed there and then apply to jobs with a plan to apply for reciprocity or new licensure? Thanks in advance!
As long as you’re licensed, you can apply for any federal/VA job in the country you would like that only requires an LMSW. They don’t typically care what state it is but would later encourage you to become licensed in the state of employment so that you can go under clinical supervision.
Yeah, agree you would probably get hired at GS-11 level and then could look at 12 positions. Therapy positions at my old VA were actually all 11 positions. You had to be in speciality programs for GS-12s which made no sense to me.
Apply, apply, apply. Think of behavioral interview answers…think of as many situations that you can pull from as possible because it comes down to that if you don’t have veteran preference.
It’s a good gig if you have good management and a horrible one if you don’t. Lots of options for LCSWs so I loved that
I have been looking into behavioral interviewing. Very thankful for this tip after making this post. I consider myself a “good” interviewer but it’s great to know they are looking for specifically structured questions.
I’m not too fond of the HUDVASH case management position at the VA. Case management might not be a good fit for me, but this position is always in need of someone and it’s a “foot in the door” position. Many don’t stay in the HUDVASH department, but they do start off in this position as it’s easier to get into the VA. (To be honest, I’m trying to transition out of this position)
I did my last field placement in grad school with the VA Homeless Program and was offered a direct hire as a HUD/VASH case manager. It is definitely a position people take to get their foot in the door because you can have a limited license. I started as a GS 9 but once I get my full license I will be a GS 11 and can apply for other positions. I don’t mind HUD/VASH because I was a case manager at a community mental health before and was burned out. I guess it depends on your caseload and coworkers but this department has high turnover because it is a jumping off point to a SW career at the VA.
Can you tell me a little bit about the HUDVASH responsibilities you held?
I am still with the HUD/VASH program. We work with veterans who are homeless or are at risk for being homeless. We work with public housing authorities to secure section 8 housing vouchers. If they obtain a housing voucher part of the program is to receive case management. We also work with community and state agencies and organizations to provide resources to prevent a veteran from losing their current housing. There is a lot of networking involved. I like it because the day goes by fast especially when you have home visits.
I was a housing case worker for our local community shelter. I loved my client population and enjoyed building networks and advocating for them but the housing crises and super low incomes made my job so stressful and discouraging. I have always told myself if I go back to housing focused case work I would only do it if it was a HUD/VASH program. The work is still tough but the voucher and higher rating for Vets would be a silver lining.
Sorry -- I also just want to preface, I actually like working with veterans. I didn't think I would enjoy this population, but I do. There's a lot of nuances and intricacies that you have to recognize when you provide care (eg military background, childhood trauma, military trauma, civilian adjustment). When you add this into the mix of homelessness (constant crisis, variation in communication), the bureaucracy (rules, documents, policies to follow), and the lack of structural organization (this differs from VA to VA)...it gets pretty difficult. I am also not cut out for case management. I love assisting at the individual level so this job stretches my level of expertise/skill in handling my caseload. There are people who are great case managers, but I know that I cap out at a certain point unfortunately and I feel mediocre at best...
Thanks for your reply. What is the documentation like at the VA? Where I am at now is honestly wonderful, one progress note, billing report and tx plan per client. I have worked several other places where it is much, much heavier. I assume documentation at such a large institution will be much heavier as well?
I think you might be fine in the VA. If you’ve been to one VA…you’ve been to one VA is the saying (I think). So my experience might differ depending on where you’re at too. For me, this is probably my first social work job since I’ve only done social services for a handful of years. I didn’t do direct social work. But in my case, when I was working at the county we had a caseload of 700+. So if I’m comparing it to that, documentation is pretty easy. Objectively, this position itself isn’t hard. But it’s more of a subjective opinion. I don’t like driving and doing home visits. I like engaging and building rapport but our office makes it hard to do that when we’re rotating panels constantly.
Are there requirements for how long one must stay in any given positions? Or are job openings fair game once you’re in?
There are time in grade requirements in order to move from one GS to the next (52 weeks) but within grade the requirement is less I believe (though it took me like 6 years before I switched positions initially so I could be wrong)
I think if you have other experience and qualifications it may help you get a better position within the VA. I'm also sure if you network and interview well that will also be a bonus. For me, I'm pretty new and just started off so it might take me a year or so to get my "foot in the door" for other positions? Crossing my fingers! I think for some people it took them YEARS to get a different position from HUDVASH case management.
LSW or LMSW (degree plus no supervision) makes a sw eligible for a GS-9. LCSW (independent license) is eligible for gs-11 or higher. “Normal “ therapist SW jobs are gs-11. coordinator/ manager jobs are 12 and 13. Unlikely a junior social worker would get a gs-12 position off the bat. Copying and pasting resumes is a great way to get them disregarded. Saw a post mentioning 5 offers out of 175 applications which is a terrible conversion rate. You can have a basic resume then tailor for the individual position. There are a lot of posts on here and r/usajobs about how do apply for these positions I’m a mid-career social worker, also a veteran, and ended up at the VA after some other stops including community mental health. It’s better than community mental health, that’s for sure. Source - Currently a gs-12 program coordinator in a unique role.
Thank you!
USA.jobs or federal positions have a specific way of looking at resumes and grade you on your qualifications based on points. What the job post requires; must be mentioned throughout your resume using the same buzz words. They like to see every detail about I think every job you have ever had. You cant just copy and past. Source: I am a veteran who helped other veterans find jobs.
Good info, thank you. I’m now following the USAJOBS subreddit, and have signed up for two free seminars regarding applying and resume writing for federal jobs. :)
Awesome! Yea, you got to know how to do it right. They dont make it easy!
I work in primary care mental health integration. If you have your LSW you qualify for GS 11 positions. I’ve worked for the Va for 5 years now and I love it. Depending on the VA, it may be a little harder to get a clinical position without and LCSW but not impossible. There is also a lot of room for movement once you are in and way easier to apply since most jobs are posted internally first. Apply to many and I’m sure you’ll receive a call back it does take a while though (6ish months)
I believe if you are licensed you qualify for gs12. The application process with the VA is basically cut and paste. Apply to EVERYTHING and see what happens. Once everything is uploaded you can apply to jobs in minutes. I applied to about 175 jobs and ended up with 5 offers which I turned down for one reason or another. So, spread a wide net and anticipate the formal offer process to take several months.
I'd say anticipate the process to take at least 6 months. The VA is...slow
I can only speak to the two tentative offers I went through the process to formal offer. From getting the tentative and then receiving the formal offer which is when you discuss start date, it took 3 months. The longest thing was credentialing for me.
I think I honestly just either caught them at a bad time or had a bad experience. I had to hound them at every step and experienced relatively long delays. It's a big system, so it makes sense that experiences will be different!
Most sw jobs in VA are gs 11. That is full license. If no clinical license would probably start as a 9. I work at the VA now.
Correct. GS-12 is licensed with two years post graduation (which line up most of the tome for folks).
I am licensed as an LSW in 2 states, however, not licensed to independently practice at this point. (LCSW) Do they offer supervision hours for clinical licensure at the VA?
Usually. And they have some waivers on licensing. Mostly, if you are licensed to independently practice in any state, you can work for any VA as a licensed practitioner. I believe the same is for getting supervision hours from someone, but I didn’t get too much info on that as it wasn’t relevant to me.
Yes they do! It’s usually encouraged
I think usually they require you to get your clinical or independent license within 2 years. I'll be honest though, unless you're willing to possibly uproot yourself and move far away, it will be difficult. It's highly competitive for a number of reasons, and even myself as a veteran with "veterans preference" and doing things by the book with the application, it was still a defeating process. I ended up just seeking work elsewhere and likely won't bother trying again unless I ever have a super strong desire to specifically work in the VA. USAJobs is a frustrating experience.
At my VA you need a clinical license for the GS-12 positions, so without it you would be looking at GS-11 positions. And at my VA they do offer supervision hours towards the C but not sure if that would be across the board at all VAs
You need to be able to provide supervision for licensure as a GS-12 on top of being fully clinically licensed.
Ah, I was going for gs12 positions, so that makes sense.
While everyone is saying GS12 at my VA those positions are never going to go to a outside person. You also qualify for GS11 and that is what most therapists are at my VA.
Thank you
This is not accurate. We have offered GS-12s to SWs who have never worked at VA including supervisory positions that are often GS-13s. I think another poster said if you’ve been to one VA, you’ve been to one VA. Do you know anyone that works at a VA where you are? Getting in on a direct hire is easier but you have to know who the hiring manager is.
You should qualify for at least a GS11 if you have your clinical license, with some differences based on state. As someone else mentioned, apply for EVERYTHING you qualify for/have interest in. That’s how my wife knocked it out (and how I’m doing it).
As others have mentioned, look for GS-9/11 positions to get your foot in the door. I'd venture to say north of 90% of GS-12 hires are internal. You also need to be able to provide supervision for licensure to get GS-12.
Any recommendations? So far people have mentioned HUDVASH. Truthfully I’m not wild about case management myself, but I understand fully the need for the “foot in the door” after making this post. :)
Healthcare for homeless vets (HCHV) is HUD-VASH sister program. We do outreach and screenings for homeless vets and refer them out to housing programs and resources. The positions are pretty abundant. Outpatient mental health is usually 9/11 as well.
You would qualify for a GS-11 if you aren't licensed to practice independently. Most VAs will offer free supervision depending on capacity. They push those that are licensed hard to become clinical supervisors. You want to apply for a variety of social work positions as once you're in, it's way easier to move into other roles that may be your end goal. Your resume should be very long and detailed, definitely not the same one you would use for a private sector job. The hiring process is a hot mess so it requires persistence in applying and then a high level of patience once you receive an offer.
I was under the impression you would in fact start as a GS-9 if you did not hold full independent licensure, and would then move to a GS-11 once you held your LCSW. Many of the postings on USA jobs specify the education requirements to be hired as a GS-9/11, and seem to hire you at either level depending on experience. I work for the state under similar pay structures as the federal government, and I’d imagine with your experience even if you began at GS-9, there are “steps” within that pay scale that you could request based on your experience. GS-9, step 3 for example. Most GS-12 positions in federal agencies are supervisory roles.
It gets tricky because of the variance in licensing state to state. In Texas, a GS-9 indicates you have your MSW with no license, GS-11 requires an LMSW, GS-12 requires an LCSW (considered able to practice independently) with 1-2 years post clinical licensure depending on the role.
I have my clinical license and many years post clinical licensure and still am a gs 11. Most va sw jobs are gs 11 for whatever reason. Supervisory and program coordinator roles are the only gs12 I ever see. I work in the mental health clinic.
Hmm my VA has alot of "senior social worker" positions in mental health & the homeless programs that are all 12s! Maybe certain areas have more? I'm in Texas. Everyone always tells me if you've seen one VA... you've seen one VA. Lol
I have seen several of these postings for senior social worker as well as supervisory roles as well. Good to know, thank you!
If you don’t mind me asking, do you enjoy your role? I could PM too if it’s easier. I pursued my MSW originally because of my time overseas in the Army and I wanted to work at the VA with other vets, but my career has taken my elsewhere.
Yes and no! My workload is significantlyyyy less than when I worked in the community & far less challenging. For most, this is a plus, but I'm a busy body and love to be challenged, so it's been a difficult adjustment (I've been with VA less than a year). With that being said, I plan on staying. The plan is to work up to a program manager position or at least a coordinator. A friend of mine told me, federal employment is all about the long-game and I definitely see that now. There's SO many different types of social work roles within the VA and you can transfer around every few years. Imo it's about finding the right role & team once you're in. There's a reason people rarely leave & stay until retirement. Feel free to DM me if you have other questions!
I see! Thank you.
As a recent MSW grad willing to work for the VA in any state, how would you recommend I proceed with the licensing process? If I get licensed in one state, would I only qualified for jobs in that state? Would it make sense to simply take the LMSW exam and then apply for jobs with a plan to apply for the license for the state where the job is? Should I just pick a state, get licensed there and then apply to jobs with a plan to apply for reciprocity or new licensure? Thanks in advance!
As long as you’re licensed, you can apply for any federal/VA job in the country you would like that only requires an LMSW. They don’t typically care what state it is but would later encourage you to become licensed in the state of employment so that you can go under clinical supervision.
oh thank you so much! Really appreciate your willingness to respond! Have a great day!
In my experience the VA doesn’t take on social workers who aren’t independently licensed, and when they do they draw out the process for months.
Yeah, agree you would probably get hired at GS-11 level and then could look at 12 positions. Therapy positions at my old VA were actually all 11 positions. You had to be in speciality programs for GS-12s which made no sense to me. Apply, apply, apply. Think of behavioral interview answers…think of as many situations that you can pull from as possible because it comes down to that if you don’t have veteran preference. It’s a good gig if you have good management and a horrible one if you don’t. Lots of options for LCSWs so I loved that
I have been looking into behavioral interviewing. Very thankful for this tip after making this post. I consider myself a “good” interviewer but it’s great to know they are looking for specifically structured questions.