Social Worker (Inpatient Acute Psychiatry Unit)
Department of Veterans Affairs · Spokane, WA
- Full-time
- 2 postings
- Location
- Spokane, WA
- Hours
- Full-time
- Who may apply
- Federal employees (competitive service); Federal employees (excepted service); Current employees of the hiring agency; Students
- Facility / unit
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Postings
- 2 of this job on Department of Veterans Affairs' site
- Posted
- Nov 3, 2026
- Closes
- Dec 31, 2026
- Job ID
- CBSV-13107613-27-GEJ
About the job
The Department of Veterans Affairs in Spokane is hiring a full-time social worker for its inpatient acute psychiatry unit. The social worker assesses the psychosocial needs of veterans and their families and builds and carries out treatment plans with individuals, families and groups.
The vacancy may be filled anywhere from GS-9 to GS-11, with GS-11 as the full performance level. Applicants still finishing education or licensure requirements can be referred and tentatively selected but cannot start until those are met.
What you need
- United States citizenship; non-citizens may be appointed only when qualified citizens cannot be recruited
- Proficiency in spoken and written English
- An MSW from a school holding full accreditation from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE); a doctorate in social work cannot replace the master's
- A state license or certification for independent practice at the master's level; at GS-9, the VA may hire an otherwise qualified social worker who is still completing licensure, who must then actively pursue and obtain it by a set deadline
- GS-9: no experience beyond the basic requirements, plus skill in counseling veterans and families from varied backgrounds, assessing psychosocial needs, using supportive, problem-solving and crisis intervention techniques, and basic knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses and medications
- GS-11: at least one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to GS-9 in health care or another social work setting and an independent-practice license, or a social work doctorate in place of the experience
- GS-11 candidates also need knowledge of community resources and referrals, independent psychosocial assessment and treatment skills, and the ability to consult with new social workers and graduate students
- Light lifting under 15 pounds and driving a motor vehicle
Preferred
- Acute inpatient psychiatric experience or comparable inpatient medical social work experience
Schedule
- Full-time
Benefits
- Eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program, which reimburses student loan payments for those who qualify and apply within four months of starting
Posted pay for behavioral health clinician jobs in Spokane & eastern Washington
43 other behavioral health clinician postings in Spokane & eastern Washington give a pay range, from 11 employers. Their ranges typically start around $32.92 and top out around $51.61 an hour. This job's posted salary works out to $32.49–$51.10 an hour at 2,080 hours a year.
How “typical” is worked out
"Typical" is the middle of those 43 other postings' minimums and of their maximums, leaving this job out. The behavioral health pay page for Washington counts every behavioral health posting in Washington with a pay range, not only behavioral health clinician jobs, so its typical range is different: $30.91–$38.79. A posted range isn't what a new hire is paid: where someone starts depends on experience and, at union employers, the step on the pay scale. 25 of these 43 postings also offer a sign-on or hiring bonus (up to $10,000), not counted here. How we count
About this listing
We found this job in Department of Veterans Affairs' public job announcement. Announcements like this can close early or change, so confirm the details, who may apply and the closing date in the announcement before you apply. Applying is always free. Something here doesn't match the announcement? A change to it shows here at the next update.
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