Social Science Specialist Crisis Responder

We're Looking for a skilled Social Science Specialist Crisis Responder in the Veterans Health Administration based in Anywhere in the U.S. (remote job), United States. Read through the job description to see if it matches your current experience.

The Successful Applicant

To qualify for this position applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement 12/15/2025. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Noncitizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency: Social Science Specialists (Crisis Responders) must be proficient in spoken and written English. See 38 U.S.C. 7403(f). Education and Experience: Applicants must meet at least one of the basic requirements below: Successful completion of a bachelors degree or higher from an accredited college or university. The degree must be in a behavioral health or social science related field appropriate to the work of the position (e.g. psychology social work sociology family counseling mental health counseling nursing ministry and criminal justice) OR Two years of specialized experience as a first responder (e.g. Police Medic Emergency Medical Technician Emergency Dispatch etc.) or in a social science related field that included behavioral health crisis response and two years of higher education (i.e. above the high school level) from an accredited college or university in a behavioral health or social science related field appropriate to the work of the position (e.g. psychology social work sociology family counseling mental health counseling nursing ministry and criminal justice) OR Successful completion of a bachelors degree from an accredited college or university in any field and one year of specialized experience that included behavioral health crisis response or mental health counseling. Grade Determinations for Social Science Specialist (Crisis Responder) GS11: Specialized Experience: In addition to the basic requirements you must have one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS9 grade level which is directly related to the position to be filled OR Education: Ph.D. or equivalent degree from an accredited college or university in a behavioral health related field appropriate to the work of the position (e.g. psychology social work sociology or family counseling). Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities. In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements and Grade Determination specialized experience or education above the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to provide an evidenced based crisis intervention through a variety of modalities (e.g. telephone interviews chat/text services or social media forums). Ability to carry out crisis management steps while withholding judgment on controversial behaviors and not imposing ones values during the contact. Ability to effectively prioritize complex problems quickly and respond appropriately in a crisis situation. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary but requires extreme patience and controlling ones emotions. 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 preplacement physical examination is not required.

What’s on Offer

The role offers excellent opportunities for top performers to further develop their competencies as a social worker and improving the lives of people.