Social Worker (Substance Abuse)

Department of Defense Military Treatment Facilities under DHA (535 current openings) Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, Virginia Full-time Security Clearance: Secret
Application Deadline:
2026-08-13
Posted:
2026-07-31

1 day left to apply

Salary: $75,788 – $98,530 per year (GS-11)

Salary context

Based on 198 annual-salary jobs in the same occupational series. This role pays below most similar positions.

Job Details

Qualifications & Requirements

Who May Apply: US Citizens In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. Basic Requirement for Social Worker (Substance Abuse) Degree: Master's degree (or higher degree) in social work from a school accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below: Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience which includes assisting with clinical assessments of substance abuse patients, implementing behavioral health treatment plans, and assisting with counseling substance abuse patients. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-09). OR Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: Social Work. OR Combination of Education and Experience: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 12. Then divide the total number of completed graduate semester hours (or equivalent) beyond the second year (total graduate semester hours minus 36) by 18. Add the two percentages. AND Licensure: This position requires a current, active, valid, and unrestricted clinical license to practice Social Work independently offered by a U.S. State, District of Columbia, Commonwealth, territory, or jurisdiction.

Position Overview

About the Position: Serves as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) within a Defense Health Agency (DHA) Military Treatment Facility (MTF), primarily practicing within a Substance Use Disorder Clinical Care (SUDCC) treatment program. There are 2 vacancies for this location This is a Direct Hire Solicitation

Duties

  • Responding to referrals from Commanders and supervisors stemming from urinalysis, Driving While Intoxicated (DWIs) offenses, alcohol or drug-related incidents.
  • Evaluates incoming participants in various stages of readiness to change through detailed substance use histories and bio-psychosocial examinations.
  • Applying diagnostic criteria and administrative guidance in accordance with the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
  • Develops and implements individual and family treatment programs, counseling family members and significant others to gather psychosocial histories,
  • ascertain the familial impact of the substance use, conducts individual and group therapy where indicated, and maintain liaison with SARP staff on related clinical issues.
  • Develops and implements orientation, clinical education, and training programs for SARP participants, medical staff, commanders, supervisors, patients, and family members.
  • Utilizing professional knowledge of general SARP concepts, principles, procedures, and practices.
  • Collaborates with Commanders, unit leaders, and supervisory personnel to educate them on problematic substance use