Federal

Social Worker (Clinical)

National Institutes of Health ยท Department of Health and Human Services
๐Ÿ“ Montgomery County, Maryland GS-11/12 $85,447 - $133,142/yr
Posted: Jun 22, 2026 Deadline: Jun 26, 2026 (Closes in 2 days)

About This Position

This position provides a full range of screening, assessment, diagnostic, treatment, consultative, and educational services to patients, caregivers, and staff. If you are a talented, knowledgeable, and motivated individual with clinical social work experience in a medical setting and want to play a significant role in a dynamic organization, then consider joining the NIH, Clinical Center, Social Work Department. For more information visit: https://clinicalcenter.nih.gov/swd/index.html.

Qualifications

Education Qualification Requirement for GS-11/12: In order to qualify for a Social Worker, GS-0185 position, you must have a Master's Degree in Social Work from a school accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Additional Qualifications Requirements for the GS-11: A. In addition, in order to qualify for a Social Worker-GS-0185, at the GS-11 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following types of tasks: Independently completing bio/psycho/social/spiritual assessments and determining a course of action to address identified needs; providing guidance to individuals and families regarding a variety of available community services in such areas as education, recreational therapy, spiritual ministry, psychological/psychiatric consultation, and financial assistance; establishing and facilitating intercommunication between patients, caregivers and medical or research staff; providing individual and small group psychotherapy; developing and implementing medical and mental health discharge plans, and maintaining social work records to document all activities.

OR

B. Completion of three years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D.

OR

equivalent doctoral degree in a related field.

OR

C. A combination of post-graduate education and experience that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position. Additional Qualifications Requirements for the GS-12: In addition, in order to qualify for a Social Worker-GS-0185, at the GS-12 level, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal Service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: Independently completing bio/psycho/social/spiritual assessments of mentally or medically ill patients and families in the healthcare setting to identify factors having a bearing on their illness and recovery and making recommendations regarding their ability to participate in research protocols; developing and implementing a treatment plan for seriously medically or mentally ill clients based on an assessment of psychological, social and medical realities; evaluating social work policies and programs and making recommendations for modifications; providing crisis counseling for patients and caregivers in coordination with primary medical team and adjunct consulting services; developing educational programs for medical and allied personnel on the psychosocial and economic aspects of illness.

Selective Factor(s): In order to meet minimum qualification requirements you must demonstrate possession of the selective factor(s) of this position. Selective factor(s) include(s): You must possess a current, valid, unrestricted independent Clinical Social Work License (i.e., LICSW, LCSW-C, LCSW, etc.) from a licensing board in the United States including the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands.

You will receive credit for all experience material to the position, including experience gained in religious, civic, welfare, service, and organizational activities, regardless of whether you received pay. Do not copy and paste the duties or specialized experience from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position. We may verify or assess your qualifications at any time.

Inflated or unsupported qualifications may affect your rating. Any misrepresentation or material omission of facts may be sufficient cause to end further consideration of your candidacy. Persons listed as knowing your past accomplishments or experience in your application may be contacted for verification purposes at any time.

Verification may, but need not, begin before receiving an offer. Preview application questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12983566

Major Duties

Performing a range of conventional screening, assessment, diagnostic, treatment, consultative, and educational services to assigned segment of Clinical Center patients, caregivers, and staff.

Completing psychosocial assessment of patients and caregivers in order to identify those factors which have a bearing on his/her ability to cope with stress and the requirements of the research protocols.

Communicating with community agencies regarding the needs of the patient and his/her caregivers, and arrange for the needed services they can provide.

Identifying gaps in service and make recommendations in order to maximize patient care and to implement the treatment goals.

Developing a working knowledge of state and local bureaucracies in order to assist patients make optimal use of local resources.

Identifying financial needs of patients and caregivers during hospital stays and participates in determining resources available for assistance, consistent with the goal of maximizing adjustment to research protocols.

Consulting with other Clinical Center Departments, in addition to assigned organizational segment, on specific case referrals.

Education

This position has an education requirement. You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts (or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed and grades). Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer.

Click here for information on Foreign Education.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement.

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: Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement.

By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS. To be considered well qualified for the purposes of the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) and the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), you must be able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry and substantively exceed the basic qualifications by scoring at least 80 points on the assessment(s) and meet all eligibility, physical, medical, suitability, and all other requirements.

Additional Information

This position is designated as an "emergency essential" position and the selected candidate will be considered an "emergency essential" employee and will be required to be available, ready, willing, and able to report for duty under all circumstances (e.g., inclement weather, government closings and holidays, lapses in appropriations, non-emergency and emergency situations) for operation 24 hours a day and 365 days per year coverage. PHS Commissioned Officers interested in performing the duties of this position within the Commissioned Corps should apply online to this announcement to receive consideration. The work environment involves moderate risks or discomforts which are present in hospitals and may include exposure to contagious diseases.

Employees may be required to wear protective clothing such as masks, gowns and gloves. While some biological and/or radiological hazards may be present, such areas are clearly marked so that protective measures can be taken. Visit Help Applying for helpful information on the application process.

If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis.

If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision.

You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: Reasonable Accommodation Information. Veterans' Preference only applies to Schedule A (disability appointment), HHS Reemployment Priority List (RPL) Eligibles, HHS Priority Reemployment List (PRL) Eligibles, and Veterans Recruitment Appointments (if applicable).

How to Apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete and submit all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents sections.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click Apply Online button.

Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. See the "Required Documents" section for any additional forms and/or supplemental materials required. Read all Eligibility questions and respond accordingly to any Eligibility you wish to claim.

You will only be considered for those Eligibility questions (Veteran, Schedule A, etc.) you respond in the affirmative to, regardless of what documentation you submit. We cannot assume you intended to respond differently to a question based on other information in your application package.

Complete the application questionnaire. Applicants are asked all questions regardless of their consideration preferences. We will only consider you for the grades, series, locations, specialties, and other considerations that you self-identify as being qualified for or interested in.

Preview application questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12983566 After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you via email notification. The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder.

If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline.

Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.

Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments.

You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside about 2 hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.

Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Verify all required documentation is included in your application package, review your responses to the application questionnaire for accuracy, and then submit your application. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.

In addition to the required documents, we encourage you to submit a cover letter, copy of your transcripts, and any applicable certifications or licenses. Even though this information is not required at the time of application, we may request this information later. We cannot assume responsibility or grant extensions for personal issues (e.g., troubles navigating the application process, loss of internet, not understanding a question) when applying to our announcements.

For technical difficulties, contact HR Systems Support between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM ET Monday through Friday at [email protected]. For reasonable accommodations not related to USA Hire, please contact NIH HR Service Desk Branch E at [email protected] . Requests for reasonable accommodations must be made before the announcement closing date.

Visit our site for information on NIH's EEO program, Reasonable accommodation procedures, laws, policy statements, and the operation of the EEO complaint process.

Required Documents

Required for All Applicants RESUME: Your resume must clearly demonstrate, in two pages or less, how your skills and experiences align with the "Qualifications" section and support your questionnaire responses. While cover letters provided with your application will be shared with hiring officials, they will not be used for initial qualification determinations. We cannot assume required experience based on your work or academic history.

If your resume exceeds two pages, only the first two will be reviewed. Use a legible font such as Lato, Calibri, Helvetica, or Arial, with 0.5-inch margins. Suggested formatting: 14-point for titles and 10-point for body text.

You may use the USAJOBS Resume Builder or upload your own resume. If uploading, ensure it includes all required information and is organized so we can match the following to each position: Job title Employer name Employment dates (MM/DD/YYYY) Hours worked per week (full-time assumed; part-time prorated) Detailed duties, accomplishments, skills, responsibilities, and supervisory details (if applicable) Series and grade or equivalent (for federal positions) If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying on the basis of education, you must list your education history including the type of degree and your major of study. If the position requires a certain number of credit hours, you are strongly encouraged to list the relevant courses in your resume.

Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. We will not access web pages linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications. For resume writing guidance, please visit the following resources: NIH Help Applying, USAJOBS Resource Center, and the USAJOBS Resume Guidance.If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying on the basis of education, you need to list your education history including the type of degree and your major of study.

APPLICATION QUESTIONNAIRE: You must submit a completed application questionnaire. ELIGIBILITY DOCUMENTATION: You must submit the following documentation, if applicable to you AND respond accordingly to the associated question on the online questionnaire. If you do not provide the required information, we will assume you are not eligible or you do not wish to be considered for any preference or eligibility.

SF-50 - A copy of your most recent competitive career or career conditional SF-50 that shows the effective date of your latest position and the full performance level.

You may obtain a copy of your SF-50 from your eOPF. Veteran Documentation: (DD-214, VA Disability Letter, etc.). Reference Standard Form 15 (SF-15) for required documentation if you are a 10-point preference eligible.

Submission of SF-15 is not required, unless you have derived preference (XP) as described in questions 7, 8, or 9 on the SF-15. In those cases, you must submit a completed SF-15 and the required documentation. For 5 point preference eligibles, you must submit your DD-214 (if separated) or any written documentation from the armed forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted with your application package.

Schedule A (Disability Appointment): Documentation of eligibility for employment under Schedule A can be obtained from a licensed medical professional (e.g., a physician or other medical professional certified by a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory to practice medicine); a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist (i.e., state or private); or any Federal agency, state agency, or agency of the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits. The letter must be printed on a medical professional's letterhead. Please note the Schedule A hiring authority neither guarantees employment, nor gives an individual preference in the hiring process.

Visit our sites on Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) for more information and required documentation. Do not submit documentation that is not requested of you. To protect your personal information, we will only send your resume and cover letter to the selecting official(s).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the salary for the Social Worker (Clinical) position at National Institutes of Health?
The salary range for this position is $85,447 - $133,142/yr. This is a GS-11/12 position on the General Schedule pay scale. Actual pay may vary based on locality adjustments.
Where is the Social Worker (Clinical) job located?
This position is located in Montgomery County, Maryland. This is an on-site position.
What qualifications do I need?
This position has an education requirement. You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts (or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed and grades). Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer. Click here for information on Foreign Education.
How do I apply for this position?
Apply through USAJobs.gov by clicking the 'Apply on USAJobs' button. You'll need a USAJobs account, a federal-style resume, and supporting documents. The deadline is Jun 26, 2026.
Is a security clearance required?
No security clearance is required for this position.
What benefits do federal employees receive?
Federal employees receive comprehensive benefits including health insurance (FEHB), retirement through FERS, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) with government matching, paid annual and sick leave, paid parental leave, life insurance, and student loan repayment programs.