Social workers can find flexibility, opportunity at VA

There are a wide range of opportunities for social workers at VA, and all of them are an integral part of the care we provide. As we recognize Social Work Month in March, we also take some time to celebrate the vast and enriching possibilities that come with a social work career at VA.

Social work at VA

You’ll find social workers in many different places within your community, and the same is true within VA. From our hospitals to our outpatient clinics, from our Veteran centers to our community living centers, social workers can find a home anywhere in VA.

“We are such a large system of care that, really, regardless of what type of social work you’ve been trained in or you’re interested in, you can find a place in VA that will pique those interests for you,” explained Jennifer Koget, the national director of social work at VA, during a recent “Talk About It Tuesday” broadcast on LinkedIn Live.

Flexibility in your career

“We have social workers that work in every area of care in VA,” Koget continued, “and because there’s so much diversity in the social work profession within VA, there are many opportunities to move around.”

Our social workers engage in a wide range of clinical programming. On any given day, you may find yourself:

• Helping a Veteran or caregiver navigate resources and benefits
• Engaging in crisis intervention and counseling, advocacy, case management, and treatment for substance use dependence
• Supporting Veterans dealing with housing instability and homelessness

“Even if you want to do something that’s not clinical, social workers know that our degree is very portable,” Koget added. “You can use it in so many ways, even if it’s not in a clinical setting.”

VA social workers have moved on to become medical center directors, worked in our financial departments, and even taken on administrative oversite roles within the organization.

Flexibility in your life

In addition to the broad array of career paths available to social workers at VA, we also offer the unique benefit of flexibility to help you maintain a balance between your professional career and your personal life. With universal licensing and a nationwide network of facilities, your VA career can travel with you wherever you need to go.

“Sometimes you have to move to a different geographic area due to personal or life experiences,” Koget recognized. “VA offers that opportunity because we have medical centers in every state across the country.”

VA also leads the nation in adopting and advancing remote work and telehealth care opportunities, including in social work.

“We offer a lot of programming that provides virtual care,” Koget noted. “In order to maintain a work-life balance—which is really, really important—we’re always seeking ways to incorporate virtual care into the social work career path, so that social workers who wish to work partially remote or full-time remote may have that flexibility to do so.”

A shared mission

Although there are many kinds of social work, and many ways social workers can do their jobs, members of the profession who come to VA all share common principles. At VA, social workers are dedicated to securing the best possible outcomes for Veterans.

“We all share a calling to the mission to serve those who have served. That’s a very profound mission to be a part of,” said Koget. “To be able to sit down and talk with a Veteran and listen to their experience is my favorite part. It’s the mission. That’s what drew me to VA, that’s what fuels me to do the work that I do. That is my favorite part, and the most important part of what we do.”

Work at VA

Become an integral part of our patient care team as a social worker, helping Veterans and their caregivers access the resources they need and finding solutions for complex problems.

• LEARN more about social worker careers at VA.
• WATCH Jennifer Koget talk about social workers at VA.
• EXPLORE the benefits of a VA career.
• SEARCH for your VA career by visiting VAcareers.va.gov.