Social Worker Jobs in Oregon
Social Worker jobs in Oregon are concentrated in healthcare systems, child welfare agencies, and community mental health organizations, with demand at every level from entry-level case managers to licensed clinical supervisors. Portland, Salem, and Eugene are the largest hiring markets, anchored by employers such as Oregon Health & Science University, Legacy Health, and the Oregon Department of Human Services. The most in-demand specialties are behavioral health, child protective services, and school-based social work. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Summary
This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.
Learn more about this agency
This job is open to
The public
Federal employees - Competitive service
Federal employees - Excepted service
Clarification from the agency
NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. All US Citizens and other Federal employees.
Duties
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional
Duties:
Recovery Orientation and Planning:
- Develop and implement strategies to foster a recovery-oriented culture within the facility.
- Create and maintain a Recovery Action Plan tailored to the facility's needs.
- Advocate for and support the integration of recovery principles into all aspects of mental health service delivery.
Education and Training:
- Provide training and education to staff, Veterans, and stakeholders on recovery concepts and practices.
- Develop educational materials and resources to promote understanding of recovery-oriented healthcare.
- Develops an ongoing education plan for Veterans and families which includes, but is not limited to; recurrent didactic presentations about recovery by experts; recurrent presentations by recovering individuals, especially Veterans; information about VA and community mental health support groups and other resources; and information about how to become involved in improving mental health care for Veterans through the Veterans Mental Health Advisory Committee and the Patient Experience Committee.
- Assists with VA regional or local recovery-oriented trainings, meetings, or conferences, as needed.
Outreach and Engagement:
- Facilitate the inclusion of Veterans and family members in the planning and evaluation of mental health services
- Engage with community partners and organizations to support Veterans' recovery.
- Foster peer support services and linkages to community resources.
- Collaborate with the SMI Re-Engage team to identify Veterans with serious mental illnesses who have fallen out of care and coordinate outreach efforts to re-engage these Veterans. This includes leveraging health records and other data sources to systematically track and reach out to disconnected Veterans.
Policy Development and Implementation:
- Assist in the development and implementation of policies and procedures that promote recovery oriented care.
- Monitor compliance with national recovery priorities and directives.
- Attends quarterly via conference calls/virtual meetings with other VISN LRCs to coordinate a network response to recovery implementation and implementation of CO policies and procedures related to recovery.
Program Development and Support:
Support the development of new recovery-focused programs and initiatives.
Provide consultation and technical assistance to staff on recovery-related issues.
Evaluation and Quality Improvement:
- Evaluate the effectiveness of recovery-oriented services and interventions.
- Use data to identify areas for improvement and implement evidence-based practices.
- Facilitate continuous quality improvement related to recovery services.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): NotAuthorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Telework: Ad-Hoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: Social Worker GS 0185-12
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Requirements
Conditions of employment
- You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
- Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
- Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
- Subject to background/security investigation.
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
- Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation/examination.
- Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
- Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
- Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov
- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Qualifications
Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.
Basic Requirements:
- United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
- Education. Have a master's degree in social work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). Graduates of schools of social work that are in candidacy status do not meet this requirement until the School of Social Work is fully accredited. A doctoral degree in social work may not be substituted for the master's degree in social work. Verification of the degree can be made by going to http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of social work.
- Licensure. Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-0185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/.
- Exception. VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level. For the GS-11 grade level and above, the candidate must be licensed or certified. At the time of appointment, the supervisor, chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification, including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline.]
Failure to Obtain License or Certification. In all cases, social workers must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure or certification starting from the date of their appointment. Failure to become licensed or certified within the prescribed amount of time will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment
May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).
Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services.
English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
Grade Determinations:
Social Worker (Program Coordinator)
Experience and Education. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency. Candidate may have certification or other post-master's degree training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship, or equivalent supervised professional experience.
Licensure/Certification. Individuals assigned as social worker program coordinator must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level, and must be able to provide supervision for licensure.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
(a) Knowledge of program coordination and administration which includes consultation, negotiation, and monitoring.
(b) Knowledge and ability to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program.
(c) Ability to supervise multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program.
(d) Skill in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating assigned program area(s).
(e) Ability to provide training, orientation, and guidance within clinical practice.
Preferred Experience: Experience working with individuals diagnosed with serious mental illnesses and
experience with recovery oriented treatment.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
Education
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Additional information
During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.
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; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
- Resume
- Transcript
Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.
Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.
The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.
- Cover Letter
- DD-214/ Statement of Service
- Disability Letter (Schedule A)
- Disability Letter (VA)
- License
- Other (1)
- Professional Certification
- Resume
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
- Transcript
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/04/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13033951.
- To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
- Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
Agency contact information
8495 Crater Lake Highway
White City, OR 97503
US
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.
NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.
Overview
- 0185 Social Work
- Credentialing
- Suitability/Fitness
- National security
See All 48 Social Worker Jobs in Oregon
Find roles in Oregon that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Social Worker JobsSocial Worker Jobs by City in Oregon
Where Oregon roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Social Worker Job Market in Oregon
A snapshot from current Oregon openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring



Top Industries Hiring
- Healthcare & Medical Services
- Insurance
What Oregon Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in social worker jobs across Oregon.
- Active Oregon Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) or Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) credential
- Master of Social Work degree from a CSWE-accredited program required for clinical or licensed roles
- Experience with case management, crisis intervention, or direct client services in a relevant setting
- Proficiency with electronic health records or case management software such as Oregon's ORCA system
- Ability to pass a background check consistent with Oregon Department of Human Services requirements
- Strong knowledge of Oregon community resources, referral networks, and state-mandated reporting obligations
Social Worker Jobs in Oregon: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a social worker in Oregon?
To become a licensed social worker in Oregon, you must earn at least a Bachelor of Social Work for entry roles or a Master of Social Work from a CSWE-accredited program for clinical positions, then apply through the Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers for the appropriate credential, either LBSW, LMSW, or LCSW. The LCSW requires supervised post-degree clinical hours and a passing score on the ASWB clinical examination. Employers in child welfare and healthcare typically require licensure before hire.
Which companies hire social workers in Oregon?
Employers hiring social workers in Oregon right now include LifeStance Health, Providence, and Optum, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Oregon's large integrated health systems, county behavioral health programs, and the state's child welfare infrastructure make it one of the more active hiring markets in the Pacific Northwest.
Which Oregon cities have the most social worker jobs?
Portland, Roseburg, and Springfield have the most social worker openings in Oregon. Portland dominates the market as the state's largest metro, home to major health systems and nonprofit social service agencies, while Salem's concentration of state government offices drives consistent demand for child welfare and adult services roles, and Eugene's regional hospitals and University of Oregon community programs generate steady openings.
Are there remote social worker jobs in Oregon?
Yes, but they're limited, because most social worker roles involve direct client contact, home visits, or court-related duties that require an in-person presence. About 59% of social worker openings tied to Oregon are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, with the most remote-friendly positions concentrated in care coordination, utilization review, and telehealth-based counseling where client interaction happens through secure video platforms.
How can I get hired as a social worker in Oregon with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is applying for a Social Service Specialist position with the Oregon Department of Human Services, which hires bachelor's-level candidates into child welfare and self-sufficiency programs and provides structured on-the-job training. Legacy Health and Oregon Health & Science University also post social work intern and associate roles aimed at recent graduates. Earning your LBSW through the Oregon Board of Licensed Social Workers, or completing a field practicum at an Oregon county mental health program, gives candidates a clear competitive edge over applicants without any credential.
Where can I find and apply to social worker jobs in Oregon?
You can find and apply to social worker jobs in Oregon on Migrate Mate, which lists current Oregon openings updated regularly. Search for roles that match your license level, specialty, and preferred location, then apply directly to the ones that fit. No profile creation is needed to see or apply to the listings.
See All 48 Social Worker Jobs in Oregon
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