Social Services Assistant

Summary

Join the IHS as a Social Services Assistant and provide general social services to American Indian and Alaska Natives, addressing social and emotional needs that affect health. Work with a dedicated team to strengthen wellness, resilience, and community well-being. Enjoy competitive benefits, professional growth, and a mission-driven career that truly matters. Apply today! A REAL ID will be required beginning May 7, 2025, in accordance with 6 C.F.R. 37.5 (2021).

Duties

• Assists higher-level staff in implementing established resident schedules, structured treatment activities, and cultural programming. Monitors resident behavior and activities, conducts routine bed checks, and documents observations in accordance with established procedures. Escorts and supervises residents during meals, educational, recreational, and approved off-unit activities while maintaining resident accountability. Assists residents with activities of daily living, treatment assignments, and structured recreational activities under the direction of supervisory or clinical staff. Supports facility operations by assisting with security procedures, monitoring surveillance equipment, performing routine safety checks, and maintaining a safe, orderly residential environment. Reports resident status, behavioral observations, and unusual incidents to supervisory or clinical staff.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, your resume must clearly demonstrate that you possess the required experience and/or education to perform the duties of the position. Experience may have been gained through paid or unpaid work, including volunteer service performed through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, or social). Credit will be given for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part-time work. Your resume must clearly identify your duties and responsibilities, the beginning and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the total number of hours worked per week. BASIC REQUIREMENT(S): Individual Occupational Requirements (GS-04) Specialized Experience Applicants must possess six (6) months of general experience and six (6) months of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-03 grade level in the Federal service, obtained in either the private or public sector. General experience is any work that demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position or provides familiarity with the subject matter or processes of the occupation. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to successfully perform the duties of the position. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: Serving as a group leader in community or residential recreation or training programs. Serving as a counselor in a youth summer camp. Serving as an instructor in a training program for the development of job skills. Performing work that demonstrated the ability to be responsible for and lead and train members of a job crew. Serving as a group activities leader in the Armed Services. Serving as a unit leader, monitor, or proctor for a dormitory group in a boarding school or other residential facility. Serving as an aid or assistant to professional or specialist staff in personnel (public or private), employment guidance in a vocational or academic institution, social services, or manpower development. Serving as an aid or assistant to professional or associate staff engaged in social service work in private organizations, public welfare agencies, government programs, community organizations, or voluntary activities. Serving as an aid or assistant to professional or specialist staff working with individuals who are addicted to or abuse alcohol and/or drugs. OR Education and Training For GS-04: Successful completion of two (2) years of study that: Included at least 12 semester hours of subjects directly related to the work of the position; or Was supplemented by experience in activities that afforded the opportunity to acquire and demonstrate the skills required by the position. The supplementary experience may have been gained, for example, in part-time or summer employment, volunteer social welfare or recreation programs, or community organizations. OR Combination of Education and Experience Equivalent combinations of successfully completed education and qualifying experience are acceptable. When education is used to meet specialized experience requirements, it must include coursework directly related to the work of the position. The combined education and experience must equal at least 100 percent of the qualification requirements. You must meet all qualification requirements by the respective cutoff day of rating to be eligible for consideration.

Requirements

Selectee may be subject to a probationary period U.S. Citizenship is required Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 This is a competitive vacancy announcement advertised under Delegated Examining Authority. Selections made under this vacancy announcement will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees would therefore be given new appointments to the civil service; however, benefits, time served, and all other Federal entitlements would remain the same. IHS Selectees whose duties and responsibilities require them to work permanently, temporarily, or occasionally in an IHS healthcare facility must comply with the IHS Employee Immunization Policy related to vaccine-preventable diseases, consistent with recommendations for healthcare workers. Vaccine exemption requests may be available, as outlined in the IHS Employee Immunization Policy and facility guidance. This is a designated position covered by Public Law 101-630, requiring contact or control over Indian children. Due to this requirement, the agency must ensure that persons hired for these positions have not been found guilty of or pleaded nolo contendere or guilty to certain crimes. Physical Demands: The work involves walking, sitting, standing, reaching and bending in the assessment and treatment of patients. Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/. You will need to set up direct deposit so we can pay you. Background Investigation Requirement: This position requires the successful completion of a federal background investigation as a condition of employment. A background investigation is a standard process used by the Federal Government to verify an individual's identity, employment history, education, and other relevant information to determine suitability for Federal service. Upon receipt of instructions, applicants must complete all required background investigation forms within five (5) calendar days of issuance. Timely completion is critical to avoid delays in processing or a determination of unsuitability. Applicants are strongly encouraged to prioritize this requirement and to maintain regular communication with their assigned Personnel Security Specialist throughout the process.

Education

There is no positive education requirement for this position. However, applicants may use qualifying education as a substitute for specialized experience if they meet the Individual Occupational Requirements for the GS-0186 Social Services Aid and Assistant Series. If you are using education to substitute for specialized experience, you are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of your courses that includes course titles, credit hours completed, and grades earned. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted with your application. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees before an official offer of employment is made. Only education from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education will be credited. Applicants may verify accreditation by visiting: https://www.ed.gov/accreditation. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must submit a credential evaluation (Certificate of Foreign Equivalency) with your transcripts to receive credit for that education. For additional information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

How to apply

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package. See required documents below. To begin, click the Apply Online button on the vacancy announcement. You will be directed to the Login.Gov screen, here will you sign in if you have an existing USAJOBS account or Create a Login.Gov account. If you have an account you will be directed to select a resume or create a resume. If you create an account you can create an resume. Click save and continue. Follow the prompts to upload your resume and/or supporting documents. Click the Apply To This Vacancy and complete all steps in the application process until the Confirmation indicates your application is complete. If you click Return to USAJOBS or get timed out prior to receiving confirmation, your application will not be submitted and cannot be considered for this job. Read and complete all Eligibility questions. Review the REQUIRED DOCUMENTS section of this announcement to determine which apply to you and must be submitted online. You may choose one or more of the following options to submit your document(s): Upload (from your computer) or USAJOBS (click the "USAJOBS" link to complete the transfer process). For additional questions please see our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) found here: https://www.ihs.gov/jobs/faq/. The IHS provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Human Resources Office. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis.