Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/25/2026.

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
• English Language Proficiency: Social Science Specialists (Crisis Responders) must be proficient in spoken and written English
• See 38 U.S.C. 7403(f)
• Education and Experience: Applicants must meet at least one of the basic requirements below: Successful completion of a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university
• The degree must be in a behavioral health or social science related field appropriate to the work of the position (e.g., psychology, social work, sociology, family counseling, mental health counseling, nursing, ministry and criminal justice)
• OR, Two years of specialized experience as a first responder (e.g., Police, Medic, Emergency Medical Technician, Emergency Dispatch, etc.) or in a social science related field that included behavioral health crisis response, and two years of higher education (i.e., above the high school level) from an accredited college or university in a behavioral health or social science related field appropriate to the work of the position (e.g., psychology, social work, sociology, family counseling, mental health counseling, nursing, ministry and criminal justice)
• OR, Successful completion of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in any field and, one year of specialized experience that included behavioral health crisis response or mental health counseling
• Grade Determinations for Social Science Specialist (Crisis Responder), GS-11: Specialized Experience: In addition to the basic requirements, you must have one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level, which is directly related to the position to be filled
• OR Education: Ph.D. or equivalent degree from an accredited college or university in a behavioral health related field appropriate to the work of the position (e.g., psychology, social work, sociology, or family counseling)
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
• In addition to meeting the specialized experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to provide an evidenced based crisis intervention through a variety of modalities (e.g., telephone interviews, chat/text services, or social media forums)
• Ability to carry out crisis management steps while withholding judgment on controversial behaviors and not imposing one's values during the contact
• Ability to effectively prioritize complex problems quickly and respond appropriately in a crisis situation
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.