Career Center

The San Francisco VA Health Care System is currently recruiting for a full time Social Services Assistant position with Social Work Service located at the San Francisco Division. The Social Services Assistant serves as the Community Integration Specialist (CIS) is an active member of the Housing First Enhanced HUD-VASH Program team to which he/she is assigned, providing support services to Veterans in that program. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/30/2022. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: group leader in community or residential recreation or training programs, counselor in a youth summer camp, Instructor in a training program for the development of job skills, work that demonstrated the ability to be responsible for and to lead and train members of a job crew, group activities leader in the Armed Services, Unit leader-monitor-proctor for a dormitory group in a boarding school or other residential facility, aid or assistant to professional or specialist staff in such fields as personnel (private or government), employment guidance in a vocational or academic institution, social service, or manpower development, aid or assistant to professional or associate staff engaged in work of a social services nature in private, public welfare, government program, or community organizations, or in voluntary activities, Aid or assistant to professional or specialist staff working with individuals who are addicted to or abuse alcohol and/or drugs. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Graduate education or an internship meets the specialized experience required above GS-5 only in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position. One full year of graduate education meets the requirements for GS-7. Two full years of graduate education or a master's degree meets the requirements for GS-9. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Computer SkillsOral CommunicationTechnical CompetenceTechnical Credibility 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: The physical demands of this position involve primarily walking, talking, driving, use of the telephone, etc. Strenuous physical activity is not required although the incumbent is expected to withstand pressure and stress as part of their day-to-day activities. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. ["This is an OPEN CONTINOUS ANNOUNCEMNT and will remain open until September 30,2022. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be January 21, 2022, with subsequent cut-off dates on the 1st of each month. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled. The Social Services Assistant (CIS) performs a wide range of tasks to assist homeless Veterans of all ages, from young adult to old age, in regaining independence within the community and meeting their self-identified psychosocial needs. Function as a role model to Veterans in the program; provide resource information and hands-on supportive assistance to Veterans in outpatient and inpatient settings as they seek. Major duties include but not limited to: Assist Veterans in articulating personal goals for obtaining and sustaining permanent housing through the use of one-to-one and group sessions. During these sessions the CIS will support Veterans in identifying and creating goals and developing housing placement and maintenance plans with the skills, strengths, supports and resources to aid them in achieving those goals. Determining the steps they need to take in order to achieve these goals. Provide on-going support and commitment to finding appropriate housing and other needed resources that will allow the Veterans to achieve desired outcomes and become well integrated into their chosen communities. Obtain decent and affordable housing of his/her choice in the most integrated, independent, and least intrusive or restrictive environment by taking them out to view housing, either driving them or riding with them on public transportation. The CIS models effective coping techniques and self-help strategies. Develop empowerment skills and combating stigma through self-advocacy. This will be accomplished through regular meetings, individual or group sessions. Through the use of role playing/modeling techniques the CIS provides opportunities for others to show/demonstrate how they have handled similar problems, how to present themselves in certain situations, or how to handle problems that may arise in interactions with others. Community Integration Specialists will work with the Veterans and other treatment team staff to develop a housing placement plan based on each Veteran's identified goals. Plans will be reviewed and signed by the Coordinator Team Leader and other participating treatment team staff. Plans should include: a. Identified person-centered strengths, needs, abilities, and recovery goals b. Interventions to assist the Veteran with reaching his/her goals for housing stabilization and maintenance c. Progress made toward goals Uses word processing software to execute several office automation functions such as storing and retrieving electronic documents and files; activating printers; inserting and deleting text; formatting letters, reports and memoranda; and transmitting and receiving e-mail. Uses the Veterans Health Information & Technology Architecture (Vista). Documents contacts in CPRS. * Telework is available per agency need and employee performance. This position requires weekly onsite work.* Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm\nTelework: Authorized\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nPosition Description/PD#: Social Services Assistant/PD08815S\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized\nPermanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]