Summary

This Social Worker is assigned to Community Housing and Outreach Services (CHOS) Programs at VA Puget Sound Health Care System with responsibility to provide direct services for Veterans - their families and caregivers.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

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: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• 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/
• Loss of Licensure or Certification: Once licensed or certified - social workers must maintain a full - valid - and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment
• Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment
• Grade Determinations: Supervisory Social Worker Experience/Education: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level
• Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills in a specialty area or in administration demonstrating progressively more professional competency and judgment
• 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 supervisory social workers must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level - and must be able to provide supervision for licensure
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to independently organize work - set priorities - and meet multiple deadlines
• Skill in a range of supervisory duties which includes clinical supervision - consultation - negotiation with other departments and quality improvement
• Ability to ensure provision of clinical social work services by supervised social workers
• Ability to delegate authority - manage priorities - coordinate work - and follow up on pending issues to complete duties in an accurate and timely fashion
• Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems - develop and implement solutions that result in efficient operations - and use data effectively to manage workload - quality - performance - and productivity within the service
• Ability to provide staff training and development
• Assignment: For all assignments above the full performance level - the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope - complexity (difficulty) - and variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time
• Supervisory social workers at the GS-13 grade level typically supervise professional and non-professional staff
• They are responsible for the professional and administrative management of an area in a social work service - in a care/product line - or across multiple sites - (e.g. - multi-division facilities and CBOCs)
• Incumbent may also provide direct clinical services
• Preferred Experience: Experience with homeless populations - supervisory experience for 3 years - and managing large programs Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13
• Physical Requirements: Work requires moderate lifting (15-44lbs) - moderate carrying - pushing - operation of motor vehicle - ability to distinguish basic colors - and hearing (aid may be permitted)
• Environmental factors are working outside and inside - working closely with others - and working alone.

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Functions Significant personnel management responsibilities for the professional social work and interdisciplinary staff members assigned to the CHOS program
• Responsible for social work services provided in the breadth of CHOS programs - to include (but not limited to): Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Administration Supportive Housing (HUDVASH) - Grant and Per Diem (GPD) - Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) - Community Resource and Referral Center (CRRC) - and Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO)
• Assists in planning - establishing - and implementing policies and procedures
• developing individual or group goals and objectives as well as monitoring - operating - evaluating - coordinating and overseeing the social work and interdisciplinary staff
• Supervises a large group of Social Work Supervisors - Senior Social Workers - Social Work Coordinators - Social Workers - and interdisciplinary staff - both clinical and non-clinical
• Works with a broad range of community partners including 14 Public Housing Authorities in a large geographic area covering most of Western Washington
• Implements programmatic changes to ensure the needs of Veterans are met
• Assigns work - establishes guidelines and performance expectations for staff
• Responsible for program-wide reviews
• Works to resolve informal complaints and grievances and develop process and procedures for handling complaints
• Serves as the medical center's primary point of contact for the National HUD-VASH Program - Office of Mental Health Services - and VACO
• Works with program supervisors to ensure that service provision to all Veterans referred to CHOS are consistent with Joint Commission and CARF standards
• Reviews the agreements between Section-8 landlords - HUD - and the VA to establish appropriate referral sites for project-based and/or tenant-based placements
• Develops and maintains service delivery systems for homeless Veterans
• Maintains accurate records of admission and discharge dates of Veterans utilizing HUDVASH vouchers and other CHOS services
• Engages in coordination with the VA and community agencies - organization - and groups to learn of current services - resources - and/or benefits available to homeless Veterans
• Actively participates in program planning and development - advising the CHOS Director of shifting trends with caseloads and identifying the need for and making recommendations on program procedure of policy changes
• Participates in program evaluation and performance improvement initiatives at the program - medical center - VISN - and national levels by identifying questions and trends that should be studied as a basis for improving aspects of care delivered to Veterans
• Participates in national Homeless Programs conference calls and participates in other relevant conference calls - committees - and/or meetings as assigned
• Takes responsibility for improving professional skills - participating in planning and executing specific staff development projects - attending seminars and institutes - and participating in training programs as needed or assigned
• I Provides supervision to CHOS Supervisors and is aware of their workload to provide coverage when needed
• Performs other related duties as assigned
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8am-4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Available Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized 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 #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized