Summary

This position is for a Senior Social Worker HUD-VASH Case Manager. The HUD-VASH program is a collaborative effort - supported through HUD Section 8 rental assistance vouchers and VA's provision of intensive case management services. The primary goal of HUD-VASH is to move veterans and their families out of chronic homelessness. The primary component of the program is VA case management services - designed to improve veteran's health and mental health.

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 4 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/
• English Language Proficiency: Licensed practical or vocational nurses appointed to direct patient care positions must be proficient in both spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) - and 7407(f)
• 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)
• Grade Determinations: Senior Social Worker GS-12 Experience/Education: The candidate must have at least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which - one year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level
• Senior social workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment
• Senior social workers are experts in their specialized area of practice
• Senior social workers may have certification or other post-masters training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience in a specialty
• Licensure/Certification: Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination - unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California - which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: In addition to the experience above - candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations
• This includes individual - group - and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management
• Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice
• Knowledge in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area - utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to design system changes
• Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients in the service delivery area - as well as role modeling effective social work practice skills
• Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession - and to write policies - procedures - and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area
• Preferred Experience: Minimum of 2 years full-time experience working with individuals experiencing homelessness
• Knowledge of the housing first and harm reduction models
• Background in motivational interviewing
• 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-12
• Physical Requirements: Physical demands of the work are generally moderate
• The work may be performed 50% or more of the time in the community
• Physical activity involves driving - getting in and out of vehicles - sitting - standing - walking - bending - stooping - climbing stairs (generally no more than 3 floors) - and carrying light items such as papers - books or other supplies
• Due to the community- based nature of the work and the unpredictable population - staff must be CPR/BLS and PMDB certified
• The incumbent uses a computer and standard office equipment to complete tasks
• The emotional demands can be stressful in working with the patient population and their families
• A level of self-awareness is essential.

Duties

• VA Careers - Licensed Clinical Social Worker: https://youtube.com/embed/U_xC25QsN0w The Senior Social Worker is a professional licensed clinical social worker who functions as the Case Management Specialist in the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) Program at the GS-12 grade level and is responsible for providing case management services as part of a geographically-based multidisciplinary team
• Duties include but are not limited too: Conducts and participates in outreach activities including field interviews and assessments for homeless veterans identified by the Homeless Outreach team in the community - shelters - and \"on the streets -\" as well as those who are referred by VA residential programs - medical centers or outpatient clinics
• Evaluates the veteran's situation - abilities - and history in a collaborative and recovery-oriented manner and arrives at a reasoned conclusion including an assessment of vulnerability - case management needs - and prioritization factors for admission
• Reviews all subjective and objective data and makes a clinical assessment - identifying needs and strengths
• Provides a concise summary of the veteran's history of homelessness - case management needs - and eligibility factors as well as any additional supports to enhance the veteran's ability to safely living independently in the community to the HUD-VASH Determination Committee
• Develops psychosocial treatment plans - actively involving the veteran and their family or significant others - in coordination with interdisciplinary team members - based on the psychosocial assessments - with goals focused on obtaining/sustaining permanent housing and addressing identified challenges to becoming and remaining permanently housed
• Makes initial and continuing decisions coordinating the veteran's care through linking and referral to VA medical facilities or Regional Offices and other VA and non-VA services
• Provides direct mental health and substance abuse services for veterans and family members and/or counsels significant others in support of the veteran's treatment
• Explains veteran's treatment and progress to third parties as appropriate and manages the quality control and evaluation of the professional services provided
• Responsible for data collection - administrative record keeping - and monitoring patient clinical indicators for each of the veterans assigned to him/her on their caseload as well as being familiar with all the veterans in the incumbent's team
• The incumbent documents independently in the electronic medical record - including psychosocial assessments - individual service or treatment plans - diagnostics - treatment - progress notes - follow up and referral
• Provides orientation for interdisciplinary team members and conducts staff development programs for CVAMC staff and in the community as needed
• The incumbent serves as a mentor to other mental health staff - particularly those at the entry level or who are new to HUD-VASH
• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases 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: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 05162F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until August 13 - 2025
• The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be 15 days after opening of announcement
• The initial cut-off for referral of eligible applications will be May 30 - 2025
• Eligible applications received after that date will be referred as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled.