Summary

The HUD-VASH Senior Social Worker provides Clinical Case Management services for chronically homeless Veterans - eligible for HUD's Section 8 voucher - with the goal of obtaining housing stability through the Housing and Urban Development Department of Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program (HUD/VASH) and Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program - or "Tenant Based Vouchers".

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 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
• Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• Must have and maintain a valid driver's license
• 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: Experience Requirement: You must possess 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
• Examples of specialized experience include - but are not limited to: assessing and documenting identified behaviors or symptoms of abuse - neglect - exploitation and/or intimate partner violence
• use of clinical social work skills
• maintaining patient privacy and confidentiality per policies - handbooks or directives
• acting as an advocate with appropriate community service providers and agencies when it serves the best interest of the patient and family members/caregiver
• independently assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members - identifying the patient's strengths - weaknesses - coping skills - and psychosocial acuity
• Applicable experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment
• In addition to the experience above - you must demonstrate the following Knowledge - Skills and Abilities: 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
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: The physical demands of this position involve active listening - reading - observing and evaluating verbal and nonverbal behavior - walking - speaking - bending - carrying light items such as paper - books - small parts - writing reports - writing clinical notes - using office equipment such as computers - telephones - fax machines - photocopy machines - and possibly driving an automobile
• Some work is performed in a clinical setting that exposes the incumbent to the communicable disease common of the homeless population
• Strenuous physical activity is not required
• Preferred Experience: Working in the community with homeless and chronically mentally ill persons.

Duties

• VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Duties included but are not limited to: - Serves as a Clinical Case Manager - utilizing skills such as Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Harm Reduction in addition to the Housing First
• along with other evidence based clinical based principles - that centered on rapid housing and re-housing - to assist eligible homeless Veteran with high service needs - reach their goal of obtaining long term - stable housing
• Clinical face to face Case Management will be provided based on assessed acuity levels primarily in the community during home visits as well as the facility
• - Utilizes various treatment modalities of individual and group work - casework - educational classes - community organization - community outreach activities and and/or supportive groups for Veterans and families - including shared caseload models - to alleviate or remove problems that interfere with the Veteran's ability to achieve independence
• - The incumbent independently works with Veterans and their families who are experiencing a wide range of complicated medical - psychiatric - emotional - behavioral - financial - legal - and psychosocial problems
• - Provides consultation and education to Veterans and their families regarding community resources - VA benefits and specialty programs - and advance directives
• - Provides outreach services to engage homeless Veterans - especially those who are chronically homeless and are highly vulnerable
• verification of Veteran's status - eligibility for VA health care through the Eligibility Office - family income - and clinical need for program participation
• - Actively participates as a member of the interdisciplinary treatment team & Team Huddle - and in collaboration with Veterans and family - in the development and implementation of a Housing Stability Plan and interventions
• - Works collaboratively with members of the Veteran's Interdisciplinary Treatment Teams (IDT) to ensure Veteran can safely live - or continue to safely live independently - the lowest level of care
• - Supports the mission - policies - and procedures of the Department of Veterans Affairs - the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) - the appropriate Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) - and the facility
• - Completes all reports - data - and maintain logs with outcome of meetings related to the HUD/VASH Program
• - Responsible for furthering one's own professional growth through continuing education and for ensuring continuing education appropriate to the area of assignment
• - Assist with the orientation and learning of less experienced Social Workers in the Service Line and HUD-VASH Program
• and - if interested - to serve as a field instructor for graduate level social work students
• - Maintain a level of productivity and quality consistent with the complexity of the assignment and consistent with Social Work standards - Joint Commission standards - and facility standards
• - Develops a working relationship with the designated HUD point of contact and coordinates the housing voucher application and award process for each Veteran
• - Engages in coordination with the VA and community agencies - organizations - and groups as to learn of current services - resources and/or benefits available for homeless Veterans
• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm 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) Virtual: This is not a virtual position