The Cheyenne VA Health Care System is hiring one Social Worker for the Health Care for Homeless Veterans Program in the Mental Health Service Line located in Loveland, CO. 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: Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States. 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/. Exception. VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level. For appointments at the GS-9 grade level, VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent, master's level within three years of their appointment as a social worker. Most states require two years of post-MSW experience as a prerequisite to taking the licensure/certification exam, and VHA gives social workers one additional year to pass the licensure/certification exam. In states such as California, Washington, and others where the prerequisites for licensure exceed two years, social workers must become licensed at the independent, master's level within one year of meeting the full state prerequisites for licensure. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Social Worker, GS-9 Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills. Ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the Veterans problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed. Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals. This requires judgment and skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving, or crisis intervention techniques. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures. This includes acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses/injuries; common medications and their effects/side effects; and medical terminology. Social Worker, GS-11 Experience and Licensure. Appointment to the GS-11 grade level requires completion of a minimum of one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the field of health care or other social work-related settings, (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level. NOTE: For appointment licensure or certification at this level please refer to the paragraph above. OR Education. In addition to meeting basic requirements, a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required one year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services. Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational and other diversified backgrounds. Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities and treatment procedures (i.e. acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology) to formulate a treatment plan. Skill in independently implementing different treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems to achieve treatment goals. Ability to provide consultation services to new social workers, social work graduate students, and other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/120 PART II, APPENDIX G39, Social Worker Qualification Standard Preferred Experience: Experience working with and/or working knowledge of individuals experiencing homelessness The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to GS-11. Physical Requirements: Must be in overall good health, able to sit at a desk working at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies such as papers, books, or small parts. The incumbent must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions, with reasonable accommodation if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the applicant or others. ["VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Social Work: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Social-Worker-Career-Flyer.pdf List of Major Duties and Responsibilities: The incumbent provides outreach, assessments, referrals, and case management services to homeless Veterans identified in the community. Services are also provided to homeless Veterans receiving treatment in contract residential treatment and supportive housing programs. The incumbent assesses the psychosocial functioning and needs of homeless Veterans, identifying their strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and psychosocial acuity. The incumbent completes a comprehensive psychosocial assessment, interviewing Veterans and their family members/significant others to establish facts about the Veteran's situation, presenting problems and their causes, and the impact of such problems on the Veteran's functioning and health. The incumbent interprets and explains VA's treatment and benefit programs to Veterans, family members, internal customers, and community-based providers. The incumbent provides frequent and clinically intense individual services in the Veteran's home or community, as warranted by Veteran's clinical needs at a given time. Monitors Veteran's progress, maintains comprehensive documentation, ensures expert diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders within scope of licensure, and provides input towards decisions to adjust treatment. Makes recommendations for care and changes in interdisciplinary treatment plan to include level of case management and/or graduation. The incumbent will provide case management and clinical services at several different community-based contract residential transitional housing sites, as well as other community partner sites as determined. The incumbent utilizes various treatment modalities of individual and group work, casework, community collaboration, and community outreach activities to alleviate or remove problems that interfere with the Veteran's ability to achieve independence. The incumbent will provide consultation/education to Veterans and families on community resources, advance directives, and VA benefits. The incumbent will act as a consultant to other team/staff members. The incumbent will act as liaison between VA and community resources, to include marketing and public relation duties as needed. The incumbent will coordinate and assist with community-based contract residential transitional housing placements for Veterans transitioning from literal street homelessness, those being discharged from VA medical centers, those who present themselves at VA emergency rooms and CBOC's, and Veterans who recently became homeless and require a safe and stable living arrangements prior to being re-housed. The incumbent engages in coordination with community agencies, organizations, and groups to learn of services or resources available for homeless Veterans as well as provides current information on services and benefits available in the VA for HCHV Contract Residential Program participants. The incumbent participates and assists with the implementation of coordinated entry, to include assessments, data entry into HMIS or other identified database system for the purposes of a By Name List, and collaboration in case consultation. As needed, the incumbent may periodically represent the Cheyenne VA Homeless Program in community partnership meetings related to the development and sustainment of the coordinated entry process. Work Schedule: 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Monday to Friday 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: Eligible in the local VA commuting area per supervisor discretion and based on program needs. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 57511"]

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