Nurse- HUD VASH

About the role

The Housing and Urban Development (HUD) - Veterans Affairs Support Housing (VASH) Case Management (CM) Registered Nurse (RN) is a Professional Nurse with broad-based clinical knowledge enabling him/her to effectively implement health promotion, prevention and disease management to assist Veterans to remain stable, housed and community-integrate.

Responsibilities

• Provides case management based services and serves as a primary contact with local Public Housing Agencies (PHAs) to ensure that Veteran care is coordinated with the VA Medical Center, community health or mental health providers, and agencies that serve homeless populations.
• Demonstrates proficiency using the nursing process and evidenced-based practice to assess, plan, and implement Veteran and family health education and psycho-education with a focus on self-management, prevention, and wellness based on the Veteran's goals.
• Demonstrates leadership and creativity in developing Veteran driven strategies for remaining appropriately housed in the community.
• Communicates who is responsible for collaborating with services external to the VA to facilitate the transition of Veterans and their families out of homelessness and to provide support to sustain them in the community.
• Maintains current knowledge of the Public Housing Authority application process; section 8 housing regulations and compliance with current regulations by providing coordination and oversight of complex specialized community placement.
• Functs as a champion and advocate for the provision of recovery focused services to Veterans.
• Engages in community outreach services at various community homeless sites to provide clinical oversight and case management for homeless Veterans.
• Serves as a consultative resource for other VASH case managers and paraprofessionals, in addition to carrying a case load of Veterans who may benefit from the additional expertise that a RN provides.
• Models recovery and its defined values in all aspects of her or his professional activities and partnerships.
• Uses a body of research to validate practice in the care of Veterans with serious mental illness.
• Travels to various external facilities to locate housing, conduct home visits, and meet with landlords and community providers.

Requirements

Basic Requirements:

• English Language Proficiency: No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.
• Education: Graduate of a school of professional nursing approved by the appropriate accrediting agency and accredited by one of the following accrediting bodies at the time the program was completed by the applicant: The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE); OR Individuals attending a master's level bridge program in nursing who have completed coursework equivalent to a bachelor's level degree in Nursing may have opportunity to become registered as a nurse with a state licensing board prior to completion of the bridge program. Upon achievement of a State license, the individual may be appointed on temporary basis and later converted to a permanent appointment upon successful completion and graduation from the bridge program. (Reference VA Handbook 5005, Appendix G6); OR In cases of graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing, possession of a current, full, active, and unrestricted registration will meet the requirement for graduation from an approved school of professional nursing to warrant an appointment as a Nurse who has completed an associated degree/entry level Nursing education program. Credit for foreign nursing education higher that associate degree/entry level requires a formal degree equivalency validation from a recognized equivalency evaluation accepted by VA such as International Consultants of Delaware (ICD).
• Licensure: Current, full, active, and unrestricted registration as a graduate professional nurse in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico) of the United States, or the District of Columbia.
• Grandfathering Provision: All persons currently employed in VHA in 0610 series and performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of the standard (1/29/2024) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education and licensure/certification.

Qualifications

• Scope: Delivers fundamental, knowledge-based care to assigned clients while developing technical competencies.
• Education: An Associate Degree (ADN) or Diploma in Nursing, with no additional professional nursing required.
• Level I: Demonstrates integration of biopsychosocial concepts, cognitive skills and technically competent practice in providing care to clients with basic or complex.
• Level II: Demonstrates proficiency in practice based on conscious and deliberate planning. Self-directed in goal setting for managing complex client situations.
• Level III: Demonstrates leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others.
• Nurse II: Demonstrates leadership in delivering and improving holistic care through collaborative strategies with others.
• Nurse III: Executes position responsibilities that demonstrate leadership, experience and creative approaches to management of complex client care beyond the immediate practice setting.