Senior Social Worker (HUD-VASH)

Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) - a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment.

About the Role

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.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Serves as a mentor to other mental health staff - particularly those at the entry level or who are new to HUD-VASH.

Requirements

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.

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).

Qualifications

• 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.
• 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/.
• 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).
• 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.
• Preferred Experience: Minimum of 2 years full-time experience working with individuals experiencing homelessness.
• 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.
• 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 incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
• 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.
• 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).

Benefits

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm
• Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized
• Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
• Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
• EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
• Learn more

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
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized