Social Worker

Qualifications

• EducationMaster's degree in social work (MSW) from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
• LicensureMust have license or certification by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level

Basic Requirements

• United States Citizenship
• GradesDeterminations: GS-09 Experience: None beyond the basic requirements listed above
• Candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
• Ability to utilize a Veteran centric approach when providing interventions and counseling for Veterans - their family members - caregivers - and survivors
• Able 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
• To implement treatment modalities in working with individuals - families - and groups to achieve treatment goals
• To establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients - staff - and representatives of community agencies
• To have fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses - disabilities - and treatment procedures

Preferred Experience

• Experience working with individuals and/or Veterans experiencing homelessness - including familiarity with resources available to Veterans and homeless individuals - as well as knowledge of HUD and housing rules and regulations
• Experience in case management

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

• Responsible for providing case management services for a caseload of Veterans in the HUD-VASH Program
• Reviews agreements between Section 8 - landlords - Public Housing Authorities - contracted agencies - and the VA to establish suitable referral sites for HUD-VASH placements
• Verifies Veteran's status - eligibility for VA medical care - and participation eligibility in the HUD-VASH program
• Performs residential site visits of HUD-VASH housing to ensure Veterans live in safe environments that comply with local housing codes and regulations
• Coordinates community-based services - including referrals for additional VA programs and other government/community agencies
• Provides comprehensive biopsychosocial and Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) assessments - integrating findings into care plans with the interdisciplinary team - Veteran - family - and significant others
• Highlights the Veteran's strengths - limitations - supports - and service needs to optimize functional status and support safe home living
• Provides education on VA resources - entitlements - Advance Directives/Living Will - and refers Veterans/families to appropriate team members for health education
• Participates in discharge planning with other disciplines - ensuring timely and appropriate execution of discharge plans
• Independently identifies and prioritizes high-risk patients - offers case management - risk assessments - and safety planning per agency policies
• Assists patients and their loved ones with coping with loss - grief - disability - terminal illness - and death
• Collects and submits HUD-VASH participant data as required by directives - SOPs - or agency policies
• Participates in a rotation of Social Worker of the Day to provide clinic coverage for HUD-VASH Veterans
• Participates in committee assignments as directed by supervisors or program coordinators
• Collaborates in performance improvement initiatives such as peer reviews and complies with VA performance measures/metrics
• Completes all mandatory training requirements promptly and pursues ongoing professional development through continuing education relevant to their role

Pay

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• Higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA

Benefits

• 37-50 days of annual paid time off 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
• 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
• 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
• 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