Social Worker-HCHV/HUD-VASH

About the role

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. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

Responsibilities

• Serves as the medical center's primary point of contact for Veterans assigned as case managers.
• Develops working relationships with other organizations and coordinates with the designated PHA regarding housing voucher application and award process for each veteran.
• Establishes, implements, and maintains referral and screening procedures for potential HUD/VASH veteran participants that meet national policy as well as the needs of medical center mental health services and residential programs.
• Provides referrals to VA medical and mental health services, as well as other VA services including VA benefits, community-based social services, and other non-VA entitlement programs such as Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) and Supportive Employment (SE).
• Implements referral procedures, screening, and admission criteria. Identifies and implements program eligibility, prioritization of subsets of the homeless veteran population, requirements of the PHAs, and other policy, regulation, or law pertaining to program administration.
• Provides on-call crisis coverage as part of the homeless team and Sioux Falls VA Healthcare System Emergency Department as part of the regular rotation.
• Maintains and establishes new relationships with other community-based service providers for the homeless, and when appropriate, represents VA at community service provider meetings.
• Evaluates the veteran's situation, abilities, and capabilities and arrives at a reasoned conclusion including an assessment of vulnerability and prioritization for admission.
• Develops psychosocial treatment plans, actively involving the veteran and their family or significant others, in coordination with interdisciplinary teams, based on the psychosocial assessments, including goals for clinical treatment.
• MUST possess a current driver's license and drive a government vehicle in carrying out professional duties when deemed necessary.

Requirements

• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

Qualifications

• Must have a master's degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited school of social work.
• Must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level.
• 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.