Social Worker- Housing and Urban Development/VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Case Manager

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.

Basic Requirements

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).
• 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.
• 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/.

Grade Determinations: 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.

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: Candidates must demonstrate all of the following:

• 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., 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.

Assignments (Full Performance Level)

This is the full performance level. Social workers at this level are licensed or certified to independently practice social work. Incumbents are assigned to all program areas, including but not limited to: inpatient or outpatient medicine, surgery, mental health, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, and geriatrics. Employees provide professional, independent social work services in the assigned area.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Assessing and documenting identified behaviors or symptoms of abuse, neglect, exploitation, and/or intimate partner violence.
• Using clinical social work skills and knowledge to maintain Veteran privacy and confidentiality per policies, handbooks, or directives.
• Acting as an advocate with appropriate VA and community service providers and agencies when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregivers.
• Independently assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, identifying the Veteran's strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and psychosocial acuity.
• In collaboration with the Veteran, family/caregiver, and interdisciplinary treatment team, facilitating the delivery of health care services.
• Identifying family/caregiver stressors, conducting assessments, and providing specific interventions.
• Providing case management and care coordination to facilitate appropriate delivery of health care services, incorporating complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of Veterans, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
• Linking the Veteran with services, resources, and opportunities to maximize the Veteran's independence, health, and well-being.
• Conducting timely assessment of at-risk Veterans in crisis to identify immediate needs, evaluate risk, and initiate safety plan as appropriate.
• Providing interventions independently with Veterans and their families/caregivers who are experiencing a wide range of complicated medical, behavioral health, financial, legal, and psychosocial problems.
• Providing a range of interventions and treatment modalities which may include individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy.
• Independently formulating and implementing a treatment plan including measurable, achievable goals identifying the Veterans' needs, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and psychosocial acuity.
• Serving on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility and VISN level or in the community.
• Providing subject matter consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of Veterans, offering professional opinions based on experience, expertise, and role modeling effective social work practice skills.
• Establishing and maintaining ongoing education programs for Veterans, community agencies, students, and staff to facilitate understanding of social work interventions specific to the Veteran/Military population.

HUD-VASH Case Management Duties

• Providing case management for a caseload of veterans in the HUD-VASH program.
• Reviewing agreements between Section 8, landlords, Public Housing Authorities, and the VA in establishing appropriate referral sites for HUD-VASH placements.
• Performing site visits of HUD-VASH apartments to ensure that veterans reside in safe environments in compliance with local housing codes.
• Verifying the veteran's status, eligibility for VA medical care, and eligibility of program participation.
• Ensuring that homeless veterans are considered as primary participants for program acceptance.
• Collecting and submitting HUD-VASH Program participant data as outlined by NEPEC evaluation procedures.
• Providing HUD-VASH case management, defined as the provision of services by VA clinical staff to homeless veterans, including all activities to provide appropriate treatment and maintain veterans in HUD approved stable housing.
• Coordinating care including serving as an advocate on behalf of the veterans to ensure comprehensive service delivery, and linking and referring veterans to the VA Medical Center, VA Regional Offices, and/or community agencies.
• Complying with criminal conflict of interest laws and Executive Branch Standards of conduct to avoid conflicts of interest while serving as the HUD-VASH Case Manager.
• Actively participating in the HUD-VASH Program conference calls and attending training offered by HUD-VASH.
• Following local policy and SOP for the HUD-VASH Program, including following policies and documentation requirements as required for GARF and Joint Commission accreditation.
• Actively participating in program planning and development, advising the supervisor of shifting trends with caseloads, and identifying the need for and making recommendations on program procedure or policy changes based upon work experiences.
• Conducting psychosocial assessments to determine the needs of veterans and family members.
• Actively participating in the treatment planning process with other disciplines.
• Participating in discharge planning with other disciplines and ensuring that discharge plans are executed in a timely and appropriate manner.
• Providing individual, family, and group counseling as appropriate.
• Providing consultation/education to veterans and families on community resources, advance directives, and VA benefits.
• Acting as a consultant to other team/staff members.
• Acting as liaison between VA and community resources, including marketing and public relation duties as needed.

Work Schedule

Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm.

Pay and Benefits

• Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): May be authorized for highly qualified applicants.
• Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): May be authorized for highly qualified applicants.
• EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VISN9HREDRP@va.gov for questions/assistance.
• Pay: Competitive salary with regular salary increases; a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
• Paid Time Off: 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).
• 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.

This response is AI-generated, for reference only.