Social Worker (HUD-VASH)

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. 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.

Qualifications:

This position may also be filled by a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, Internal Posting - USAJOBS - Job Announcement; External Posting - USAJOBS - Job Announcement

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

• Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may 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 to be appointed 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 to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of social work. TRANSCRIPTS WITH CONFER DATE REQUIRED
• 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/.
  • Exception: VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level. For the GS-11 grade level and above, the candidate must be licensed or certified. At the time of appointment, the supervisor, chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification, including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline.
    • For appointments 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. Most states require two years of post-MSW experience as a prerequisite to taking the licensure/certification exam, and VHA gives social workers one additional year to pass the licensure/certification exam. In states such as California, Washington, and others where the prerequisites for licensure exceed two years, social workers must become licensed at the independent, master's level within one year of meeting the full state prerequisites for licensure.
    • A social worker who does not yet have a license that allows independent practice must be supervised by a licensed independent practitioner of the same discipline who is a VA staff member and who has access to the electronic health record.
• Failure to Obtain License or Certification. In all cases, social workers must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure or certification starting from the date of their appointment. Failure to become licensed or certified within the prescribed amount of time will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment.
• Loss of Licensure or Certification. Once licensed or certified, social workers must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment. Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment.

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).

Grade Determinations:

Social Worker, GS-9 (Entry Level)
Experience, Education, and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills.
• Ability 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.
• Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals. This requires judgment and skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving, or crisis intervention techniques.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies.
• Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures. This includes acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses/injuries; common medications and their effects/side effects; and medical terminology.

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. TRANSCRIPTS WITH CONFER DATE REQUIRED
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• 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. acute, 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.

Preferred Experience: Experience working with individuals experiencing homelessness.

References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39, September 10, 2019.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to GS-11.

Qualifications continued in Education.

Responsibilities:

Duties will vary based on grade. At the GS-11 full performance level of this assignment, the incumbent is responsible for program oversight, monitoring and administration, serving as a contact with local Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) and providing clinical case management services necessary to ensure that Veteran care is coordinated with the VA medical center, community health or mental health providers, and agencies that serve homeless populations. Duties will include:

• Assesses at-risk factors and develops a preliminary plan, involving the Veteran and family or significant others, and performs a thorough assessment of serious and complicated cases involving psychiatric illness which may also include, catastrophic medical condition, dementia, traumatic brain injuries, and other high risks diagnoses.
• As part of a comprehensive psychosocial assessment, the incumbent interviews the Veteran and/or their family members to establish facts about the Veteran's situation, presenting problems and their causes, and the impact of such problems on the veterans functioning and health.
• Provides comprehensive case management services to Veterans enrolled in the HUD-VASH program.
• Implements the Housing First model within the HUD-VASH program.
• Understands disparate values and reaches Veterans and their families from different social and ethnic groups while communicating confidence in the Veteran's ability and worth, helping the Veteran address problems utilizing larger support systems as appropriate.
• Provides referral to VA medical and mental health inpatient and outpatient treatment and to other VA services including VA benefits, as well as community-based social services and other non-VA entitlement programs.
• If appropriate, provides referrals or consults, or in some cases direct admission of the Veterans prior to HUD-VASH participation, for other VA programs including community-based residential treatment such as Grant and Per Diem (GPD) Programs, Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) contract residential treatment, Domiciliary or Psychiatric Residential Rehabilitation and Treatment Programs (PRRTP).
• Documents in the medical records utilizing paper and/or electronic formats, including psychosocial assessments, diagnoses, treatment, progress notes, follow up and referral.
• Explains Veteran's treatment and progress to third parties as appropriate and manages the quality control and evaluation of the professional services provided.
• Devises methods of obtaining data and evaluates data to determine the effectiveness of treatment and identifies consistent qualities of successful and non-successful treatment.
• Provides psychosocial services and is accountable for the overall effectiveness of those services.
• Modifies services to best meet the treatment needs of veterans and to promote efficient practice and coordinates with other services offered in the treatment program, assuring such services are complementary and comprehensive.
• Provides activities to maximize effectiveness, efficiency, and continuity of care for veterans.
• Offers veterans and family members or significant others educational services and takes responsibilities for identifying the health education needs of Veterans and working with interdisciplinary team members on a plan to address those needs.
• Acts as the primary POC for PHAs across the catchment area for annual reviews/recertification. Responsible for program oversight, monitoring and administration.
• Develops working relationships and agreements with other organizations and directly coordinates with the designated PHA regarding housing voucher recertification and award process for each Veteran.
• Responsible to review the agreements between Section 8 landlords, PHAs, and the VA to establish appropriate referral sites for placements.
• Implements and maintains referral and screening procedures for reentry to HUD-VASH case management that meet national policy as well as the needs of medical center mental health services and residential programs.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00AM-4:30PM
Telework: Ad-Hoc
Virtual: This is not a virtual position
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Please contact V20CompensationTeam@va.gov for questions/assistance. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required