Career Center

Summary

This Social Worker is assigned to the HUD-VASH program within the Community Housing and Outreach Services (CHOS) Programs at VA Puget Sound Health Care System located in Puget Sound - Washington with responsibility to provide direct services for Veterans - their families and caregivers. VA Puget Sound Health Care System (VAPSHCS) is a Complexity Level 1a Facility and provides extensive primary - secondary - tertiary - and quaternary care in outpatient - inpatient - residential - and community settings.

Qualifications

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

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 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
• Licensure
• Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-0185 seriesin VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work atthe master's degree level
• Current state requirements may be found by going tohttp://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/
• 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: 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
• 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
• Licensure/Certification
• Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination - unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California - which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure
• Demonstrated 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
• Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice
• 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 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
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12
• Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting/carrying (15-44lbs.)
• pushing
• operation of motor vehicle
• ability to distinguish basic colors
• hearing (aid permitted) Environmental Factors: working inside and outside
• working closely with others
• working alone

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional FUNCTIONS OR SCOPE OF ASSIGNED DUTIES Clinical case management to Veterans and families in the HUD-VASH program Perform regular home visits to ensure Veterans reside in environments that foster independence and safety in the community Verify Veterans' status - eligibility for VA health care - and eligibility for HUD-VASH program participation Accept referrals for screening and admission to HUD-VASH Assess Veterans through comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments and regular reassessments to determine clinical needs and acuity status Collaboratively develop a treatment plan with each Veteran served
• Monitor progress and review and update regularly throughout the episode of care Provide a full range of services within the Social Work Scope of Practice based on Veteran needs - acuity level - and preferences for care Provide consultation and psychoeducation to Veterans and Veteran families on topics including community resources - Advance Directives - VA benefits - budgeting - activities of daily living - and recovery goals Monitor Memorandums of Understanding and other formal and informal agreements between property owners - service providers - Public Housing Authorities - and the VA to establish appropriate referral sites for HUD-VASH placements Collaborate with VA multi-disciplinary teams and community agencies to develop effective and efficient ways of delivering healthcare services to Veterans in HUD-VASH through treatment coordination and communication Act as a consultant to other team/staff members and take a lead clinical role in case consultation Collect and submit HUD-VASH participant data as outlined by Community Housing and Outreach Services and Homeless Operational Management and Evaluation System policies and Standard Operating Procedures Fulfill ethical responsibilities to Veterans - colleagues and VA in accordance with NASW Code of Ethics - VHA Code of Ethics - and local ethics policies Document all Veteran care in the electronic health record in accordance with facility policy - VHA Directive 1162.05 - and program-specific SOPs Ensure compliance with standards and expectations of Joint Commission - CARF - and other relevant accrediting bodies Actively participate in program planning and development - advising the CHOS supervisor of shifting Veteran care needs and identifying the need for SOP or policy changes Actively participate in VISN 20 and VACO Homeless Program Office conference calls and trainings Provide supervision to students - interns - or unlicensed Social Workers as requested Maintain familiarity and responsibility for all HUD-VASH performance measures Take responsibility for improving professional competencies by participating training programs and continuing education Complete all mandatory VA trainings in a timely manner Participate or lead regular reconciliation of HUD-VASH data between VA and PHA to determine status of all awarded HUD-VASH vouchers Provide training - education - and consultation to trainees - VA staff - and community partners as a subject matter expert in specialized practice area The HUD-VASH Senior Social Worker may also be assigned to do the following: Provide outreach services to engage homeless Veterans Serve as the primary VA point of contact for a project-based housing site - a geographical region - or a community agency- with the bulk of work performed in these community-based settings Provide oversight of a contract serving homeless Veterans as a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) Perform other related duties as assigned
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday - 8am-4:30pm Recruitment/Relocation Incentive: Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA
• 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
• Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized