Career Center

Summary

This position functions as the case manager for Hampton VAMC's Housing and Urban Development/VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH). The HUD-VASH Program falls within the Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Programs of the Behavioral Health & Science Care Line. HUD-VASH is an intensive case management program for chronically homeless veterans aimed at providing psychosocial services to veterans - while residing in stable housing through HUD's Section 8 voucher system.

Qualifications

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:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• 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
• 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/
• (1) 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
• 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: GS-09 Experience - Education - and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: (a) Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic - cultural - ethnic - educational - and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills
• (b) 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
• (c) 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
• (d) Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients - staff - and representatives of community agencies
• (e) 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
• Assignment
• Social workers at the GS-9 entry level are typically assigned to program areas that do not require specialized knowledge or experience
• Duties may include but are not limited to: identifying behaviors or symptoms of abuse - neglect or exploitation
• providing education on advance directives and advanced care planning
• providing social work case management
• acting as an advocate with appropriate VA and community service providers/agencies when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver
• 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 - and interdisciplinary treatment teams
• Since social workers at this level are not practicing at an independent level - they should not be assigned to program areas where independent practice is required - such as in a CBOC - unless there is a licensed social worker in the program area who can provide supervision for practice
• GS-9 social workers provide psychosocial services in the assigned area under supervision
• GS-11 Experience and Licensure: 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 - and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level
• OR (2) 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
• AND Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - And Abilities: (a) Knowledge of community resources - how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services - and ability to coordinate services
• (b) 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
• (c) 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
• (d) 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
• (e) 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
• 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
• use of clinical social work skills and knowledge to maintain Veteran privacy and confidentiality per policies - handbooks or directives
• Incumbent independently assesses 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 - the social worker facilitates the delivery of health care services
• The social worker identifies family/caregiver stressors - conducts assessment and provides specific interventions
• The incumbent provides case management and care coordination to facilitate appropriate delivery of health care services - incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of Veterans - including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice
• 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 11
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS 9 to GS 11
• Physical Requirements: The physical demands of the work are generally minor
• The work is primarily sedentary in nature and usually occurs within climate controlled clinical and administrative settings.

Duties

• Duties Include: Responsible for providing case management for a caseload of Veterans in the HUD-VASH program
• Reviews agreements between Section 8 - landlords - Public Housing Authorities and the VA in establishing appropriate referral sites for HUD-VASH placements
• Performs site visits of HUD-VASH apartments to ensure that veterans reside in safe environments in compliance with local housing codes
• Verifies the veteran's status - eligibility for VA medical care - and eligibility of program participation
• Responsible for ensuring that homeless veterans are considered as primary participants for program acceptance
• Coordinates care including serving as an advocate on behalf of the veterans to ensure comprehensive services delivery - and linking and referring veterans to the VA Medical Center - VA Regional Offices and/ or community agencies
• Complies with criminal conflict of interest laws and Executive Branch Standards of conduct so as to avoid conflicts of interest while serving as the HUD-VASH Case Manager
• Conduct psychosocial assessments to determine needs of veterans and family members
• Actively participants in the treatment planning process with other disciplines
• Participates in discharge planning with other disciplines and will be responsible for ensuring that discharge plans are executed in a manner that is timely and appropriate
• Provide individual - family and group counseling as appropriate
• Maintain data and statistical compilations to comply with joint commission - CRAF - VA - and medical center policy and procedures
• Assist patients and their significant others with coping and dealing with the loss and grief experiences in disability - terminal illness and death
• Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 8:00am- 4:30pm Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases 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: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.