Senior Social Worker HUD VASH

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Las Vegas (NV); On-site; USD 80,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

EDRP Eligible

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Las Vegas seeks a senior Social Worker to provide intensive case management to Veterans in the HUD-VASH program.

You will conduct home visits, coordinate housing and health services, and collaborate with healthcare teams to improve outcomes. The role requires an MSW from a CSWE-accredited program, advanced practice licensure, and at least two years of post-licensure experience.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program.
• Licensed or certified at the advanced practice level.
• English language proficiency for appointment.
• At least two years of post-advanced practice experience in a specialized area of social work.
• Senior social workers may have post-master training or certifications.

Responsibilities

• Provide intensive clinical case management to Veterans with complex psychosocial needs.
• Visit Veterans in their residence as indicated by acuity and program guidelines.
• Move Veterans towards stable housing through HUD-VASH services and supportive counseling.
• Maintain documentation across databases and coordinate with treatment teams.
• Lead and mentor junior staff, participate in program development and policy implementation.
• Provide group sessions and individual counseling based on Veterans' needs.
• Collaborate with community partners to ensure access to housing and health services.
• Coordinate with facility, VISN, and national levels as required.

Skills

Licensed social worker

Advanced clinical practice

Home-based case management

Community resources

Education

MSW from CSWE-accredited program

Advanced practice licensure

Job description

Summary

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.

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.

Qualifications

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 Master of Social Work
• Experience/Education: 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 - 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: You must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level - and must be able to provide supervision for licensure
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - candidates must demonstrate all the following KSAs: (1) 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
• (2) Ability to incorporate complex multiple causations in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice
• (3) 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
• (4) 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
• (5) 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
• Assignments: Senior social workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work at an advanced level
• Senior social workers typically practice in a major program area such as but not limited to: Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center or Polytrauma Network Site
• a Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Center - or a national VHA referral center - such as a national Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or a national Transplant Center - or other program areas of equivalent scope and complexity
• The senior social worker may be assigned administrative responsibility for clinical program development and is accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns
• Assignments include clinical settings where they have limited access to onsite supervision such as CBOCs or satellite outpatient clinics
• The senior social worker collaborates with the other members of the treatment team in the provision of comprehensive health care services to Veterans - ensures equity of access - service - and benefits to this population - ensures the care provided is of the highest quality
• The senior social worker provides leadership - direction - orientation - coaching - in-service training - staff development - and continuing education programs for assigned social work staff
• They serve on committees - work groups - and task forces at the facility - VISN and national level - or in the community as deemed appropriate by the supervisor - Social Work Executive or Chief of Social Work Services
• 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)
• Grandfathering Provision: Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/registration requirements that apply to this occupation
• (1) All people employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title - series and grade held - including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation
• For employees who do not meet all of the basic requirements in this standard - but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it - the following provisions apply: (2) Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure or certification - may be reassigned - promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level - or changed to lower grade within the occupation - but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.(3) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed - on a temporary or permanent basis - until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard
• (4) Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation - who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation
• (5) If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C.
• 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation - the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation
• NOTE: If social workers covered under the grandfathering provision of the 1991 Federal law regarding licensure or certification of VHA social workers leave the GS0185 social work series - they lose the grandfathering protection
• If they choose to return at a later date to the GS-0185 series - they must be licensed or certified to qualify for employment as a social worker
• Senior Social Worker GS-12 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 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
• 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: In accordance with VA Directive and Handbook 5019

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The Social Worker must demonstrate the ability to provide intense case management treatment to Veterans whose health care and psychosocial needs are complex and require a high degree of clinical oversight - creative problem solving - and the ability to manage multi-level needs of a clinical caseload of at least 40 to 50 Veterans
• Each Veteran assigned to the Social Worker's caseload must be visited regularly in the Veteran's residence according to the assigned acuity level of the Veteran's needs (See further specifics under "Functions")
• Duties may include but are not limited to: The primary goal of the HUD-VASH Social Worker is to move Veterans and their families out of chronic homelessness through intensive case management services
• Manage a fast pace - high stress environment while maintaining the ability to multi-task and track program deadlines
• Adhere to documentation requirements in several databases and support other HUD-VASH team members in providing clinical case management services - which improve Veteran's physical health and mental health - and enhance their ability to remain steady housed - and integrated in their communities
• Establishes - implements - and maintains referral - screening - and admission procedures for HUD-VASH participants to meet national standards as well as the requirements of the HUD-VASH Program
• Adheres to established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) within the HUD-VASH Program and adheres to these SOPs in all their interactions with Veterans
• Incorporates screening and admission criteria based on established guidelines for program eligibility - prioritization of subsets of the homeless veteran population - Public Housing Authority requirements - and other policies - regulations - or laws pertaining to program administration
• Maintains a clinical caseload of at least 40 to 50 Veterans - depending on the assigned team
• Responsible to provide the appropriate level of clinical case management and supportive services - primarily in the community or in the home - to Veterans based on their acuity needs and wants
• Works with the Veteran to obtain clinical stability
• At a minimum - weekly face-to-face home visits are required - but even more frequent interactions may be needed
• Supports the Veteran in managing their housing responsibilities and their physical - mental health - and substance use disorders
• The Social Worker assists the Veteran on addressing those issues that are most likely to lead to housing instability
• Face-to-face home visits are required at least twice a month - with additional interactions as needed
• Ensures that needed treatment - support - and mentoring assistance is provided to the Veteran and continues after placement in housing
• Provides case management services to the Veteran in their home - community - or at the medical center
• The Social Worker provides annual contact to the Veteran to ensure they are housed and no longer need to participate in case management
• Provide groups based on need or specific areas of focus - such as understanding the Public Housing Authority - the housing search process - tenancy rights and responsibilities - developing interpersonal skills - budgeting - substance abuse and maintaining sobriety - mental health process - and/or harm reduction strategies
• Assess - identifies - and refers HUD-VASH Veterans to appropriate medical and psychiatric services
• Work Schedule: Full-Time - Monday-Friday - 0730-1600 Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive
• Contact [e-mail] - the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance
• Learn more 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 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 #: 01065F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized