The Senior Social Worker (SSW) in this position functions as the Case Manager for Mann-Grandstaff VAMC's Housing and Urban Development-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) vouchers assigned to rural and remote areas in the Central Washington Corridor. The SSW has experience that demonstrates possession of advanced independent practice skills and judgment as much of the work is complete rurally with little day-to-day supervision.
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 chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g this part). 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. (COPY OF TRANSCRIPT WITH CONFERRED DATE REQUIRED) 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. (COPY OF LICENSE REQUIRED FOR GS-12) 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) 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. (b) Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. (c) 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. (d) 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. (e) 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. Preferred Experience: Experience working with people experiencing homelessness, and public housing programs. 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 and carrying (15-44 lbs.), light lifting and carrying (under 15 lbs.), operation of motor vehicle, use of computer screen, and hearing (aid may be permitted). Environmental factors include working outside and inside, slippery or uneven walking surfaces, working closely with others, and working alone.
Clinical Assessment Evaluates each Veteran's situation, abilities, and capabilities, and arrives at a reasoned conclusion including an assessment of vulnerability and priority for admission. 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. Verifies the Veteran's eligibility for VA medical care, and eligibility of program participation. They also help family members determine eligibility for indicated community programs. Comprehensive Case Management Responsible for providing case management for a complex caseload of homeless Veterans in the HUD-VASH programs in rural and remote regions of Central Washington. Performs on-site visits of HUD-VASH apartments/housing units in rural and remotely separated communities to ensure that Veterans reside in safe environments in compliance with local housing codes. Coordinates care including serving as an advocate on behalf of the Veterans and their family members to ensure comprehensive service delivery and linking and referring Veterans and families to the VA Medical Center, VA Regional Offices and/or community agencies. Must have extensive knowledge of programs and services providers in communities throughout the Central Washington Region. Implements the Housing First model within the HUD-VASH program. 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. Program Administration and Organization Responsible for program oversight, monitoring and administration, serving as the contact with local Public Housing Authorities (PHA's) and providing clinical case management to Veterans enrolled in HUD-VASH. 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 potential HUD-VASH, Program Veteran participants that meet national policy as well as the needs of medical center mental health services and residential programs. Works closely with the VA medical center's homeless programs, residential and community care programs. Responsible for collecting and submitting HUD-VASH Program participant data as outlined by the Northeast Program Evaluation Center (NEPEC) evaluation procedures. Fulfills ethical responsibilities to Veterans, colleagues and VA in accordance with relevant discipline Code of Ethics, VHA Code of Ethics, and local Ethics policies. Documents in the patient's medical record in accordance with medical center policies. Outreach Regularly conducts and participates in outreach activities including field interviews, assessments and referrals for homeless Veterans contacted in the community, shelters, and "on the streets," as well as those who are referred by VA residential programs, medical centers or outpatient clinics. vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Social-Worker-Career-Flyer.pdf Work Schedule: 8AM - 4:30PM, Monday - Friday Compressed/Flexible: Available at supervisor's discretion Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): 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 (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). 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: Ad-hoc only Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 00000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized