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
• 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 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/
• 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
• 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
• Assignments: For all assignments above the full performance level - the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope - complexity (difficulty) - and variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time
• 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
• This assignment is to be relatively few in number based on the size of the facility/service and applying sound position management
• This assignment must represent substantial additional responsibility over and above that required at the full performance grade level and cannot be used as the full performance level of this occupation
• 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 (15-44 pounds)
• Moderate carrying (15-44 pounds)
• Pushing
• Operation of crane - truck - or motor vehicle
• Ability to distinguish basic colors
• Hearing (aid may be permitted)
• Motor vehicle only
• Environmental Factors: Outside and inside
• Working closely with others
• Working alone.

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional 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
• Functions and Scope of Duties: Provide 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 (or housing stability 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 (MOUs) and other formal and informal agreements between property owners - service providers - Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) - 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
• Fulfill ethical responsibilities to Veterans - colleagues and VA in accordance with NASW Code of Ethics - VHA Code of Ethics - and local ethics policies
• This includes but is not limited to: compliance with all laws and regulations related to confidentiality and release of information
• protecting Veterans' personal identifying information
• Document all Veteran care in the electronic health record in accordance with facility policy - VHA Directive 1162.05 (and revisions) - 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
• Provide supervision to students - interns - or unlicensed Social Workers as requested
• Provide training - education - and consultation to trainees - VA staff - and community partners as a subject matter expert in specialized practice area(s)
• Provide outreach services to engage homeless Veterans
• Provide oversight of a contract serving homeless Veterans as a Contracting Officer Representative (COR)
• Maintain a valid driver's license and have clearance to drive a government owned vehicle - as well as transport Veterans when clinically indicated - in accordance with VA Policy
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8:00am - 4:30pm 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 Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized