Summary

The HUD-VASH Program is an intensive case management program for both chronically homeless Veterans and homeless Veterans with severe service needs. HUD-VASH is aimed at providing psychosocial services to Veterans while residing in stable housing through HUD's Section 8 voucher system. This position functions as a Senior Social Worker/Team Lead for the STVHCS Housing and Urban Development / VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program in the San Antonio and Bexar County Metropolitan area.

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
• 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/
• English Language Proficiency
• Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• 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 (1) 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
• (2) 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
• (3) 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
• (4) 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
• Preferred Experience: Experience in home visits - community referrals - housing and homeless - crisis intervention SMI Experience Substance Use Disorders Recovery-based care LCSW-S preferred Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS12
• Physical Requirements: Physical requirements include the ability to walk - stand - and sit for extended periods of time - typically in an office setting
• Some light to moderate lifting is required - as well as the ability to reach overhead - use of a computer and telephone for extended periods
• Working closely with others - sometimes in close quarters - and demonstrating mental and emotional stability is required
• BLS and PMDB certification and training are required.

Duties

• VA Careers - Licensed Clinical Social Worker: https://youtube.com/embed/U_xC25QsN0w Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Major Duties: Will serve as a Team Lead whose duties may include determination of case coverage - conducting team meetings - tracking - and reporting of team performance metrics - and providing training for new staff members
• Provide direct clinical social work services for HUD-VASH Veterans within the medical center and the community
• Develop comprehensive treatment plans with the Veteran that address the factors that contributed to homelessness - including mental health - substance abuse - or physical health conditions within a recovery model framework
• Service as a Care Coordination and Intensive Case Management Lead Coordinator for Veterans within the HUD-VASH Program who require complex care coordination
• Provide liaison services with other programs referring homeless Veterans to HUD-VASH to ensure continuity of care and promote successful transition of Veterans from one program to another
• Educate the Veteran and his or her family about the process of obtaining a HUD-VASH voucher with the local housing authority and assisting the Veteran and/or his/her family with navigating this process and selecting a unit for housing
• Helping Veterans obtain all necessary documentation required by the PHA for voucher assistance
• Review agreements between Section 8 - landlords - Public Housing Authorities and the VA in establishing appropriate referral sites for HUD-VASH placements
• Complying 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
• Participate in the HUD-VASH Program conference calls - broadcasts - and trainings
• This includes but is not limited to monthly national HUD-VASH operations - clinical orientation calls - as well as VISN calls
• Following local policy and SOP for the HUD-VASH Program including documentation in the electronic medical record (CPRS) and maintaining data and statistical compilations to comply with Joint Commission - CARF - VA and medical center policy and procedures
• Working with VA Medical Center multi-disciplinary teams and community agencies to strive to develop more effective and efficient ways of delivering healthcare services to HUD-VASH Program Veterans
• Providing consultation/education to veterans and families on community resources - advance directives and VA benefits
• The incumbent follows STVHCS standard operating procedures for evaluating and mitigating suicide risk to include: Completes the Columbia Suicide Severity Risk Scale (C-SSRS) annually or more often as indicated - the Comprehensive Suicide Risk Evaluation - and a Safety Plan via shared template in the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) on all patients at intake - with Veterans with suicidal ideation and on any Veteran whose record is flagged \"High Risk for Suicide.\" Additionally - completes the Suicide Behavior and Overdose Report (SBOR) as clinically indicated
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 0800 - 1630 Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): 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: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized