Summary

The Senior Social Worker serves as a case manager in the VA Supported Housing (VASH) Program within Social Work Service located at the VA San Diego Healthcare System. VASH is a collaborative effort, supported through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Section 8 rental assistance program, and VA's provision of intensive case management services.

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/
• 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 0185, 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, Preferred Experience: Best qualified candidate will have two years of experience in the specialized area of medical/psychiatric social work
• References: VA Handbook 5005/120, PART II, APPENDIX G39 dated September 10, 2019 This position is above the Full Performance Level for this series
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12
• Physical Requirements: This work is primarily sedentary but also requires some standing, walking, bending, lifting and carrying of items
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.

Duties

• VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Social Work: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Social-Worker-Career-Flyer.pdf Major Duties: Functions as case manager for Veterans in the HCHV VASH program, performing duties to facilitate transition to independent community living by coordinating mental health and community care
• Collaborates with members of the HCHV team, the Grant and Per Diem programs, and other professional specialty clinics to provide comprehensive care to HCHV Veterans
• Implements, and maintains referral and screening procedures for potential VASH Veteran participants that meet national policy as well as the needs of medical center mental health services and residential programs
• Refers, screening and admission criteria recognizes program eligibility, requirements of the PHA's and other policy, regulation or law pertaining to administration of the program
• Provides primary input for program participant selection based on structured interviews and clinical assessments
• Acts as a liaison to the PHA's, community landlords and other community agencies that serve homeless populations
• Develops working relationships and agreements with other organizations and directly coordinates with the designated PHA's regarding housing voucher application and award process for each Veteran
• Responsible to review the agreements between landlords, PHA's and the VA to establish appropriate referral sites for placement
• Evaluates the Veteran's situation, medical and psychiatric stability, and abilities and capabilities and arrives at a reasoned conclusion for admission
• Interviews the Veteran and their family members or significant others to assess high risk factors and establish facts about the Veteran's situation, presenting problems and their causes, and the impact of such problems on the Veteran's functioning and health
• Reviews all data subjective and objective and makes a clinical assessment, identifying needs and strengths
• Uses professional judgment and advanced practice skills to make a psychosocial diagnosis
• Develops psychosocial treatment plans, actively involving the Veteran and their family or significant others, in coordination with other team members, based on the psychosocial assessments, including goals for clinical treatment
• Makes initial and continuing decisions coordinating the Veteran's care through linkage and referral to VA medical facilities or Regional Offices, and other VA and non-VA services and provides independent consultation and makes recommendations to the team on the course of action
• Provides case management services including ongoing assessment, education, coaching, counseling, referral and
• advocacy
• Assists Veterans in maintaining appointments at VA medical centers and other community agencies for medical, psychiatric, substance abuse, vocational and other services consistent with the Veteran's goals associated with healthful independent living
• Refers Veterans to appropriate VA and other government/community services including local shelters, food banks, employment services, and Veteran's benefits
• Makes adjustments to the psychosocial treatment plan and interventions
• Initiates and effects changes in methods and interventions to promote efficient practice and improve patient outcomes
• Coordinate care including serving as an advocate on behalf of the Veterans to ensure comprehensive service delivery, and linking and referring Veterans to the VA Medical Center, VA Regional Office and /or other community agencies
• Engage in coordination with community agencies, organizations, and groups to learn of services or resources available for homeless Veterans as well as provide current information on VA services and benefits available to VASH participants
• Provides direct mental health and substance abuse services for Veterans and family members or significant others in support of the Veteran's treatment
• The Senior Social Worker performs other duties as assigned
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:00am - 3:30pm Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual or remote position
• Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Bargaining Unit: Yes