Job Title: SENIOR SOCIAL WORKER (HUD-VASH) Department: Department Of Veterans Affairs Agency: Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration SALARY RANGE: OPEN PERIOD: $70,192.00 $102,894.00 Per Year, dependent on location and experience. May 5, 2015 to May 19, 2015 SERIES & GRADE: DUTY LOCATIONS : GS-0185-12 Applicant must indicate on the first page in the top right corner of the resume for which locations he/she is applying. FAILURE TO INDICATE LOCATION(S) IN THE MANNER REQUIRED FOR WHICH HE/SHE IS APPLYING WILL RESULT IN AN INCOMPLETE APPLICATION PACKAGE, AND THE APPLICATION PACKAGE WILL NOT BE REVEIWED. Multiple vacancies in multiple locations: Iowa: Des Moines; Iowa City Georgia: Atlanta/Decatur; Augusta; Dublin; Alabama: Birmingham; Montgomery; Alaska: Anchorage Arizona: Prescott; Tucson; Phoenix; Yuma, Sierra Vista, Stafford, Casa Grande, Green Valley Arkansas: Little Rock/North Little Rock; Fayetteville California: Fresno; Mather; Palo Alto; San Francisco; Los Angeles; Loma Linda; Long Beach; San Diego Colorado: Denver; Grand Junction Connecticut: West Haven Delaware: Wilmington District of Columbia: Washington Florida: Bay Pines; Orlando; Tampa; West Palm Beach; Lake City Idaho: Boise Illinois: Danville; Hines; Chicago; Marion; North Chicago Indiana: Indianapolis Fort Wayne Kansas: Leavenworth/Topeka; Wichita Kentucky: Lexington; Louisville Louisiana: New Orleans; Alexandria; Shreveport Maine: Augusta Maryland: Baltimore/Perry Point Massachusetts: Bedford; Boston; North Hampton Michigan: Ann Arbor; Battle Creek; Detroit; Saginaw; Iron Mountain Minnesota: Minneapolis; St. Cloud; Brainerd
WHO MAY APPLY: SECURITY CLEARANCE: SUPERVISORY STATUS: United States Citizens Other No JOB SUMMARY: OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan" by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. Are you a Social Work professional? Do you want to become part of a dynamic team caring for our Nation s Heroes who have kept us safe and now need our help? If your answer is yes, then this is the career for you! Apply now to explore all VA opportunities, visit VACareers.va.gov/. As a VA professional, your opportunities are endless. Not only is it the largest, most technologically advanced integrated health care system in the Nation, you will work directly with and help our Nation s Heroes. Through a multi-disciplinary team approach, we will work with Veterans to end homelessness. We will find stable housing and employment along with other basic necessities to help our Heroes in their time of need. We will care for those who have given so much already. The Senior Social Worker practices in the Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Program and serves as a case manager in the VA Supported Housing (VASH) program. The Senior Social Worker serves a chronically homeless veteran patient population with highly complex health and mental health problems. 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 service, designed to improve Veteran s health and mental health, and enhance their ability to remain stable, housed, and communityintegrated. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. TRAVEL REQUIRED Independent and field work required KEY REQUIREMENTS Must pass pre-employment examination. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Background and-or Security Investigation required. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Licensed by a state at the independent practice level (for the GS-11 level, with exceptions) DUTIES: The primary responsibilities of this position include clinical and administrative program monitoring and oversight, and serves as one of the primary contacts with the local Public Housing Authority s (PHA s). Page 2
Independently provides clinical and psychosocial case management services, and ensures that the Veteran s care is coordinated with the VA Medical Center, community health or mental health providers, and agencies that serve homeless populations. The VASH Senior Social Worker will utilize various treatment modalities of individual and group work, casework, community organization, and community outreach; participate in program planning and development, and process improvement activities; and participate in annual community based events. The Senior Social Worker is assigned administrative responsibility for clinical program development and is accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns. They are also assigned in settings where they have no access to social work supervision, such as satellite outpatient clinics. Work Schedule: Full-Time and Part-Time tours of duty, and work schedules will be discussed during the interview and/or selection process. QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED: Basic Requirements U.S. citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States. possible to recruit qualified citizens.) (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not 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 the CSWE website to verify if that social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a master of social work. Licensure: Persons hired or reassigned to Senior Social Worker positions, GS-12, in the GS-0185 series in Veterans Health Administration must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master s degree level. Grade Determining Requirements for GS-12 Senior Social Worker Experience: Senior Social Workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment in the field of health care social work. At least two years should be in an area of specialized social work practice (e.g., Healthcare for Homeless Veterans, Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder). 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. In addition, the candidates must demonstrate the KSAs below: 1. Advanced knowledge of and mastery of theories and modalities used in the specialized treatment of complex physical or mental illness. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of veteran patients, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. Ability to determine priority for services and provide specialized treatment services. Page 3
2. Advanced and expert 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 interventions used in the treatment of veterans with poly-traumatic injuries, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, visual impairment, post-traumatic stress disorder, etc. 3. Advanced knowledge and expert skill 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. Ability to coordinate the delivery of specialized psychosocial services and programs. Ability to design system changes based on empirical findings. 4. Ability to provide subject matter consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients treated in the specialty area, rendering professional opinions based on experience and expertise and role modeling effective social work practice skills. Ability to teach and mentor staff and students in the specialty area of practice and to provide supervision for licensure or for specialty certifications. 5. Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the profession, demonstrating innovation in the creation of new models of psychosocial assessment or intervention to identify and address specialized clinical needs. Ability to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the specialty population or specialty treatment program. References: VA Handbook 5005/50, Part II, Appendix G39, SOCIAL WORKER QUALIFICATION STANDARD, dated February 2012. A copy can be obtained at the local HR office. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. Physical Requirements: Must satisfactorily complete a pre-employment physical involving light lifting and carrying (under 15 pounds), walking and standing up 4 hours a day with the ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, near and far vision including hearing. HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED: Your application, résumé and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment. NOTE: The Professional Standards Board (a peer-review group) will review the selected candidate s education and experience and recommend the grade and salary at which the candidate will be placed. For internal selectees eligible for promotion, the board will determine grade and HR will determine step in accordance with policy. BENEFITS: VA offers a comprehensive benefits package. This link provides is an overview of the benefits currently offered: http://www.vacareers.va.gov/why-choose-va/benefits/index.asp. OTHER INFORMATION: Page 4
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. HOW TO APPLY: If you re interested in applying, please click on the following link: http://www.vacareers.va.gov/ Page 5