Summary

The incumbent in this position functions as a Case Manager for VA Western Colorado Health Care System (VAWCHCS) HUD-VASH Program. The HUD-VASH Program falls within the Care Management and Social Work Service Line. HUD-VASH is an intensive case management program for chronically homeless veterans aimed at providing psychosocial services to veterans while preparing for and residing in stable housing through HUD's Section 8 voucher system.

Qualifications

***This is an open continuous announcement until December 19 - 2025. Qualified applicants will be considered and referred as vacancies become available. ***

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
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• 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/
• 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: (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
• Driver's License: Must possess a valid unrestricted state issued driver's license
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: Must be in overall good health - able to sit at a desk working at a computer - engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting - walking - bending - and carrying supplies
• Social Worker must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands - exercise patience - and control emotions - with reasonable accommodation - if necessary - without endangering the health and safety of the social worker or others
• The emotional demands can be stressful in working with the patient population and their families
• A level of self-awareness is essential
• This position requires a valid state driver's license and local travel to provide community-based care to Veterans
• The position requires significant travel in the community - through use of a government vehicle or other individual arrangements - to meet with representatives/stakeholders who aid and support to Veterans in clinics - medical centers - Community Clinics - etc
• This position also requires close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures
• transcribing
• viewing a computer terminal
• extensive reading
• and repetitive motions of the wrists - hands - and/or finqers.

Duties

• Establishes and maintains effective working relationships and communicates with Veterans - staff - and other parties as appropriate
• Serves as a liaison between Veterans and/or their families and VA and community resources to ensure thorough delivery of services
• Communicates effectively - both orally and in writing with people from varied backgrounds
• Utilizes knowledge of community resources - makes referrals to the community and other government agencies as appropriate - and coordinates services
• Facilitates action for community placements through collaboration with Veterans and their families as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members
• Provides consultation and education to Veterans and their families regarding community resources - VA benefits - and specialty programs
• Conducts psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic - cultural - ethnic - educational - and other diversified backgrounds
• Assesses psychosocial problems often at a time when the Veteran is experiencing crisis and provide short term and long-term solution-focused counseling with Veterans and/or their families
• Completes thorough assessments to determine the presenting problem - factors impacting the situation - and obstacles to treatment and/or follow through with recommended treatments
• Implements treatment modalities - provide educational classes - and/or supportive groups for Veterans and families
• Responds to referrals that typically originate from members of the interdisciplinary team - from Veterans and/or their families coming as walk-ins to seek assistance - and from community professionals
• Provides consultation to other treatment team and staff members regarding psychosocial needs of Veterans and/or their families
• Utilizes a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities in treatment or with specialized Veteran populations - including individual - group - and/or family counseling or psychotherapy - and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management
• Conducts a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations
• Provides case management services to Veterans and their families throughout the continuum of care
• Works in the community most of the time - away from main campus - without Social Work Supervision available when traveling and/or alone with a complex Veteran
• Incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnoses and treatment within approved clinical privileges
• Uses various and appropriate theories and modalities in the specialized treatment of complex physical or mental illness
• Incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of veteran patients - including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses
• Provides 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
• Expands clinical knowledge in the social work profession - writes policies - procedures - and/or practice guidelines pertaining to working with Veterans experiencing or at-risk of experiencing homelessness
• Teaches and mentors staff and students in the specialty area of practice and to provide supervision for licensure or for specialty certifications
• 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
• Functional Statement #: 51100-A Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized