Summary

The Social Worker is the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Specialist for Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program. HUD-VASH is an intensive case management program for homeless Veterans aimed at providing psychosocial services to Veterans while residing in stable housing through HUD's Section 8 voucher program. This position provides case management and intervention support to HUD-VASH Program in a team oriented - recovery-based program.

Qualifications

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
• 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
• English Language Proficiency: Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005 - Part II - chapter 3 - section A - paragraph 3j - this part
• 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: 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
• References: VA Handbook 5005/120 - Part II - Appendix G39 - Social Worker Qualification Standard - GS-0185 - Veterans Health Administration - dated September 10 - 2019
• Driver's License: This position requires operation of a motor vehicle
• If selected - the candidate must possess a current unrestricted state issued driver's license
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is a GS-12
• Physical Requirements: This position requires light lifting - use of fingers - walking - standing - ability to distinguish basic colors - ability to distinguish shades of colors - hearing (Aid permitted) - and operation of a motor vehicle.

Duties

• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday
• 8:00 a.m
• - 4:30 p.m.
• Tour of duty subject to change to meet the needs of the Agency Telework: This position may be ad-hoc eligible for Telework Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 03750F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) Authorized: This position is eligible for EDRP - a student loan payment reimbursement program
• You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of your start date
• Program approval - award amount (up to $200 -000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education LoanRepayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application
• Former participants are ineligible to apply for the EDRP incentive
• Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov for questions or assistance
• The incumbent of this provides on-going substance use case management and early treatment interventions to promote sustained stability and abstinence while receiving services and post discharge until transitioned to another care manager as needed
• Major duties for the position include - but are not limited to: Provides direct SUD services for HUD-VASH in the Medical Center
• Provides Outreach services for HUD-VASH in the community
• Provides training for other members of the multidisciplinary treatment team in areas related to SUD assessment - anger management - and life skills and SUD with co-occurring disorders
• Independently conducts intake and needs assessment of homeless Veterans and their significant others
• Identifies symptoms leading to clinical diagnoses of SUD
• Provides all necessary assessment functions - e.g
• interviewing - psychosocial histories - and SUD assessments to aid in the development of treatment plans
• Develops comprehensive treatment plans with the Veteran that address the factors that contributed to homelessness - including SUD and other co-occurring factors within a recovery model framework
• Works with the Veteran to realize the Veteran's treatment goals and reassesses and revises goals as indicated by the Veteran's engagement in treatment.