This position is located in the Homeless and Vocational Section of the Mental Health Service at VA Eastern Colorado Healthcare System - Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center in Aurora, CO. The Social Work Associate serves veterans and their families who are experiencing homelessness and other complex life stressors in conjunction with Social Work staff in the HUD-VASH Program.

Duties

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-08. At the GS-07 grade level, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-08. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher-level work, and availability of funds. The Social Work Associate is assigned to the HUD-VASH program within the Homeless & Vocational Services. The Social Work Associate performs assigned duties in a manner that promotes quality health care, outstanding customer service, and the maintenance of an environment committed to serving veterans. The major duties and responsibilities include but not limited to: Assisting veterans and their families who are experiencing chronic homelessness upon entry to the program Providing assistance to apply for a HUD-VASH housing voucher, locate housing, secure financial assistance and benefits, and maintain their housing Providing services in selected cases as assigned by the supervisory Social Worker Identifying the needs of the veteran and family in order to create an individualized service plan appropriate to meet identified needs Assisting with identifying and applying for benefits for which the veteran is eligible; obtaining documents necessary to apply for a housing voucher and/or lease, transportation and assistance locating suitable housing in the community; and assessing for ongoing issues that must be addressed for the veteran to maintain permanent housing Advocating for veterans and assists in resolution of identified problems; identifying VA and community resources to address needs as identified by the veteran and/or the assessment of the Social Work Associate; making appropriate referrals within the VA and community to meet identified needs; and provide follow-up to ensure that veteran needs are met Documenting all Social Work Service activities in the patient's medical record in accordance with service and Medical Center policies Investigating community resources and makes information about them available to social work staff Keeping abreast of changes in the referral procedures for community services and makes social work staff aware of the new procedures Participating in program planning and in the development of sound working relationships with Medical Center personnel, community agencies, and other governmental and community agencies Interviewing people to establish the nature and extent of their problems, decide the appropriate course of action, provide the services indicated in their scope, and provide follow-up to ensure continuity of care Work Schedule: Monday to Friday; 08:00 a.m. to 04:30 p.m. (Ad-hoc Telework pending supervisor approval and 90 day review) Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Requirements

Qualifications

Basic Requirement: The following are basic requirements for appointment as a Social Work Associate in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which all applicants must met. Basic Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in major fields of study such as: social welfare, sociology, psychology, public administration, philosophy, education, anthropology, history, economics and/or English. (UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED: If you do not submit your transcript, your application may not be reviewed.) Minimum Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements one of the following minimum requirement criteria must be met to be qualified for this position. Specialized Experience (GS-07): You must have one (1) year of experience as a social welfare worker or social work assistant in a voluntary, public, social, or health agency. Examples of qualifying experience include but not limited to: assisting with case management related tasks; working with a multi-disciplinary team; applying knowledge of community resources and local, State, and Federal benefits; and utilizing personal computers and software programs for communication, reports, and the maintenance of accurate statistics. NOTE: Qualifying experience must have been of a quality and scope to enable applicants to perform assignments typical of the grade level for which considered. For GS-7, applicants must have had 1 year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the next lower grade (i.e., GS-05) in the Federal service. (CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Your resume must show complete information for each job entry, such as beginning and ending dates of employment, duties performed, and/or total hours worked per week.) Specialized Experience (GS-08): You must have two (2) years of such experience (i.e., experience as a social welfare worker or social work assistant in a voluntary, public, social, or health agency), which must have included 1 year in a medical setting. Examples of qualifying experience include but not limited to: assisting with case management related tasks; working with a multi-disciplinary clinical team; applying knowledge of community resources and local, State, and Federal benefits; and utilizing personal computers and software programs for communication, reports, and the maintenance of accurate statistics. NOTE: Qualifying experience must have been of a quality and scope to enable applicants to perform assignments typical of the grade level for which considered. For GS-8, applicants must have had 1 year of experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the next lower grade (i.e., GS-07) in the Federal service. (CLEAR DETAILS OF EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Your resume must show complete information for each job entry, such as beginning and ending dates of employment, duties performed, and/or total hours worked per week.) AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: CommunicationsCustomer ServiceInterpersonal SkillsManages and Organizes Information IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Physical Requirements: The work is active and involves activity both in the community and at the Medical Center. The incumbent will need to be able to drive a government vehicle. A significant amount of walking throughout the Medical Center and community is required for face-to-face contact with patients, family members and medical center staff. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

There is no educational substitution at the GS-08 grade level.

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. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Eastern Colorado HCS Denver 13611 E. Colfax Ave Aurora, CO 80045 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]