This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (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 appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

Duties

The incumbent, functions as one of the HUD/VASH Social Workers for the Medical Center's Health Care for Homeless Veterans Program (HCHV), HUD/VASH Program. The HUD/VASH program is a collaborative effort, supported through HUD Section 8 rental assistance vouchers and VA's provision of case management services. VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Major duties and responsibilities include: Outreach: Regularly conducts and participants in outreach activities including field interviews, assessments and referrals for homeless veterans contacted in the community, shelters, and "on the streets," as well as those who are referred by VA residential programs, medical centers or outpatient clinics. Screening/Assessment: Establishes, implements, and maintains referral and screening procedures for potential HUD/VASH veteran participants that meet national policy as well as the needs of medical center mental health services and residential programs. Referral, screening and admission criteria recognizes program eligibility, prioritization of subsets of the homeless veteran population, requirements of the PHAs, and other policy, regulation, or law pertaining to program administration. Participates in the screening procedures to involve a multidisciplinary team approach and is responsible to ensure criteria and procedures are maintained. Provides primary input for program participant selection based on structured interviews and clinical assessments. Evaluates the veteran's situation, abilities, and capabilities, and arrives at a reasoned conclusion including an assessment of vulnerability and prioritization for admission. Assesses at-risk factors and develops a preliminary plan, involving the veteran and family or significant others, and performs an insightful assessment of serious and complicated cases involving psychiatric illness which may also include, catastrophic medical condition, dementia, traumatic brain injuries, and other high risks diagnoses. As part of a comprehensive psychosocial assessment, interviews the veteran and their family members or significant others to 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. Based on the psychosocial assessment, uses professional judgment and advanced practice skills to make a psychosocial diagnosis. Receives and completes consults requesting services from interdisciplinary team members and from other mental health professional on complex, difficult cases, using advanced practice skills and expertise. Also provides consultation to interdisciplinary team members and is responsible for development and maintenance of professional standards of practice and educating others about them. Treatment Planning/Goal Setting: Works closely with the veteran to develop a mutually agreed upon treatment plan, which will build on the analysis of information gathered in the assessment and the strengths and perceived barriers identified by the veteran. Works with the veteran to develop goals and objectives that are specific, measurable, realistic and time limited. The plan will be written in a way to ensure the coordination of services provided by HUD/VASH Case Manager. The plan will be completed within 30 days of admission to program and updated every 6 months per HCHV policy, unless otherwise dictated by changes identified by the veteran and/or the incumbent. Documents contacts via progress notes entered in the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS). Referral to service providers Advocacy: Understands the intimidation of bureaucracy and will act as an advocate when it serves the best interest of the veteran/family. When appropriate and feasible, educates and encourages the veteran/family to advocate on own behalf, thus fostering a sense of independence and empowerment. Often times is helping the veteran navigate through the VA system, VHA, VBA, HUD/VASH program and the Public Housing Agency in order to achieve the goals they set for themselves. Grade distinctions: At the GS-11 level, Employees at this level serve as full performance level and are licensed or certified to independently practice social work. At the GS-09 level, Employees at this grade level are considered to be entry level position. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Telework: Available at the discretion of the supervisory Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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. 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. 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 (https://www.cswe.org/Accreditation.aspx) to verify if that social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a master of social work Licensure: Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. Exception: VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. Failure to become licensed or certified within the proscribed amount of time may result in termination of employment. 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: GS-09: Experience, Education, and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills. Ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the Veterans problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed. Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals. This requires judgment and skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving, or crisis intervention techniques. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures. This includes acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses/injuries; common medications and their effects/side effects; and medical terminology. GS-11: Experience, Education and Licensure. GS-11 full performance level requires completion of a minimum of 1 year of post-MSW degree experience in the field of health care social work (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level; OR In addition to meeting basic requirements, a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required 1 year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services. Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational and other diversified backgrounds. Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities and treatment procedures (i.e. acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology) to formulate a treatment plan. Skill in independently implementing different treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems to achieve treatment goals. Ability to provide consultation services to new social workers, social work graduate students, and other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment. References: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G39 Social Worker Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-09 to GS-11. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. Typically, the employee will sit to do the work. However, there may be some walking, standing, bending, carrying of light items (such as books, papers), accessing transportation, and/or driving a government vehicle and transporting Veterans in a government vehicle. The work requires patience and control of emotions. The work may require occasional use of appropriate techniques to physically restrain clients who present a danger to self or others.

Education

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

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 Northern Indiana HCS 1700 East 38th Street Marion, IN 46953 US
• Name: Katrina Majors
• Phone: 443-421-5813
• Email: [email protected]