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 within the Housing & Urban Development/Veterans Administration Supportive Housing (HUD/VASH) Program at the VA Boston Healthcare System to provide Veterans and their families with intensive and comprehensive case management, clinical treatment, advocacy and coordination of appropriate VA and community services. This is accomplished in collaboration with other members of the Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) team, other HUD/VASH social workers, community providers, and VA interdisciplinary treatment team members including Primary Care, Substance Abuse, Mental Health, and Specialty Clinics as well as providers from other federal, state and local agencies. Duties include but may not be limited to: Conducting a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment of the Veteran's needs, identifying and prioritizing those needs in accordance with the Veteran's preferences, and facilitating referrals to appropriate medical and psychiatric services for those Veterans who are deemed eligible for the HUD/VASH program. Complete a comprehensive psychosocial assessment by meeting with the Veteran, reviewing appropriate VA medical records, contacting past and present VA and community providers, and collaborating with family members as necessary. Develops psychosocial treatment plans by actively involving the Veteran, family members, and significant others in identifying goals for clinical treatment and rehabilitation. Works with the Veteran to realize these goals by helping him/her to actively engage and utilize their current support network, and work aggressively to reduce or eliminate barriers and obstacles to obtaining and maintaining permanent housing. Provide appropriate referrals to VA and non-VA community resources for the Veteran as well as his/her family. Will collaborate with other social workers and service providers to ensure any and all individual issues are being addressed. Responsible for educating the Veteran about available benefits and resources and assisting the Veteran in deciding which programs to access. Make necessary referrals for the Veteran and his/her family or assist the Veteran in pursuing self-referral. Provides weekly site-based HUD/VASH informational sessions that are open to all homeless Veterans in greater Boston area. \ Visits and conducts HUD/VASH informational seminars on an outreach basis to area homeless shelters, service organizations, and hospital based residential and transitional programs serving homeless Veterans. Responsible for developing and maintaining a catalog of VA and community resources. Meet with individual agencies to introduce the HUD/VASH program, and to continually foster positive working relationships in order to develop and expand the current network of referral sources for the HUD/VASH program. GS-9: Is the entry level grade for the GS-0185 Social Work series and is used for Social Workers with less than one year of post-MSW experience. Individuals assigned at this level closely supervised and are working toward completion of prerequisites for licensure or certification. GS-11: Individuals assigned as GS-11 social workers are considered to be at the full performance level and must have an independent licensure. (Note: For GS-11, you must submit a copy of your independent license with the application.) Work Schedule: 8:00-4:30pm. Compressed/Flexible:Not Authorized. Telework: May be authorized at Supervisors discretion. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. EDRP: Authorized - Contact Karen Chapman [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions or assistance on how to begin the application process. Learn more. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required NOTIFICATIONS: This is a AFGE Bargaining Unit position. This position is in the Excepted Service. Note: Due to a critical staffing shortage, 38 U.S.C. § 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' preference for this job announcement. The incumbent may be required to travel to other VA campuses and CBOC's. Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees. Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) will be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

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. 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 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. Current state requirements may be found on the OHRM website. Exception: VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level. For the GS-11 grade level and above, the candidate must be licensed or certified. At the time of appointment, the supervisor, chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification, including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline. 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. 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). If social workers covered under the grandfathering provision of the 1991 Federal law regarding licensure or certification of VHA social workers leave the GS-0185 social work series, they lose the grandfathering protection. If they choose to return at a later date to the GS-0185 series, they must be licensed or certified to qualify for employment as a social worker. Grade Determinations:GS-9:Experience, Education, and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the basic requirements, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:1. Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills.2. 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.3. 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.4. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies.5. 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 and Licensure: Appointment to the GS-11 grade level requires completion of a minimum of one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the field of health care or other social work-related settings, (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level. A doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required one year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:1. Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services.2. 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.3. 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.4. 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.5. 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 Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Appendix G39 - Social Worker Qualification Standard. 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-9 to GS-11. Physical Requirements: The work involves standing, stooping, lifting (perhaps greater than 50 pounds), sitting, pulling, assisting patients as needed. Additionally, moving patient and supplies and pushing patient as needed. The Social Worker is required to work at a computer work station to complete his/her documentation of incidents involving patients and the progress in the patient's overall program.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address VA Boston Healthcare System 940 Belmont Street Brockton, MA 02301 US
• Name: Diane McClure
• Phone: 774-826-4912
• Email: [email protected]