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. Program 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

Accepts referrals for screening & admission to the program, gathers information about a Veteran's status & eligibility for VA medical care, & verifies a clinical need for program participation. Responsible for providing case management & appropriate services for Veterans in the program based on the Veteran's needs, acuity level, & preferences for care. Reassesses for changes in the Veteran's needs, acuity level & preferences for care at least quarterly. Empowers & respects the Veteran's right to self-determination while helping the Veteran identify & articulate their strengths, needs, abilities & preferences. Ensures comprehensive service delivery by linking & referring Veterans to VA and/or community services based on the Veterans needs & wants. Coordinates care of Veterans with high-acuity & high-risk mental health & behavioral factors with relevant providers in the VA & community. Utilizes Housing First, Harm Reduction & other evidence-based practice models to promote Veteran engagement & self-efficacy. Promotes housing retention & stability. Helping Veterans understand lease agreements, develop money management & budgeting skills, & establish healthy boundaries. Complies with criminal conflict of interest laws & Executive Branch Standards of conduct to avoid conflicts of interest while serving as the HUD-VASH Case Manager. Adheres to professional ethics guidelines & completes annual ethics training. Actively participates in Homeless Program conference calls, monthly national HUD-VASH calls & VISN calls. Develops relationships with the local Continuum of Care & actively participates in Coordinated Entry case conference meetings. Responsible for following local policy & SOP for the HUDVASH Program. Takes responsibility for improving professional skills, participating in planning & executing specific staff development projects, attending seminars & institutes, & participating in training programs of other disciplines as requested. Responsible for ensuring a culture of safety by participating in mandatory Prevention & Management of Disruptive Behavior training, reporting all incidents of Veteran threats, aggression or violence including those witnessed in the community & completing required safety training to include suicide risk reduction. Provides outreach services to engage homeless Veterans, especially those who are chronically homeless & are highly vulnerable. Conducts comprehensive bio-psychosocial assessments to ensure appropriateness of placement into the program, determine acuity status & identify needs. Performs site visits of HUD-VASH residences to ensure that Veterans reside in safe environments in compliance with local housing codes. Collects & submits HUD-VASH Program participant data within three business days as outlined by HOMES evaluation procedures. Documents all contacts in the Veterans CPRS file in accordance with local documentation policies. Develops an individualized Housing Stability Plan with each HUD-VASH Veteran that identifies Veteran goals using their own words & steps to achieve those goals. Assists Veterans through the voucher application process from referral to voucher issuance, helps Veterans complete application packets & assists in obtaining all necessary documentation required by the Public Housing Authority. Provides housing search assistance to include transportation to view units as needed. Obtains Release of Information consents when possible, with all community providers & housing stakeholders to ensure comprehensive coordination of services & collaboration. Assists Veterans with pursuing employment to increase their income & integrate into the community. Assists Veterans in determining eligibility & applying for non-service-connected pension, service connected compensation, applying for mainstream entitlement benefits and/or state & county benefits. Provides individual, family & group counseling as appropriate. Assists Veterans in completing Advance Directives. Provides wellness/prevention education as appropriate. As appropriate, supervises the practice of social work students or provides mentoring & training to a less experienced social worker. Assists Veterans in coping with loss & grief experiences. Maintains familiarity with & responsibility for all performance measures relating to the HUD-VASH Program. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: May be Available Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 56079-A & 56080-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): 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. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Driver License: Driver License is Required. 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/. 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. For appointments at the GS-9 grade level, VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent, master's level within three years of their appointment as a social worker. Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date (9/10/2019) of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. Grade Determinations GS-9 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 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. NOTE: For appointment licensure or certification at this level please refer to paragraph 3c. In addition to meeting basic requirements, 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. 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 HANDBOOK 5005/120 PART II APPENDIX G39 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:Traveling throughout the medical center and the community is required, as is performing activities involving sitting, walking, and standing, bending and carrying such items as books, papers, and files. In carrying out responsibilities it may be necessary for the incumbent to travel into the community where he/she conducts interviews with the Veterans, their families, representatives of community health and welfare agencies and law enforcement agencies. The incumbent must possess current driver's license and drive a government vehicle in carrying out professional duties when deemed necessary.

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 Fort Harrison VA Medical Center 3687 Veterans Drive Fort Harrison, MT 59636 US
• Name: Kelli Ann Crumpton
• Phone: 720-369-1396
• Email: [email protected]