The Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare Network is recruiting for Social Workers in the Community Engagement & Enrichment Services (CERS), HUD-VASH program. S/he serves as a member of a multidisciplinary HUD-VASH team responsible for coordinating and providing individual and family counseling and case management services. The social worker conducts assessment interviews, develops treatment plans and provides treatment to HUD-VASH eligible Veterans and their families.

Duties

VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UUThe major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited: Providing ongoing VA case management, healthcare, individual and family counseling and other supportive services to homeless Veterans based on their eligibility for the Housing and Urban Development Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program. Performing site visits of HUD-VASH apartments to ensure that veterans reside in safe environments in compliance with local house codes. Verifying the veteran's status, eligibility for VA medical care, and eligibility of program participation while ensuring the homeless veterans are considered as primary participants for program acceptance. Coordinating care including serving as an advocate on behalf of the veterans to ensure comprehensive service delivery, linking and referring veterans to the VA Medical Center, Regional Offices and/or community agencies. Participating in program planning and development; advising the supervisor of shifting trends with caseloads and identifying the needs and making recommendations on program procedure or policy changes based on work experiences. Developing more effective ways of delivering healthcare services to HUD-VASH program veteran. Operation of Government furnished vehicle to conduct home visits and provide transportation for Veterans as needed to obtain and sustain housing. Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Yes - as determined by the agency policy. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 00000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized 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 Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. Licensure. Full, unrestricted license or certification by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. Education. Master's degree in social work (MSW) 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 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 master's degree in social work. Preferred Experience: Familiarity with Veteran culture and knowledge of VA and local homeless services highly desired. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements above, candidates must meet the following grade requirements. GS-09 Experience: None beyond the basic requirements listed above. Candidate must demonstrate 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. Assignments. Individuals assigned as GS-9 grade level social workers are considered to be at the entry level and are closely supervised, as they are not yet functioning at the independent practice level conferred by independent licensure or certification. Social workers at the GS-9 entry level are typically assigned to program areas that do not require specialized knowledge or experience. Duties may include but are not limited to: identifying behaviors or symptoms of abuse, neglect or exploitation; providing education on advance directives and advanced care planning; providing social work case management; acting as an advocate with appropriate VA and community service providers/agencies when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver; assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members identifying the Veteran's strengths, weaknesses, coping skills and psychosocial acuity, in collaboration with the Veteran, family, and interdisciplinary treatment teams; maintaining a current network of internal and external resources to educate the Veteran and/or family members/caregivers and assist with the appropriate referrals. Since social workers at this level are not practicing at an independent level, they should not be assigned to program areas where independent practice is required, such as in a CBOC, unless there is a licensed social worker in the program area who can provide supervision for practice. GS-9 social workers provide psychosocial services in the assigned area under supervision. GS-11 Experience/Education: Candidates must possess at least 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; or a Doctoral degree. Additionally, candidates must demonstrate the following KSA's 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. Assignments. This is the full performance level. Social workers at this level are licensed or certified to independently practice social work. Incumbents are assigned to all program areas, including but not limited to: inpatient or outpatient medicine, surgery, mental health, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, and geriatrics. Employees provide professional, independent social work services in the assigned area. Duties include but are not limited to: assessing and documenting identified behaviors or symptoms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and/or intimate partner violence; use of clinical social work skills and knowledge to maintain Veteran privacy and confidentiality per policies, handbooks or directives; and acts as an advocate with appropriate VA and community service providers and agencies when it serves the best interest of the Veteran and family members/caregiver. Incumbent independently assesses the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, identifying the Veteran's strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and psychosocial acuity. 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. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G39 - Social Worker Qualification Standard. Additional information regarding the assignments at the full performance level can be found in the appendix referenced above. 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 the responsibilities it will be necessary for incumbent to travel into the community where he/she conducts interviews with the veterans, families, representatives of the community health and welfare agencies and law enforcement agencies. Incumbent must be able to operate a vehicle to complete essential functions of the job.

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 Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System 11301 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90073 US
• Name: Jonathan Lyons
• Email: [email protected]