HUD-VASH is an intensive case management program for homeless Veterans who meet criteria for admission into the HUD-VASH Case Management Program aimed at providing psychosocial services to Veterans while residing in stable housing through HUD's Section 8 voucher system. The incumbent functions as a champion and advocate for the provision of recovery focused services to Veterans and is expected to model Recovery and its defined values in all aspects of professional activities and partnerships.

Duties

The primary goal of HUD-VASH is to move Veterans and their families out of chronic homelessness. The primary component of the program is VA case management services, designed to improve Veteran's health and mental health, enhancing their ability to remain stable. housed and community integrated. Incumbent completes program specific forms including Homeless Operations Management and Evaluation System (HOMES) forms, to ensure maintenance of data regarding serving this population.The incumbent is responsible for providing case management based services (directly or through referral) necessary to ensure that Veteran care is coordinated with the VA medical center, community health or mental health providers, and agencies that serve homeless populations. The incumbent communicates with HUD-VASH programs in other states to facilitate the portability of vouchers. Assignments typically require modifications of standard practices, adaptations or extensions of precedent decisions and development of new approaches, methods, or techniques for specific application. The work affects the management and operation of effective and efficient projects and activities, including the continuation of approved ongoing research programs, the initiation of new research programs, and/or the termination or disapproved research programs. Major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Responsible for data collection, administrative record keeping, and monitoring patient or clinical indicators, thresholds, and performance measurements. 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's 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 scope of service. Utilizes a multidisciplinary team approach when participating in screenings and is responsible to ensure criteria and procedures arc maintained. The incumbent provides primary input for program participant selection based on structured interviews and clinical assessments. Conducts and participates 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. Maintains current and establishes new relationships with other community-based service providers for the homeless, and when appropriate, represents VA at community service provider meetings 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 or serious and complicated cases involving psychiatric illness which may also include, catastrophic medical condition, dementia, traumatic brain injuries, and other high risks diagnoses. Reviews all data, subjective and objective and makes a clinical assessment, identifying needs and strengths. Based on the psychosocial assessment, the incumbent uses professional judgment and practice skills to make a psychosocial diagnosis as part of an interdisciplinary team under the guidance of the Director, Community Outreach Division. Provides referrals to VA medical and mental health inpatient and outpatient treatment and to other VA services including VA benefits, as well as community-based social services and other non-VA entitlement programs. Required to travel within a 50-mile radius of the Medical Center, VA Clinics, and/or HCHV Service Center locations to provide case management services to Veterans. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Schedule may be changed to meet the needs of the Veterans and the medical center during emergent situations, and evening and weekend coverage may be required. Telework: Regularly teleworks 3 or more days per pay period. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 93075-0 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized

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). 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/. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Social Worker (Program Coordinator), GS-12 Experience and Education. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency. Candidate may have certification or other post-master's degree training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship, or equivalent supervised professional experience. Licensure/Certification. Individuals assigned as social worker program coordinator must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level, and must be able to provide supervision for licensure. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a)Knowledge of program coordination and administration which includes consultation, negotiation, and monitoring. (b)Knowledge and ability to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program. (c)Ability to supervise multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program. (d)Skill in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating assigned program area(s). (e)Ability to provide training, orientation, and guidance within clinical practice. Assignments. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Program coordinators at the GS-12 grade level are administratively responsible for a clinical program providing treatment to Veterans in a major specialty area, such as but not limited to: Spinal Cord Injury, Homeless Continuum Veteran Program, Hospice and Palliative Care Program, Suicide Prevention Program, Veterans Justice Outreach, Caregiver Support Program and Community Nursing Home Program. The program coordinator may be the sole practitioner in this specialty at the facility and typically provide direct patient care services in the program area. The program coordinator oversees the daily operation of the program, develop policies and procedures for program operation, and prepare reports and statistics for facility, VISN, and national use. They may be responsible for the program's budget, developing and monitoring staff compliance with practice, standards and guidelines on documentation, workload, data entry, ethical practice and service delivery. The program coordinator provides analysis and evaluation of clinical program data and computerized programs to identify system-wide trends and needs to enhance the quality of service. They may be responsible for, or contribute to, the program's resource and fiscal management, monitoring control points developing the annual budget, operating within that budget, and accounting for appropriated funds. The program coordinator is administratively responsible for the clinical programming and prepares reports and statistics for facility, VISN, and national use. They provide leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs for assigned staff. They initiate and conduct a variety of program or service audits and complete designated clinical practice audits and reports, including productivity assessments. They oversee program operations and evaluations, identifying areas for improvement, gathering relevant data, assessing the data, developing and implementing ideas for improvement and evaluating efficacy of improvement efforts. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: Performing activities involving sitting, walking, and standing, bending, and carrying such items as books, papers, and files. It will be necessary to travel into the community to conduct interviews with Veterans, their families, representatives of community health and welfare agencies and law enforcement agencies; drives 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 Battle Creek VA Medical Center 5500 Armstrong Road Battle Creek, MI 49037 US
• Name: Carol Phillips
• Phone: 765-251-1129
• Email: [email protected]