Social Worker -HUD VASH

Clarification from the agency

All qualified candidates encouraged to apply. Open to U.S. Citizens. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Telework: Available - Per Agency Policy and Service Approval on and Ad Hoc Basis
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #:30126F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Pay: Competitive salary, annual performance bonus, regular salary increases
Paid Time Off: 50-55 days of paid time off per year (26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year and possible 5 day paid absence for CME)
Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)
Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory
CME: Possible $1,000 per year reimbursement (must be full-time with board certification)
Malpractice: Free liability protection with tail coverage provided
Contract: No Physician Employment Contract and no significant restriction on moonlighting


The Social Worker -HUD VASH is responsible for providing independent case management for a caseload of Veterans in the HUD-VASH program and for reviewing agreements between Section 8, landlords, Public Housing Authorities and the VA in establishing appropriate referral sites for HUD-VASH placements. The primary place of work is in the community setting, away from VA Medical Center locations. The incumbent is expected to perform their duties mostly independently, in a community- based setting, working with homeless veterans at locations such as inside their HUD-VASH housing after placement. Clinical and Administrative responsibilities include but are not limited to the following duties:

• Transporting veterans on their caseload to various locations in the community, such as the Public Housing Authority, bill payment centers, in order to assist the veterans with learning independent living skills to help maintain their permanent housing. All transportation will be conducted in a GSA Government Vehicle.
• Provides housing search, case management, and services for a caseload of Veterans in the Housing and Urban Development - Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program.
• Reviewing agreements between Veteran participants and landlords, Public Housing Authorities and the VA in establishing appropriate referral sites for HUD-VASH placements.
• Performs site visits to rental properties, apartments, and houses to ensure they are safe environments and in compliance with local housing codes and housing quality standards (HQS).
• Coordinate care including serving as an advocate on behalf of the Veterans to ensure comprehensive service delivery, and linking and referring Veterans to the VA Medical Center, VA Regional Offices, and community agencies.
• Participate in HUD-VASH conference calls and attends training offered by the HUD-VASH Program.
• Participates in program planning and development, advising the HUD-VASH Supervisor of shifting trends with housing stock, housing agencies, caseloads, and identifying the need for and making recommendations on program procedure or policy changes based upon work experiences.
• Documents all contacts with patients/families in the electronic medical record.
• Collaborates with VA Medical Center multi-disciplinary teams and community agencies to strive for developing more effective and efficient ways of delivering housing services and resources to HUD-VASH Program Veterans.
• Participates in HUD-VASH discharge planning with other disciplines
• Provides individual, family, and group counseling, consultation/education to Veterans and families on community housing resources, advance directives, and VA benefits.
• Act as a consultant to other team/staff members and community providers on issues related to local housing resources.
• Act as liaison between VA and landlords, property managers, Housing Authorities, and community housing resources, to include furniture banks, thrift shops, and other relevant resources.
• Provides clinical case management to HUD-VASH Veterans and their families throughout the continuum of care.
• Collaborates with other housing service providers, housing specialists, and housing locators to address issues of homelessness and housing for Veterans in the HUD-VASH program.
• Provides housing resource education and facilitate patient/family housing support as appropriate. This may include housing resource support groups.
• Maintains relevant data and statistical compilations to comply with JCAHO, CARF, VA, and medical center policy and procedures.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, Occasional weekend and holiday coverage required within the Social Work Service (Note: Work schedules are determined and approved by the supervisor. The incumbent may be required to work various shifts on a permanent or temporary basis based on facility/patient care needs).

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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, this part.
• 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).
• 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.

GRADE REQUIREMENTS In addition to the Basic Requirements provided in VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G39, paragraph 3, of the Social Worker Qualification Standard GS-0185 Veterans Health Administration, the following are the grade requirements.

Grade Determinations:

• Experience: For Selection at the GS-09 Level - 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. 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. Most states require two years of post-MSW experience as a prerequisite to taking the licensure/certification exam, and VHA gives social workers one additional year to pass the licensure/certification exam.
• Experience: For Selection at the GS-011 Level - 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.
• Education: 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. 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.
• 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.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs for the GS-09 level:

• (a) Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills.
• (b) 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.
• (c) 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.
• (d) Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies.
• (e) 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.

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs for the GS-11 level:

• (a) Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services.
• (b) 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.
• (c) 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.
• (d) 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.
• (e) 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, Dated September 10, 2019

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11.

Physical Requirements: It is VA policy to ensure that all selected applicants and employed personnel are physically, mentally, and emotionally fit to perform the duties of the position to which assigned. A pre-placement physical examination is required for all full-time, part-time and intermittent employees identified by VA Directive and Handbook 5019. The pre-placement physical examination shall be completed prior to appointment to determine the physical and mental fitness for candidates for appointment in VA. The examination will be concerned with the mental and physical ability of the applicant to satisfactorily perform the duties of the proposed assignment and will include requisite laboratory and other screening as required by Federal regulatory agencies. The work is primarily sedentary, but may require some walking, bending, stooping, standing, stretching, and carrying objects. The physical demands of the work requires use of fingers; moderate walking and standing; near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in on eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; hearing aid permitted; clear speech; emotional stability; moderate duty.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.
Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.

NOTE:

Incomplete packets will not be considered. Failure to submit the required documentation may make you ineligible for this position.

The following documents are required from all applicants:

• Résumé / CV: For each job/position listed, you must include a job title, detailed duties, month and year for each start/end date and if full-time or part-time status with the number of hours worked each week.
• Responses to the questionnaire
• License: Must provide a copy of your Nurse Practitioner license.
• Transcript(s): Must provide a copy of all nursing education transcripts.

The following additional supporting documents may be submitted, if applicable:

• SF-50: All VA/Federal employees should submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 (that is not an award SF-50) that shows you're a current, permanent VA/Federal employee. You may get your SF-50 directly from your eOPF. VA employees may go to:https://eopf.opm.gov/va/. Other Federal employees must contact your current HR Office for assistance assessing your eOPF/personnel folder.

• To be considered for Veterans preference submit: Copy of your DD-214 that shows your type of discharge (Member 4 copy).
• Disabled Veterans & those claiming 10-Point Preference must submit: SF-15 (Application for 10-Point Veterans Preference) along with the supporting documents required by that form (such as VA disability rating). Please read page 2 of the form for acceptable supporting documents. (Available at: http://www.opm.gov/Forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf)
• Those claiming 0-Point (Sole Survivorship) Preference must also submit: Proof of your eligibility.

Next steps