If you are a current, permanent VA employee or Federal employee from another agency, you should apply under CBST-11808560-23-ER. The Housing and Urban Development/ Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD/VASH) Program is an intensive case management program for chronically homeless Veterans aimed at providing psychosocial services to Veterans while residing in stable housing through HUD's Section 8 voucher program, through the Housing First Philosophy. 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: Applicant must 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. 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. 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. Preferred Experience: Experience providing individual case management services, clinical and biopsychosocial assessments. Grade Determinations: Social Worker, GS-9 Experience. None above basic requirements Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (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. (KSAs must be clearly reflected in resume under description of duties in order to be found qualified for this position/grade level). Social Worker, 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. Examples of creditable experience include but 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. Resume must include hours per week for work experience credit. OR Education. 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 or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (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. (KSAs must be clearly reflected in resume under description of duties in order to be found qualified for this position/grade level). References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II Appendix G39, Social Worker Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. 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 requires moderate lifting and carrying (15-44 pounds), light lifting and carrying (under 15 pounds), use of fingers, Operation of motor vehicle. Environmental factors include working outside and inside. (See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services). ["VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU The duties of the Social Worker - HUD/VASH Housing Specialist include but not limited to: Plans, develops and maintains a network of relationships with community resources and other advocates for the homeless to effectively screen and identify Veteran members of the homeless population. Depending upon need, the incumbent makes VA or community based referrals, and advocates for scarce resources. The incumbent develops professional relationships with local landlords, property managers, and housing navigators. The incumbent develops and maintains a housing stock database for utilization of Homeless staff. Assists with clinical functions of intake as appropriate to facilitate HUD/VASH involvement, including conducting HUD/VASH psychosocial assessments of a wide variety of individuals from low socioeconomic, but various cultural, ethnic, educational and other diversified backgrounds. Position requires an advanced knowledge of human development and behavior (physical and psychological), and the differential influences of the environment, society, and culture. Documents the patient assessment and all treatment plans in accordance with the requirements of Medical Center policy and requirements of various accrediting bodies. Provides housing search assistance to HUD/VASH Veterans with Housing Choice rental vouchers and makes regular home visits. This requires the Housing Specialist to act as an Incidental Driver, driving a Government Owned Vehicle (GOV) and often times transporting Veterans in the GOV. Develops an appropriate treatment plan. Using known available resources and the initial assessment, makes initial and continuing decisions regarding the services available and referrals needed. Decisions are based upon the employee's professional judgement with regards to the individual's rehabilitative potential and possible consequences of less controlled rehabilitative efforts. Employs advanced knowledge of psychosocial treatment modalities and implements 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. Provides clinical services to clients. Provides guidance, emotional support and other assistance. Involves clients in individual or group counseling. Makes provision for referral services to other agency organizations, community resources, or other Governmental resources to resolve problems. Professional skills are routinely used to motivate dysfunctional clients to resume more effective control of their own life. Employs casework methods and techniques to maintain a therapeutic relationship that will help the client work towards the best way of dealing with his/her problems. Provides direct social work, mental health, and substance abuse services for Veterans. Gives guidance, emotional support and other assistance and provides individual and group counseling services as well as crisis management services needed to maintain the Veteran safely in their residence. Assists and encourages Veteran and significant others in facing problems, thinking them through, evaluating the situation, considering alternative courses of action and arriving at plans for using resources to resolve problems. Explains client's treatment and progress towards rehabilitation to third parties with jurisdiction, remaining unbiased in the presentation even though consequences are far-reaching and potentially permanent. Demonstrates an understanding of the range of treatment and skills needed for all adult patients including geriatric patients related to their physical limitations, psychological needs and age associated illnesses and conditions. Actively participants in the HUD/VASH Program conference calls and attends training offered by the HUD/VASH staff. Maintains responsibility for following local policy and procedures for the HUD/VASH Program. This includes following policies and documentation requirements as required for CARF and Joint Commission accreditation. Maintains familiarity and responsibility for all performance measures relating to the HUD/VASH Program. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 564-00549-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]

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