Senior Social Worker (HUD/VASH)

Veterans Health Administration • West Palm Beach, FL

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The HUD VASH Senior Social Worker GS-0185-12 position serves as a Senior Social Worker (GS-12), HUD-VASH Program, West Palm Beach VA Healthcare System. Provides advanced clinical psychosocial and case management services to homeless Veterans, ensuring stable housing, coordinated care, and program oversight.

Requirements

• 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.
• 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.
• Must have a valid driver's license and be able to drive a government vehicle.
• 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.
• 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/ .
• 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).
• GS-12 Senior Social Worker candidates must have at least two (2) years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which, one (1) year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level.
• Senior social workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment.
• Senior social workers are experts in their specialized area of practice.
• Senior social workers may have certification or other post-masters training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience in a specialty.
• Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California, which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure.
• Skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations. This includes individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management.
• Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
• Knowledge in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to design system changes.
• Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients in the service delivery area, as well as role modeling effective social work practice skills.
• Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession, and to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area.

Nice To Haves

• Preferred experience with Homelessness, substance use disorders and co-existing mental health issues.

Responsibilities

• Conduct psychosocial assessments for Veterans and families, determining needs and care requirements.
• Verify Veteran medical eligibility and HUD-VASH program qualification.
• Participate actively in interdisciplinary treatment planning and discharge planning to ensure timely coordination.
• Provide individual, family, and group counseling using advanced clinical modalities.
• Educate Veterans/families on VA benefits, community resources, and advance directives.
• Serve as liaison between VA programs, Public Housing Agencies, and community services.
• Conduct outreach in the community, shelters, and streets; complete assessments and referrals for homeless Veterans.
• Lead referral and screening processes, train staff on eligibility, and ensure compliance with national policy.
• Maintain and update individualized treatment plans, perform home visits, assess living conditions, and provide continual clinical support.
• Coordinate care and advocate for Veterans to ensure comprehensive service delivery across VA and community systems.
• Provide referrals to medical, mental health, inpatient/outpatient services, and specialized VA programs such as GPD, HCHV, CWT, CWT/TR.
• Monitor treatment effectiveness, collect data, perform quality control, and evaluate service outcomes.
• Manage documentation, maintain required reports, comply with CARF and Joint Commission standards, and uphold privacy requirements.
• Oversee program operations, coordinate with PHAs, review housing agreements, and ensure safe housing conditions through site visits.
• Engage in program development, identify trends, recommend procedural improvements, and support performance measurement efforts.
• Protect all sensitive data per privacy laws, ensure proper handling of electronic and printed records.
• Supervise social work students and GS-09 Social Workers; provide clinical supervision for licensure when permitted.
• Participate in committees, collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, and deliver comprehensive patient care.
• Perform accountability functions including medical record documentation, statistical reporting, and adherence to policy.
• Complete rotation-based on-call duties, provide cross-coverage, and support Social Work Service needs.

Benefits

• A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package.
• As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.
• Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.
• Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior