Senior Social Worker - EDRP Approved

Veterans Health Administration • Fort Worth, TX

8d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. The Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Senior Social Worker is an intensive case management program for Chronically Homeless Veterans. The program involves conducting street outreach to Veterans who are homeless or experiencing housing instability and substance use disorder, providing case management assistance and psychotherapy to end their homelessness, harm reduction for substance abuse, and connecting them to community-based and VA-supported housing, healthcare, and substance abuse disorder services. The Social Worker operates within the HCHV program, supporting early engagement and ensuring continuity of care for Veterans between different programs within the Comprehensive Homeless Center Programs. The incumbent provides case management services and supportive therapeutic interventions to Veterans in various settings (street, shelter, residence) and supports their transition from engagement to housing stabilization. Outreach services are provided in the community.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• 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 forms of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
• Must serve a 1 or 2-year trial period.
• Master's degree in social work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
• Must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level.
• At least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure.
• One year of experience must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in a specialized area of social work practice.
• 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.
• 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

• Working with homeless: in the community, under bridges, at shelters, and in encampments
• Assessments: Mental Health, Psychosocial
• Completion of Clinical Reminders
• Case Management
• Brief Supportive Psychotherapy, Psychotherapeutic Intervention, and Evidence Based Psychotherapy
• Completion of C-SSRS, CSRE, and Safety Plans

Responsibilities

• Completes psychosocial assessments of the Veteran, obtaining input from the interdisciplinary team, the Veteran, and as available, the Veteran's family, caregiver, and/or significant other for collaboration on a service plan.
• Completes intake and/or brief psychosocial assessments to evaluate the needs of the Veteran, their willingness to participate in services, and options for care coordination.
• Develops a Service Plan that highlights the Veteran's strengths, limitations, internal/external supports, and service needs to optimize functional status, maintain resources, and assist with return to independent community living.
• Works in the community, including encampments, under bridges, at shelters, and other settings where homeless or potentially homeless Veterans gather.
• Manages the walk-in clinic as assigned to provide screening and assessment.
• Performs specialized treatment of complex physical or mental illness.
• Incorporates complex multiple causations in differential diagnosis and treatment of Veteran patients, making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within the approved scope of practice.
• Assesses at-risk factors and develops a preliminary disposition plan involving the Veteran and, as appropriate, their family and/or significant other.
• Develops an appropriate treatment plan for Veterans, written in behavioral terms with measurable objectives and concrete interventions, including goals for psychosocial clinical treatment.
• Monitors e-consults, completes assessments, and makes recommendations to the assigned program.
• Provides direct clinical care to Veterans struggling with homelessness, housing strategies, employment, mental health illness, and substance use disorder.
• Assists Veterans by linking them to community services.
• Routinely participates in all program meetings.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP)
• Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• 37-50 days of annual paid time off per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
• Credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave
• Child care subsidy
• Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting)
• Federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
• Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care insurance

What This Job Offers

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