Senior Social Worker

Veterans Health Administration • Loma Linda, CA

2d • Onsite

About The Position

This position functions as a Social Worker (Program Coordinator) of the VA Supported Housing (HUD-VASH) component of the Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Program. HUD-VASH is a collaborative effort, supported through HUD Section 8 rental assistance vouchers and VA's provision of intensive case management services. The social worker is the Seriously Mentally Ill (SMI) Specialist for Homeless Programs. This position provides direct case management and intervention support to Veterans enrolled in the HUD-VASH program who have been diagnosed with a serious mental health disorder. The incumbent will provide consultation for Veterans with an SMI in Grant and Per Diem, or HCHV Contract Residential Care. The SMI Specialist supports the Homeless Programs by providing early engagement, and ensuring continuity of care between Homeless Programs that serve Veterans with SMIs as they transition from engagement and stabilization through programs such as Addiction Treatment Programs, Health Care for Homeless Veterans Contracted Housing, and Grant Per Diem Programs to HUD-VASH. The social worker provides on-going intensive case management that is specifically tailored for Veterans experiencing a serious mental illness and providing early treatment interventions to promote sustained stability in subsidized permanent housing. These Veterans are frequently homeless due to their mental health diagnosis, thus providing SMI treatment support and early intervention promotes recovery, improved quality of life and successful permanent housing. The incumbent will possess knowledge and skill to work with Veterans who are dually diagnosed with co-occurring issues, such as, substance use, physical health, and social problems that require particular skill in early intervention and crisis management. The social worker must be able to develop appropriate professional relationships with the Veterans and meet the Veteran where he or she is ready to engage in treatment. The social worker also will need to develop liaison relationships with more acute treatment providers/ programs, such as the psychiatrist, PRRC, Dual Diagnosis and any other provider in BHIP. The social worker will provide appropriate group and individual case management and treatment. The incumbent will collaborate in the performance improvement processes and comply with Performance Measures as required by Mental Health Service and the Medical Center. Incumbent may provide training experiences for graduate social work trainees as well as other allied health care trainees and/or may provide supervision for unlicensed staff social workers.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• 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).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Resume must be detailed include the following information: Job title, description of duties, beginning and ending date (month/year) of employment; and average hours worked per week.
• Citizen of the United States.
• Candidate must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level, and must be able to provide supervision for licensure.
• Master's degree in social work (MSW) 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 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 master's degree in social work.
• At least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure.
• One year of experience must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level.
• 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.
• Senior social workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work at an advanced level.
• Senior social workers typically practice in a major program area such as but not limited to: Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center or Polytrauma Network Site; a Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Center, or a national VHA referral center, such as a national Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or a national Transplant Center, or other program areas of equivalent scope and complexity.
• The senior social worker may be assigned administrative responsibility for clinical program development and is accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns.
• Assignments include clinical settings where they have limited access to onsite supervision such as CBOCs or satellite outpatient clinics.
• The senior social worker collaborates with the other members of the treatment team in the provision of comprehensive health care services to Veterans, ensures equity of access, service, and benefits to this population, ensures the care provided is of the highest quality.
• The senior social worker provides leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs for assigned social work staff.
• They serve on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility, VISN and national level, or in the community as deemed appropriate by the supervisor, Social Work Executive or Chief of Social Work Services.
• The work is primarily sedentary. Infrequently, assignments may require prolonged standing.
• The selectee may carry light items, such as books, files, or a laptop computer.
• Duties require ability to walk distances, communicate verbally in a clear manner, which includes normal hearing and manual dexterity.

Nice To Haves

• Experienced in Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program

Responsibilities

• Provides direct SMI services for the Homeless Programs in the Medical Center.
• Provides Outreach services for the Homeless Programs in the community.
• Provides training for other members of the multidisciplinary treatment team in areas related to SMI assessment and diagnosis, anger management, and life skills and SMI with co-occurring disorders.
• Independently conducts intake and needs assessment of homeless Veterans and their significant others. Identifies symptoms leading to clinical diagnoses of SMI.
• Provides all necessary assessment functions, e.g. interviewing, psychosocial histories, and SUD assessments to aid in the development of treatment plans.
• Develops comprehensive treatment plans with the Veteran that address the factors that contributed to homelessness, including SUD and other co-occurring factors within a recovery model framework.
• Works with the Veteran to realize the Veteran's treatment goals, and reassesses and revises goals as indicated by the Veteran's engagement in treatment.
• Organizes and conducts individual and group case management and SMI treatment, to include early interventions and supportive follow-up to ensure stability in home visits and facility-based contacts.
• Serves as a member of a multidisciplinary homeless program treatment team.
• Develops partnerships with community agencies, especially those serving homeless and Veterans diagnosed with SMI, with regular contact and communication.
• Participates in policy making, goal setting, and treatment service planning discussions with other members of the VA Homeless Programs.
• Responsible for the collection of statistical data and for reviewing the data to improve performance and delivery of services to homeless Veterans.
• Provides recovery-oriented treatment with the goal of establishing the Veteran independently in the community at the Veteran's highest level of functioning and quality of life.
• Maintains a caseload of Veterans in the HUD-VASH program who are experiencing serious mental health concerns and diagnosis.
• Other duties as assigned.

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.

What This Job Offers

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