Senior Social Worker HUD-VASH

Veterans Health Administration • Grand Junction, CO

9d • Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Social Worker provides specialized social work services to Veterans and their families through the HUD-VASH program. The role serves as a liaison between Veterans, their families, VA services, and community resources, supporting community placements, housing-related coordination, psychosocial assessment, counseling, treatment, and case management. The position works primarily in the community, often away from the main campus and without Social Work Supervision while traveling or working alone with a complex Veteran.

The Senior Social Worker uses specialized interventions and treatment modalities for complex physical or mental illness and special patient populations. The role determines service priorities, coordinates specialized psychosocial services, evaluates outcomes, and modifies service approaches as needed. It also provides consultation, education, mentorship, and supervision to colleagues, students, and less experienced social workers, and contributes to program development and system improvements.

The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telework is not available, and the position is not virtual. Local and significant community travel is required, using a government vehicle or other individual arrangements. The position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to program eligibility, application, and approval. The award may be up to $200,000, with an eligibility period of one to five years; former EDRP participants are ineligible to apply.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for recruiting qualified citizens under VA policy.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Master's degree in social work from a school fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE); a doctoral degree does not substitute for the master's degree.
• State licensure or certification to independently practice social work at the master's degree level.
• Valid, unrestricted state-issued driver's license.
• At least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure, in a specialized area of social work practice; one year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level.
• Advanced practice-level state license or certification, including an advanced generalist or clinical examination, subject to the stated grandfathering provisions; must be able to provide supervision for licensure.
• Skill in specialized interventions and treatment modalities, including individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced 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 of methods for measuring social work practice and service effectiveness, using outcome evaluations to improve treatment and design system changes.
• Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students and model effective social work practice.
• Ability to expand clinical knowledge and write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the service delivery area.
• Must complete required background/security investigation, onboarding, acceptable identification, and pre-employment physical examination.
• Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to the conditions stated in the announcement.
• Must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties, with occasional moderate physical demands, and meet the described visual and repetitive-motion demands, with reasonable accommodation if necessary.
• Must be able to travel locally and significantly in the community to provide care and meet with stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

• Two years of experience working with individuals experiencing homelessness, housing insecurity, or low income.
• Certification or post-master's training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university in a specialty area, including a defined curriculum or course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a liaison between Veterans and/or their families and VA and community resources to support thorough service delivery.
• Coordinate community placements with Veterans, families, and interdisciplinary treatment team members.
• Educate Veterans and families about community resources, VA benefits, and specialty programs.
• Assess psychosocial problems, including during crises, and provide short- and long-term solution-focused counseling.
• Complete assessments to identify presenting problems, contributing factors, and barriers to treatment or follow-through.
• Independently implement treatment modalities, educational classes, and supportive groups for Veterans and families.
• Respond to referrals from interdisciplinary team members, Veterans and families, and community professionals.
• Consult with treatment team and staff regarding psychosocial needs and their effects on health care planning and treatment compliance.
• Conduct specialized interventions and treatment modalities for specialty programs or special patient populations.
• Monitor clinical program effectiveness and modify service patterns to meet the needs of an evolving caseload.
• Use appropriate theories and modalities in the specialized treatment of complex physical or mental illness.
• Incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment, including psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
• Determine service priorities and provide specialized treatment services.
• Coordinate specialized psychosocial services and programs.
• Design system changes based on empirical findings and use outcome evaluations to improve treatment services.
• Provide case management with outpatient interdisciplinary teams and home- and community-based services to meet agreed treatment goals.
• Liaise with community professionals regarding services needed by Veterans and/or their families.
• Provide subject matter consultation to colleagues and students, render professional opinions, and model effective social work practice.
• Develop new models of psychosocial assessment or intervention to address specialized clinical needs.
• Pursue continuing education appropriate to the assigned practice area.
• Assist with orientation and learning for less experienced social workers and serve as a preceptor for social work students.
• Teach and mentor staff and students in the specialty area and provide supervision for licensure or specialty certifications.
• Evaluate practice through peer review, case conferences, research studies, or other organized means.
• Review agreements among Section 8, landlords, Public Housing Authorities, and VA to establish appropriate HUD-VASH referral sites.
• Support other programs through community outreach and home visits when appropriate for service delivery or safety concerns.
• Support VA, VHA, VISN, and facility missions, policies, and procedures.
• Serve on facility committees, work groups, and task forces as assigned by the supervisor and Chief of Social Work Services.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to eligibility and approval; award amount may be up to $200,000 and eligibility period may be one to five years.
• Federal employee benefits package for the employee and family, with specific eligibility depending on position type.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior federal employment, work experience, or military service, subject to request and approval.

What This Job Offers

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