Social Worker - Community Housing and Outreach Services

Veterans Health Administration • Seattle, WA

4d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval , award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Duties Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Duties include but are not limited to: Responsible for providing independent case management throughout the continuum of care for a caseload of Veterans in the HUD-VASH program. Provides a full range of clinical services to include case work, individual, family and group counseling, discharge planning, case management and other services as appropriate. Incumbent independently performs case finding functions and outreach, identifying and screening Veterans for current mental health status, housing status, access to resources, and other needs. Provides independent evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions, including individual, family, and group psychotherapy. Incumbent can measure outcomes of these interventions. Provides a full range of psychological assessment services and diagnoses mental disorders, particularly for complex or unusually difficult patients, many of whom have psychiatric and medical problems. Assumes complete professional responsibility for their clinical assessment findings, patient care decisions, and documentation. Evaluates their own practice through case conferences and other organizational means. Incumbent is an active participant in the development of treatment plans in collaboration with the Veteran/family and the interdisciplinary treatment team. Coordinates community-based services, including information and referral for additional services from other VA programs, other government programs and community agency programs. Independently identifies high-risk patients. Incumbent provides complex crisis intervention, clinical assessment and case management services, seeking to address the cause as well as the presenting complaint. Coordinates family conferences and serves as liaison to family members. Working knowledge and experience in use of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities and treatment procedures. This includes acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries, common medications and their side effects, and medical terminology. Verifies the Veteran's status, and eligibility for program participation as defined and directed by Congress.

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.
• 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 ( https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents ).
• 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 evaluation.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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/.
• 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.
• At the time of appointment, the supervisor, chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification, including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline.
• In all cases, social workers must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure or certification starting from the date of their appointment.
• Failure to become licensed or certified within the prescribed amount of time will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment.
• Once licensed or certified, social workers must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment.
• Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment.
• Incidental operators are employees, other than those occupying a position officially classified as a motor vehicle operator, who are required to operate a Government-owned or leased motor vehicle to properly carry out their assigned duties.
• To qualify as an incidental operator, an employee must possess a valid State license, have a safe driving record, and demonstrate that he or she is medically qualified to operate the appropriate motor vehicle safely.
• 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.
• A doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work.
• Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Ability to provide consultation services to new social workers, social workers graduate students, and other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment.
• Operation of motor vehicle.

Nice To Haves

• Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for providing independent case management throughout the continuum of care for a caseload of Veterans in the HUD-VASH program.
• Provides a full range of clinical services to include case work, individual, family and group counseling, discharge planning, case management and other services as appropriate.
• Incumbent independently performs case finding functions and outreach, identifying and screening Veterans for current mental health status, housing status, access to resources, and other needs.
• Provides independent evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions, including individual, family, and group psychotherapy.
• Provides a full range of psychological assessment services and diagnoses mental disorders, particularly for complex or unusually difficult patients, many of whom have psychiatric and medical problems.
• Assumes complete professional responsibility for their clinical assessment findings, patient care decisions, and documentation.
• Evaluates their own practice through case conferences and other organizational means.
• Incumbent is an active participant in the development of treatment plans in collaboration with the Veteran/family and the interdisciplinary treatment team.
• Coordinates community-based services, including information and referral for additional services from other VA programs, other government programs and community agency programs.
• Independently identifies high-risk patients.
• Incumbent provides complex crisis intervention, clinical assessment and case management services, seeking to address the cause as well as the presenting complaint.
• Coordinates family conferences and serves as liaison to family members.
• Working knowledge and experience in use of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities and treatment procedures. This includes acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries, common medications and their side effects, and medical terminology.
• Verifies the Veteran's status, and eligibility for program participation as defined and directed by Congress.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP)
• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
• After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
• After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66 .
• Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA
• Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)

What This Job Offers

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