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. 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. Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education: Have a master's degree in social worker 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. Licensure: Must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. Exception: 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. For appointments at the GS-9 grade level, VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent, master's level within three years of their appointment as a social worker. Most states require two years of post-MSW experience as a prerequisite to taking the licensure/certification exam, and VHA gives social workers one additional year to pass the licensure/certification exam. In states such as California, Washington, and others where the prerequisites for licensure exceed two years, social workers must become licensed at the independent, master's level within one year of meeting the full state prerequisites for licensure. A social worker who does not yet have a license that allows independent practice must be supervised by a licensed independent practitioner of the same discipline who is a VA staff member and who has access to the electronic health record. Failure to Obtain License or Certification: 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. Loss of Licensure or Certification: 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. 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). Grade Determinations: Social Worker, GS-9: Experience, Education, and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills. Ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the Veterans problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed. Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals. This requires judgment and skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving, or crisis intervention techniques. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures. This includes acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses/injuries; common medications and their effects/side effects; and medical terminology. Social Worker, GS-11: Experience and Licensure: 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. OR Education: In addition to meeting basic requirements, a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required one year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting. In addition to the experience and licensure or education above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 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 work graduate students, and other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment. Preferred Experience: 1 year working at the VA and 1 year working with the homeless population References: VA Handbook 5005/120 Part II Appendix G39 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to GS-11. Physical Requirements: This work requires light lifting (15lbs and under), moderate carrying (15-44lbs), use of fingers, walking, standing, operation of motor vehicle, near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4, far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other, both eyes required, hearing (aid may be permitted), and emotional/mental stability. Environmental factors are working outside and inside, dry atmospheric conditions, working closely with others, and working alone. ["This position enables VA homeless programs to fully collaborate with the community in the coordinated entry efforts in that community. Responsible for outreach services to homeless veterans in communities and rural areas. Has experience that demonstrates possession of master level practice skills and judgement in social work services for homeless Veterans. Supports the VA Homeless Program by providing continuity of care for homeless Veterans between VHA and community-based programs, as the Veteran transitions from homelessness into programs. Provides leadership in the community by actively participating in the local plans to end Veteran homelessness as well as conducting and leading the coordination of outreach services to homeless Veterans. Must be able to develop appropriate professional relationships with community stakeholders, and is responsible for communicating potential CoC policy or protocol changes to local VA leadership. Facilitate VA involvement in the CoC's Coordinated Entry System (CES) and will be responsible for helping VA meet federal guidelines on CES. Needs to coordinate their efforts with local planning and support currently provided by VA, HUD, and USICH technical assistance initiatives. Also function as a liaison, participating in case conferencing and other pertinent community meetings. Is the VA liaison for coordinating outreach efforts with local community partners. Functions Participate in CoC meetings and planning efforts Provide direct linkage from community services to VHA homeless program services through regular and consistent outreach and communication with community providers Participate in case conferencing process to help inform and facilitate referrals to VA programs Ensures efficient sharing of Veteran data and program information Participate and contribute to a CoC level resource-and-demand analysis and make recommendations to VHA homeless program leadership on adjustments to resource allocations Provide support to the VA homeless program teams as a functional member of the team Serve as a member of a multidisciplinary homeless program treatment team to link treatment team discussions to the community's case conferencing discussions Provide all necessary assessment functions in the service provision for homeless Veterans Develop partnerships with community agencies with regular contact and communication Participate in policy formulation with federal partners Provide appropriate clinical documentation for all contacts with or about Veterans who are engaged through outreach services Provide clinical services and appropriate clinical documentation for homeless Veterans Ensure timely and accurate entry into VA data systems and review the data to improve performance and delivery of services to homeless Veterans and ensuring that this information is shared so that community Master or By-Name Lists are up-to-date and complete Provide recovery-oriented and housing first services Knowledge Knowledge of VA and community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services with internal VA and external community providers Knowledge of the purpose and operations of a CoC and the CoC's responsibility for community planning and implementation of CES Ability to independently assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members and to formulate and implement a treatment plan Ability to independently conduct psychosocial assessments and provide psychosocial treatment to a wide variety of individuals Knowledge and expert skill in providing outreach to homeless individuals Knowledge of and mastery of theories and modalities used in the specialized treatment of complex physical or mental illness. Ability to independently implement treatment modalities Ability to represent VA leadership within the community as needed in order to facilitate collaboration and coordination of services Ability to independently evaluate own practice through participation Knowledge and expert skill in developing and implementing methods for measuring the effectiveness of social work practice and services in clinical care for homeless Veterans. Ability to coordinate the delivery of specialized psychosocial services and programs. Ability to design system changes based on empirical findings. Knowledge and skill in the use of computer software applications Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8am - 4:30pm Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact V20CompensationTeam@va.gov for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]

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