Senior Social Worker

Summary

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

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Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Duties included but not limited to :

• Participate in CoC meetings and planning efforts which may include leadership roles within the CoC group.
• Provides direct linkage from community services to VHA homeless program services through regular and consistent outreach and communication with community providers.
• Participates in case conferencing process within the CoC's coordinated entry system to help inform and facilitate referrals to VA programs such as HUD- VASH,SSVF, HCHV CERS, and GPD.
• Ensures efficient sharing of Veteran data and program information, as allowable under VA Privacy and Information Security policies and Directives.
• Participates and contribute to a CoC level resource-and-demand analysis, including periodic review of the gaps to determine inflows / outflows, and make recommendations to VHA homeless program leadership on adjustments to resource allocations within coordinated entry based on this analysis.
• Provides support to the VA homeless program teams as a functional member of the team, to include participation in outreach activities and subject matter consultation on community involved interventions for homeless Veterans.
• Serve as a member of a multidisciplinary homeless program treatment team to link treatment team discussions to the community's case conferencing discussions, ensuring continuity of care for Veterans experiencing homelessness in addition to complex physical and mental illnesses, including those at risk for suicide.
• Provide all necessary assessment functions in the service provision for homeless Veterans, e.g. interviewing, psychosocial histories and assessments to aid in the development of treatment plans as well as case conferencing discussions and planning.
• Develop partnerships with community agencies with regular contact and communication.
• Use of a government vehicle to transport Veterans. This positions requires the ability to accompany and transport Veterans to appointments and other community resources as needed, whether medical, housing, or other treatment plan goal appointments through the use of a government vehicle. All motor vehicle operators shall undergo a standard pre-placement examination and periodic evaluation at least once every 4 years to ensure that employees who operate a government owned or leased vehicle are medically able to do so without undue risk to self or others.

Work Schedule : Full-time, Monday through Friday, 7 : 30 a.m.-4 : 00 p.m.

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus) : Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance) : Not Authorized

EDRP Authorized : This position is eligible for 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 your start date. 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. Former EDRP Participants are ineligible to apply for the program. Contact vhaedrpprogramsupport@va.gov for questions / assistance.

Pay : Competitive salary and regular salary increases

Paid Time Off : 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)

Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.

Parental Leave : 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.

Child Care Subsidy : 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 .

Retirement : Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA

Insurance : Federal health / vision / dental / term life / long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)

Telework : Ad-Hoc Telework Only

Virtual : This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 92900-0

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) : Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

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. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider :

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

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.

Basic Requirements :

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 : In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates :

Senior Social Worker, GS-12

Experience / Education : The candidate must have at least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which, one year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Examples of specialized experience include, but are not limited to : assessing and documenting identified behaviors or symptoms of abuse, neglect, exploitation and / or intimate partner violence; use of clinical social work skills; maintaining patient privacy and confidentiality per policies, handbooks or directives; acting as an advocate with appropriate community service providers and agencies when it serves the best interest of the patient and family members / caregiver; independently assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members, identifying the patient's strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and psychosocial acuity. Applicable experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment.

Licensure : Senior social workers must be licensed by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California, which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities : In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs :

Driver's License : Applicants must possess a current, valid driver's license. You may be required to provide your license at the time of interview. A clean driving record report from the DMV and validation of your driver's license will be required during the online onboarding process.

Reference : For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements : This position requires the operation of a government-owned or -leased motor vehicle in order to properly carry out assigned duties. Refer to VA Handbook 5019 / 1, Part II, Appendix A for requirements related to motor vehicle operators. Traveling throughout the medical center and the community is required, as is performing activities involving sitting, talking, driving, walking, standing, bending, the use of a computer and telephone and carrying such items as books, papers and files not to exceed facility determined weights. In carrying out responsibilities, it is necessary for the incumbent to travel into the community where they provide care to Veterans. Care provided in emergency shelters, Veteran homes or other community locations may require the use of stairs, walking on uneven terrain and reasonable exposure to the elements. Strenuous physical activity is not anticipated, although the incumbent is expected to withstand stress and interact with crisis situations as part of day-to-day activity.

Education

Note : Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here : If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit :

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave : Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration / Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA / OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

VA Healthcare System Serving Ohio, Indiana and Michigan (VISN 10) advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.