The incumbent in this position functions as a Case Manager for Tuscaloosa VAMC's HUD-VASH Program. The HUD-VASH Program falls within the Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Program. The incumbent is responsible for coordination of case management and clinical services for Veterans receiving housing provided through HUD Section 8 housing vouchers. 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 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 the CSWE website to verify if that social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a master of social work. Licensure: Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-185 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 on the OHRM website 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 above, at the GS-11 grade level the following is also required: Appointment to the GS-11 full performance grade level requires completion of a minimum of 1 year of post-MSW degree 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 in the field of health care social work (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level. OR, In addition to meeting basic requirements, a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required 1 year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting. References: VA Handbook 5005; Appendix G39 Social Worker Qualification Standard. Physical Requirements: The applicant must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions, with reasonable accommodation if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the applicant or others. ["Duties to include but not limited to: - Providing case management to a minimum caseload of 25 Veterans in the HUD-VASH Program. - Will interview clients, complete psychosocial assessments and treatment plans and update as outlined by the program and CARF/TJC accreditation. - Will verify the veteran's homeless status. - Ensure that chronically homeless veterans are considered the primary participants for program acceptance. - Completing HOMES electronic forms in a timely manner Reviewing agreements between Section 8/housing authority staff, private landlords and the VA in establishing appropriate referral sites for HUD-VASH placements. - Site visits of HUD-VASH apartments to ensure that veterans reside in safe environments in compliance with local housing codes. - Coordinating care, including serving as an advocate on behalf of veterans to ensure comprehensive service delivery and linking and referring veterans to the VA Medical Center, VA Regional Offices and/or community agencies. - Complying with criminal conflict of interest laws and Executive Branch Standards of conduct to avoid conflicts of interest while conducting regular duties. - Actively participating in the HUD-VASH Program conference calls and attending training offered by VA Central Office and/or VISN 7. - Following local policy and SOPs for the HUD-VASH Program. - Performing accountability functions to document all contacts with patients/facilities in the electronic medical record and also the completes any required/requested reports as needed per VAMC and respective professional service policies. - Working with VAMC inter-disciplinary teams and community agencies to strive for developing more effective and efficient ways of delivering services to HUD-VASH Program participants. - Participating in discharge planning with other disciplines and is responsible for ensuring that discharge plans are executed in a manner that is timely and appropriate. - Providing individual, family and group counseling as needed. - Providing consultation/education to veterans and their families on community resources, advance directives and VA benefits. - Acting as a liaison between the VA and community agencies, to include marketing and public relations duties as needed. - Providing a full range of social work services within commonly accepted standards of social work practice, which includes case work, individual, family and group counseling, discharge planning, advocacy, case management and other services as appropriate. - Addressing Advance Directives and Organ Donation in accordance with standards in his/her work area. - Supervising the practice of social work students as needed. Participating in committee assignments as deemed necessary by the supervisor. - Assisting veterans and family members with coping with the loss and grief experiences in disability, terminal illness and death. - Documenting social work interventions and activities in veteran's clinical record, via CPRS. - Maintaining familiarity and responsibility for all performance measures related to the HUD-VASH Program. - Participating in a rotation of on-call social workers, as needed. - Assisting with CARF documentation and preparation as needed -Social Workers responsible for transporting veterans must possess and maintain a valid state driver's license, provide information about their driving record, satisfactorily complete a pre-placement and then bi-annual physical examination, to include visual and hearing screens. The incumbent must also complete mandatory annual Safe Driving training, both in class and electronically. -Performs other related duties as assigned Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm"]
About Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration
Providing Health Care for Veterans: The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,255 health care facilities, including 170 medical centers and 1,074 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.