Social Worker - Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Outreach Coordinator
Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration
Application
Details
Posted: 20-Sep-24
Location: Leavenworth, Kansas, Kansas
Salary: Open
Internal Number: 799796900
VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System is committed to Diversity and Inclusion. Together, we strive to create and maintain a working and learning environment that promotes professional growth and teamwork. We offer an inclusive, equitable, and welcoming environment where we celebrate our individual differences and unite as a team toward a common goal of providing outstanding service to our Nation's Veterans. BASIC REQUIREMENTS: The basic requirements for employment as a VHA social worker are prescribed by statute in 38 U.S.C. § 7402(b)(9), as amended by section 205 of Public Law 106-419, enacted November 1, 2000. To qualify for appointment as a social worker in VHA, all applicants must meet the following: Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g this part). 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 http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of social work. Licensure: 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. Grade Determinations - Social Worker - GS-12 Experience and Education - One year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency. Candidate may have certification or other post-master's degree training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship, or equivalent supervised professional experience. Licensure/Certification - Individuals assigned as social worker program coordinator must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level, and must be able to provide supervision for licensure. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities - In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of program coordination and administration which includes consultation, negotiation, and monitoring. (b) Knowledge and ability to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program. (c) Ability to supervise multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program. (d) Skill in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating assigned program area(s). (e) Ability to provide training, orientation, and guidance within clinical practice. References: VA Handbook 5005/120 PART II APPENDIX G39 Physical Requirements: Traveling throughout the medical center and the community is required, as is performing activities involving sitting, walking, and prolonged standing, bending and carrying such items as books, papers, and files. In carrying out responsibilities it may be necessary for the incumbent to travel into the community where he/she conducts interviews with the Veterans, their families, representatives of community health and welfare agencies and law enforcement agencies. The incumbent must possess current driver's license and drive a government vehicle in carrying out professional duties when deemed necessary. ["VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU The Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Outreach Coordinator provides community outreach throughout the VA Eastern Kansas HCS catchment area, access to shelter services, rapid resolution strategies, and housing case management to Veterans who are experiencing or at imminent risk of homelessness. The primary goal is to move Veterans and their families out of homelessness. FUNCTIONS OR SCOPE OF ASSIGNED DUTIES: Community & VA Outreach 35% The strategy of reaching out to Veterans in community settings has been a key concept to the HCHV Program since its origin. Outreach is important because many homeless persons feel alienated from large, impersonal organizations such as hospitals. Homeless Veterans have high rates of mental illness and substance abuse, which may impede their access to established services. Triage Clinic/Consults 35% The HCHV Outreach Coordinator will be responsible for managing the HCHV Walk-in Clinic which includes daily facility and National Call Center for Homeless Veterans (NCCHV) consults. When a homeless Veteran is identified, the HCHV Outreach Coordinator will complete a comprehensive reasoned conclusion including an assessment of vulnerability and prioritization for admission. Housing Case Management 30% Veterans that are not eligible for VA or community housing programs with access to case management will require the HCHV Outreach Coordinator to assist in ending the Veteran's homelessness. Weekly case management services are provided in shelters, on the streets, and in Veteran homes. The HCHV Coordinator utilizes Housing First and other evidence-based practice models to promote Veteran engagement and self-efficacy and to move the Veteran out of homelessness as quickly as possible. Knowledge and Abilities Required by the Position: Program coordination and administration which includes consultation, negotiation, and monitoring. Writing policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program. Expert skill in providing housing and case management services to homeless individuals. This includes knowledge in progressive engagement strategies and providing services in non-traditional, community-based settings. General knowledge of Veteran benefits and services related to special programs, service connection compensation, non-service connection pension, and fiduciary services. Advanced 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. Representing VA leadership within the community as needed to facilitate collaboration and coordination of services between VA Medical Centers and community providers in local efforts to end Veteran homelessness. This includes providing recommendations on proposed policies and/or participating in the drafting of new policy to benefit homeless Veterans. Organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating assigned program areas. Develops and implements methods for measuring the effectiveness of clinical care for homeless Veterans, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve the system of care employed to screen and assess homeless Veterans so that they are offered access to the Ability to coordinate the delivery of specialized psychosocial services and programs. Mastery of theories and modalities used in the specialized treatment of complex physical or mental illness. Independently assesses the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the patient's problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills and assistance needed, in collaboration with the patient, family and interdisciplinary treatment team. Independently provides psychotherapy services to individuals, groups, and families. Incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of veteran patients, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. Determines priority for services and provide specialized treatment services. Provides clinical oversite and quality assurance to multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program. Provides training, orientation, consultation, and guidance within clinical specialization of practice. Provides subject matter consultation to staff and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients experiencing homelessness, rendering professional opinions based on experience and expertise and role modeling effective social work practice skills. Work Schedule: 0730 - 1600 or 0800 - 1630, Monday - Friday Telework: Available Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be Authorized to highly qualified candidates Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.