Job Details

Summary The incumbent serves as a Social Worker for the Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) programs. The HCHV programs are vital for providing safe transitional housing and supportive services for homeless Veterans. Responsibilities VA Careers - Social Work: Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The incumbent is responsible for providing direct services and/or referrals to homeless Veterans to enable them to secure safe, affordable, quality permanent housing. Delivery of these services requires specialized knowledge and skills and experience in resource identification for VA medical, mental health, substance abuse, and other specialty clinical providers. Duties include but are not limited to: Community collaboration strategies are also required to assist Veterans to successfully overcome housing acceptance barriers including negative housing histories, bad credit and criminal records, and the preparation of appeal presentations. Provides HCHV Case Management outreach and crisis intervention services to homeless and precariously housed. Ensures quality services are provided and provides case management/liaison services for the Veterans residing in the programs or in the community as appropriate. Use the Housing First approach with the goal being rapid placement of Veterans in a safe appropriate setting. The work of the HCHV Social Worker will be guided by Recovery Model Principles which will be used as the social worker assists each Veteran to transition to HCHV housing programs and community housing assistance programs. Works closely with referral sources to assure that the appropriate clinical services are offered. Serves as a linkage point for referring Veterans to VA medical facilities, VA Regional Offices, and other Federal agencies, as well as community agencies as needed. Has an understanding of the specialized needs, interventions and treatment modalities used in providing individual and group treatment interventions to patients presenting with a wide variety of psychosocial issues and mental health diagnoses found in the DSM-5. Utilizes assessment tools and assessment methods that best serve the Veteran. Interprets psychosocial and environmental factors that impact the level of care required to meet the treatment needs of the Veteran. Assures the appropriate staff review applications and facilitates appropriate and timely referrals from inpatient services and the community. Works with Program Support Clerks, Program Coordinators, and MH staff to facilitate timely referrals, enrollment, and admissions. Serves as a POC for referral/enrollment/admissions related issues. Responsible for developing treatment plans and setting achievable and measurable treatment goals with the Veteran, family, and/or significant others. Responsible for educating the Veteran and their family/significant other regarding the available services. Experienced in making rapid assessments and developing crisis management plans to facilitate admission inpatient psychiatric services, residential rehabilitation and medical detoxification services. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases 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 Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #:60231-F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You 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. You may be required to serve a probationary period. 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 ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). 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: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education: Candidates must 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 to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of social work. Licensure: Social workers at the GS-11 level 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 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). 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: Experience: In additional to meeting the basic requirements as stated above, you must have the following:GS-11 Level: 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, and are able to demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities: 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. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit 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.