Legal Administrative Specialist Homeless Veteran Outreach Coordinator; HVOC

Legal Administrative Specialist

The Legal Administrative Specialist provides superior customer service to our Nation's Veterans and their families. VA offers a wide array of special programs and initiatives specifically designed to help homeless veterans live as self-sufficiently and independently as possible. VA's major homeless-specific programs constitute the largest integrated network of homeless treatment and assistance service throughout the country. The programs strive to offer a continuum of service that include aggressive outreach to those veterans living on streets and in shelters who otherwise would not seek assistance, clinically assessment and referral to need medical treatment for physical and psychiatric disorders, including substance abuse.

Typical duties include, but are not limited to:

• Assists in housing programs administered by the Secretary for Veterans Affairs and the housing program for veterans supported by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
• Coordinates compensation, pension, vocational rehabilitation, and education benefits programs administered by the Secretary under 38 USC or any other provision of the law.
• Performs the homeless veterans' reintegration program of the Department of Labor under section 2021 of 38 USC (Homeless Veterans Reintegration Programs);
• Coordinates the programs under section 2033 of 38 USC (Additional services at certain locations).
• Performs the assessments required by section 2034 of 38 USC (Coordination with other agencies and organizations).
• Establishes linkages with Social Security, Income Maintenance, Federal Housing Administration, State Department of Veterans Affairs, community housing programs, and State job services and assisting homeless veterans in applying for these programs.
• Referrals for legal counseling and assistance.
• Referrals through the team medical clinicians for needed medical and counseling services.
• Conducts comprehensive VA benefits and services briefings to groups of homeless veterans, who because of their economic, medical, or social problems have found it difficult, if not impossible, to request VA benefits and services.
• Uses a wide range of briefing techniques and communications skills to include psychological and motivational counseling during encounters with individual homeless veterans to encourage use of available VA benefits and services.
• Obtains the necessary information and complete a claim while the veteran and/or family member is present. In certain circumstances may monitor the claim to eliminate unnecessary delays in receiving needed evidence and to assure the claim is fully developed.
• Develops a network relationship with state and private veteran organizations, which broaden the scope of outreach.
• Speaks to individuals or groups or otherwise represents the agency on media programs involving matters of interest to veterans and their dependents. Conducts seminars, conferences, and other information dissemination activities.
• Serves as the CHALENG Point of Contact (POC) for CHALENG (Community Homelessness Assessment, Local Education and Networking Groups) for Veterans' Program in coordination with VA Medical Centers.
• Projects CHALENG enhances coordinated services by bringing the VA together with community agencies and other federal, state, and local governments who provide services to the homeless to raise awareness of homeless veterans' needs and to plan to meet those needs.
• As CHALENG POC, participates in the annual Project CHALENG survey that asks for current perceptions of homeless veterans' needs, the degree of VA/community cooperation and collaboration in serving homeless veterans, and progress on local homeless veteran's program initiatives of both local VA staff and community participants (local government, service providers, formerly and currently homeless veterans).
• Coordinates the Regional Office participation in Stand Down. Stand Downs are one part of the Department of Veterans Affairs' efforts to provide services to homeless veterans. Stand Downs are typically one to three day events providing services to homeless veterans such as food, shelter, clothing, health screenings, VA and Social Security benefits counseling, and referrals to a variety of other necessary services, such as housing, employment, and substance abuse treatment.
  
  Stand Downs are collaborative events, coordinated between local VAs, other government agencies, and community agencies that serve the homeless.

Work Schedule:

Full time, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST). Tour will be determined after final selections. Tour is subject to change based on program needs.

Compressed/Flexible:
Not Available

Telework:
Not Authorized How You'll Work:
The employee will be required to travel to the selected VA Regional Office

Position Description/PD#:
Legal Administrative Specialist (HVOC) GS-10: 41793A

Relocation/Recruitment

Incentives:

Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report:
Not required

Bargaining Unit:
Yes