Social Worker, Mental Health

Job Title

Social Worker

The social worker performs outreach and facilitates eligibility determination by securing military discharge papers when necessary and facilitates enrollment for care with VA eligibility staff. In addition, the social worker will determine Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) eligibility in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 2002(1) and The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, as amended by S. 896 The Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act of 2009.

The social worker conducts psychosocial assessments; develops plans of care in collaboration with the Veteran/family and with the interdisciplinary treatment team. The social worker possesses the knowledge and skills to implement treatment modalities and provide counseling for individuals, families, and groups. The social worker possesses the skills to perform psychosocial interventions and measure outcome results. Major duties include, but are not limited to:

• Coordinates and engages in community-based services, including information and referral for additional services from other VA programs, other government programs and community agency programs.
• Maintains a caseload of Veterans served, to include those who are actively unhoused as well as those working toward permanent housing (to include as part of enrollment in the HUD-VASH program).
• Identifies high risk patients and provides case management services.
• Provides crisis intervention services, seeking to address the cause as well as presenting complaint, engaging family and other support systems as appropriate.
• Responsible for landlord engagement to help build and maintain a housing stock for veterans served.
• Function as a liaison between landlord/management company and tenant (i.e., veteran) to help problem solve landlord-tenant concerns and maintain tenancy.
• Functions independently with patients and families who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical and social problems, utilizing individual, group and family counseling and therapy skills.
• Provides consultation services to other VA staff regarding the psychosocial needs of homeless Veterans, the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and adherence to treatment plans.
• Communicates effectively, both orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds.
• Facilitates referrals based upon Veterans' needs and eligibility.

Work Schedule:
Full-Time, Mon-Fri, 8:00am-4:30pm.

Compressed/Flexible:
Not Available.

Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized.

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized.

Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases when setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).

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: Available, as determined by the agency policy (Ad-Hoc).

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: F08624, F08608.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized.

Notifications:

• Due to a critical staffing shortage, 38 U.S.C. § 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' preference for this job announcement.
• This is not a Bargaining Unit position.
• This position is covered by a special rate.
• Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.
• Narrative responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment.
• Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held.