Skip to main content
U.S. flag

Social Worker- Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV)

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

VA Portland Health Care System is a Complexity Level 1a Facility and provides extensive primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary care in outpatient, inpatient, residential, and community settings. VAPORHCS is a multi-site medical system that includes a major medical facility in Portland, Oregon, outpatient and residential facilities in Vancouver, Washington, and 10 Community Based Outpatient Clinics.

Overview

Help
Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
08/09/2022 to 08/30/2022
Salary
$58,560 to - $92,104 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Location
Vancouver, WA
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
11
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Announcement number
CBSV-11573649-22-LJ
Control number
670412800

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

The first area of consideration will be current permanent VA Portland Health Care System employees, second area of consideration will be all other current permanent VA employees from other facilities, third area of consideration will be all other current permanent federal employees, and the last area of consideration will be Veterans/US Citizens.

Videos

Duties

Help

Duties include, but are not limited to:

  1. Uses knowledge of community resources to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services and will help coordinate services for Veterans.
  2. Completes biopsychosocial assessments to assess functioning and needs of patients and their family members to formulate and implement a Veteran driven treatment plan. Treatment plan will identify Veteran's self-identified problems, strengths and weaknesses, coping skills and assistance needed in collaboration with the patient, family, and interdisciplinary treatment team.
  3. Conducts psychosocial assessments and provides psychosocial treatment to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational and other diverse backgrounds. Incumbent uses knowledge of human development and behavior (physical and psychological) and differential influences of environment, society and culture when completing assessments and developing intervention strategies with Veteran, Caregivers and multidisciplinary team members.
  4. Uses 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.
  5. Maintains and increases their knowledge of psychosocial treatment to implement evidence based treatment modalities when working with individuals, families, and groups experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical and social problems to assist Veterans and Caregivers achieve treatment goals. Incumbent uses independent judgement and skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving, or crisis intervention techniques.
  6. Provides counseling and/or psychotherapy services to individuals, groups, and families. Incumbent provides social work services within the bounds of their license or certification.
  7. Provides consultation services to other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and adherence with treatment. Incumbent will provide orientation and coaching to new social workers and social work graduate students. Incumbent, with approval of direct supervisor, may serve as a field instructor for social work graduate students who are completing VHA field placements.
  8. Incumbent will independently evaluate his/her/they own practice through participation of peer case reviews conferences, research studies if approved by medical center, or other means identified by assigned service.
  9. Responsible for independently completing comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments, suicide risk assessments, Veteran driven treatment plans, and for providing individual and group treatments in support of mental health and housing stability. Major responsibility of this role is to provide intensive case management services.
  10. Participating member of the multidisciplinary HCHV team. Incumbent provides independent social work services that are consistent with VHA Homeless Program guidelines and medical center policy (MCM) and procedures and department level standard operating procedures (SOP).
  11. Works with vulnerable Veterans with underlying chronic medical or mental health conditions that may substantially impact Veteran's life expectancy and/or ability to function that cannot be effectively cared for due to homelessness. Assigned Veterans may have advanced age and infirmity and diminished cognitive abilities that place the Veteran at increased risk of victimization physically, mentally and/or through exploitation.
  12. Incumbent will provide outreach to Veterans to assist with housing searches and housing retention. Outreach will include street outreach, homeless walk in clinics, completion of homeless consults, covering homeless hotline calls, reaching out to hospital discharge planning teams, and receiving referrals from community agencies. Incumbent will ensure that HCHV resources are targeted to chronically homeless Veterans in addition to other priority populations of homeless Veterans with the highest vulnerability.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8am to 4:30pm
Telework: Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Title/Functional Statement #:Social Worker- Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV)/PD000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Help

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.
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
  • Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Personnel.
  • VA uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/

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 - 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 - Must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level.
    • Exception- VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level. For the GS-11 grade level and above, the candidate must be licensed or certified. At the time of appointment, the supervisor, chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification, including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline.
  • English Language Proficiency - Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
Grade Determinations
GS-9 Requirements:
This is the entry level for social workers and is used for social workers with less than 1 year of post-MSW experience and for social workers who are not yet licensed or certified at the independent practice level.
(If enough applicants apply at the GS-11 level, it is possible that applicants who are only eligible at the GS-09 level will NOT be referred for this specific vacancy, as GS-11 with independent license is highly preferred.)

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
  1. Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills.
  2. Ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the Veterans problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed.
  3. Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals. This requires judgment and skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving, or crisis intervention techniques.
  4. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies.
  5. Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures. This includes acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses/injuries; common medications and their effects/side effects; and medical terminology.
GS-11 Requirements: This is the full performance level for social workers. GS-11 Social Workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work. They are assigned to all program areas, including inpatient or outpatient medicine, surgery, mental health, neurology, rehabilitation medicine, and geriatrics. Employees provide professional, independent social work services in the assigned area.
(This is the preferred level for this vacancy.)

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
  1. Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
References: VHA 5005, Appendix G39, Social Worker Qualification Standard.
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11.
The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-09 to GS-11.

Physical Requirements: Light Carrying (under 15 pounds); Use of fingers; Walking (1-2 hours); Standing (1-2 hours); Operation of crane, truck, or motor vehicle; Both eyes required; Depth perception; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Ability to distinguish shades of color; Hearing (aid may be permitted); Mental & emotional stability required; Work with psychiatric patients with behavioral problems; Work with patients with drug & ETOH problems.

Environmental Factors: Outside and inside, Excessive heat; Excessive cold; Dust; Fumes, smoke, or gases; Slippery or uneven walking surfaces; Working around moving objects or vehicles; Working closely with others; Exposure to overhead light; Exposure to pet dander; Exposure to scents from various homes/individuals; Exposure to shared office space that requires ability to focus with some distraction.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Note: Only master's degree in social work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). 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.

Additional information

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.

As required by Executive Order 14043, Federal employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 regardless of the employee's duty location or work arrangement (e.g., telework, remote work, etc.), subject to such exceptions as required by law. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required exception from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.


If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, résumé, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.