The HUD/VASH Program Coordinator is administratively and clinically responsible for the HUD/VASH Program located within the Community Support Services located in the Social Work Service Line at the Bronx VA Medical Center. The primary goal of the HUD/VASH Program is to provide affordable, permanent housing with recovery-oriented case management services to homeless Veterans and their families in order to successfully re-integrate them back into the community and prevent future homelessness. 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: 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. Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/. Loss of Licensure or Certification. Once licensed or certified, social workers must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment. Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services. English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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). Creditable Experience. The candidate must have knowledge of current professional social work practices. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics associated with current professional social work practice. The experience or education must be post-Master of Social Work (MSW) degree. Experience and education satisfying this requirement must be active professional practice, which is paid/non-paid employment as a professional social worker, as defined by the appropriate state licensing board. Quality of Experience. Experience is only creditable if it is obtained following graduation with a master's degree in social work and if it includes work as a professional social worker directly related to the position to be filled. Qualifying experience must also be at a level comparable to social work experience at the next lower level. Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time work week. For example, one week of full-time credit is equivalent to two weeks of part-time work. Fellowships or Post-Graduate Training. Fellowship and post-graduate training programs are typically in a specialized area of clinical practice, i.e., group or family practice. Training as a fellow or post-graduate may be substituted for creditable experience on a year-for-year basis. Practicum in a VA Setting. A VHA practicum experience may not be substituted for experience, as the practicum (field placement) is completed prior to graduation with a master's degree in social work. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Social Worker (Program Coordinator), 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 September 10, 2019 Applicants with a valid, current driver's license preferred. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is a GS-12. ["Duties and Responsibilities: - The GS-12 social worker is capable of practicing independently at the advanced level and has specialized knowledge of practice related to a particular diagnosis or special Veteran populations with highly complex health or mental health problems requiring expert level of psychosocial interventions. - Serves as the medical center's primary point of contact for the National HUD/VASH Program, Office of Mental Health Services, and VACO. - Screens all Veterans referred to the HUD/VASH program via admission screening team meetings. Coordinates the meetings as well as maintain data logs with outcomes of the team meetings. - Develops a working relationship with the designated HUD point of contact and coordinates the housing voucher application and award process for each Veteran. - Reviews the agreements between Section 8 landlords, HUD, and the VA to establish appropriate referral sites for placements. - Develops and maintains service delivery systems for homeless Veterans including but not limited to collaborating with other agencies, building and maintaining an effective treatment team, and providing structure and documentation to accomplish these tasks. - Maintains accurate records of admission and discharge dates of Veterans utilizing HUD/VASH vouchers and meets with the Community Support Services Manager regularly to review progress and performance. - Collects and submits Veteran information as outlined by NEPEC/HOMES evaluations procedures. Collect and transmit to appropriate persons/services all necessary outcome data and reports used to evaluate program performance and progress in a timely manner. - Engages in coordination with the VA and community agencies, organizations, and groups as to learn of current services, resources and/or benefits available for homeless Veterans. - Actively participates in program planning and development, advising the Community Support Services Manager of shifting trends with caseloads and identifying the need for and making recommendations on program procedure or policy changes based upon work experiences. - Participates in program evaluation and performance improvement initiatives at the program, medical center, VISN and national levels by identifying questions and trends that should be studied as a basis toward improving aspects of social service and/or physical or mental health care delivery to Veterans. Devises and carries out projects designed to improve Veteran care. - Actively participates in the HUD/VASH conference calls and participates in other relevant conference calls and/or meetings as assigned. - Takes responsibility for improving professional skills, participating in planning and executing specific staff development projects, attending seminars and institutes, and participating in training programs as needed or assigned. - Works with VA Medical Center multi-disciplinary teams and community agencies to strive for developing more effective and efficient ways of delivering healthcare services to Veterans utilizing HUD/VASH vouchers. - Provides clinical supervision to HUD/VASH Case Managers and is aware of their caseloads to provide coverage when needed. - In-depth knowledge of the program coordinated, and demonstrated knowledge and ability to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program. - Knowledge and skill in management/administration, which includes supervision, consultation, negotiation, and monitoring. - Ability to supervise multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program. - Ability to organize work, set priorities, meet multiple deadlines, and evaluates assigned program area(s). - Ability to provide training, orientation, consultation, and guidance within clinical specialization of practice. - Actively participates in the planning, organization and surveying of the program for CARF and Joint Commission Accreditation. Clinical duties: -Provides case management services and is responsible for completing psychosocial assessments, developing, and implementing treatment plans and aftercare plans, and other direct care such as education to Veterans and their family member(s)/significant other(s) on available resources in the VA and the community. - Utilizes various treatment modalities of individual and group work, casework, community organization, and community outreach activities to alleviate or remove problems that interfere with the Veteran's ability to achieve independence. - Establishes/maintains effective partnerships with the Veteran and family members/significant others in the program to meet individualized goals towards recovery. - Enters all client contacts in progress notes in a complete, confidential, professional manner. Performs other duties as assigned Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 24016-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]
Providing Health Care for Veterans: The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,255 health care facilities, including 170 medical centers and 1,074 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.
