Senior Social Worker

Summary The New Mexico Veterans Affairs Health Care System (NMVAHCS) is currently seeking a social worker to join the Housing and Urban Development- VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) team. As the Rural HUD-VASH Social Worker - the incumbent is part of the interdisciplinary team providing psychosocial services to Veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness. They conduct outreach and assessments through in-person - phone - and video contacts. Summary The New Mexico Veterans Affairs Health Care System (NMVAHCS) is currently seeking a social worker to join the Housing and Urban Development- VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) team. As the Rural HUD-VASH Social Worker - the incumbent is part of the interdisciplinary team providing psychosocial services to Veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness. They conduct outreach and assessments through in-person - phone - and video contacts. 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: Master's degree in social work (MSW) 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 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 master's degree in 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 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) Senior Social Worker - GS-12 Experience/Education The candidate must have at least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which - one year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level Senior social workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment Senior social workers are experts in their specialized area of practice Senior social workers may have certification or other post-masters training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience in a specialty Licensure/Certification Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination - unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California - which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities In addition to the experience above - candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations This includes individual - group - and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management Ability to incorporate complex multiple causations in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice Knowledge in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area - utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to design system changes Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients in the service delivery area - as well as role modeling effective social work practice skills Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession - and to write policies - procedures - and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area Preferred Experience: Conducting home visits to provide case management for individuals with complex needs Experience working with individuals experiencing homelessness Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12 Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary but also demands standing - walking - bending - twisting - and carrying light items. Duties Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The HUD-VASH Rural Social Worker oversees all aspects of case management for assigned Veterans - including: Conducting outreach - community engagement - and Veteran identification for HCHV and HUD-VASH services Verifying Veteran eligibility for VA medical care and program participation Assisting with voucher paperwork and supporting Veterans through the voucher and lease-up processes Utilizing Housing First and evidence-based models to promote engagement and self-sufficiency Advocating for Veterans with landlords - PHA - community providers - and VA stakeholders Performing in-person and phone assessments - developing treatment plans - and conducting in-home visits Responding to Homeless Hotline calls - connecting Veterans to appropriate services Helping Veterans set and achieve goals related to housing - employment - healthcare - benefits - and life planning Coordinating comprehensive care - advocating for Veterans - and linking to VHA and community resources Managing a caseload from initial assessment to long-term housing stability Providing intensive case management for ongoing support Delivering social work services in individual and group settings - in accordance with VHA directives Participating in program calls - training - and adhering to VHA policies - including data collection and reporting Engaging in program planning - recommending policy adjustments based on caseload trends Committing to professional development through seminars - training - and staff initiatives Collaborating with NMVACHS staff and community agencies to improve service delivery Practicing in adherence to the NASW Code of Ethics and NMVAHCS guidelines Work Schedule: Monday through Friday - 08:00 a.m - 4:30 p.m Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized #J-18808-Ljbffr U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs