Social Worker (Program Coordinator)

Job Title

Social Worker for the Veterans Justice Programs (VJP) Program Specialist - a Hybrid position of Healthcare for Re-entry Veterans (HCRV) and Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO) Programs.

The incumbent serves as Social Worker for the Veterans Justice Programs (VJP) Program Specialist - a Hybrid position of Healthcare for Re-entry Veterans (HCRV) and Veterans Justice Outreach (VJO) Programs. VJP includes a range of services intended to assist justice-involved Veterans. It is a multistage program establishing contact with Veterans, many with mental illness and/or substance use disorders, in prison, jail, court and other criminal justice settings, and facilitating their access to a wide range of medical, psychiatric, employment, and social services.

Duties may include but not limited to:

• Identifies Veterans among persons incarcerated in prison or jail, or otherwise in contact with criminal justice agencies. Engaging Veterans in participation in a treatment-matching assessment and follow-up with services is a vital component of outreach.
• Treatment-matching assessment provides an initial determination of the needs of the Veteran seen by the VJP Specialist, and develops an initial plan. Once the Veteran presents at a VA medical center following outreach.
• Provides the Veteran with information on resources such as VA medical, psychiatric, substance use disorder and employment services, post-release housing and community services, and benefits. As part of this education service, VJP Specialists are responsible for maintaining state-specific Incarcerated Veterans Reentry Guides which contain information on resources and how to plan a successful reentry.
• Consultation and advocacy with VA and non-VA community programs provide the opportunity to address the receipt of VA services and issues presented by justice-involved Veterans. Consultation and advocacy have the goals of keeping barriers to service low, and ensuring timely access to the continuum of care necessary to assist Veterans with community stability. Activities may include formal education to internal VA staff or external criminal justice stakeholders, meeting with leadership at a variety of levels, including VA leaders, criminal justice leaders, and elected officials, and one-on-one consultation regarding plans of clinical care.
• Systems intervention is intended to improve VA, criminal justice, and non-VA community programs' services to Veterans involved in criminal justice. It includes educating all stakeholders about the population, and developing and negotiating strategies to better serve Veterans involved in the criminal justice system.

Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 8:00am-4:30pm

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: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 92811A

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized