Social Worker HUD VASH

VA Careers - Social Work: Responsibilities

• Provides case management for a caseload of Veterans in the HUD-VASH program (case management is defined as the provision of services by VA clinical staff to homeless Veterans and includes all activities to provide appropriate treatment and maintain Veterans in HUD approved stable housing)
• Provides direct linkage from community services to VHA homeless program services through regular and consistent outreach and communication with community providers
• Coordinates care including serving as an advocate on behalf of the Veterans to ensure comprehensive service delivery and linking and referring Veterans to the VA Medical Center VA Regional Offices and/or community agencies
• Performs site visits of HUD-VASH apartments within the Detroit metropolitan area (Macomb Oakland Sanilac St. Clair and Wayne counties) to ensure that Veterans reside in safe environments in compliance with local housing codes
• Performs site visits to Veterans within the Detroit metropolitan area (Macomb Oakland Sanilac St. Clair and Wayne counties)
• Verifies Veteran status eligibility for VA medical care and eligibility of program participation
• Conducts psychosocial assessments identifies psychosocial problems and stressors and diagnoses psychosocial and psychiatric conditions
• Completes comprehensive Veteran-centered recovery-focused treatment plans and updates as appropriate/required
• Assesses the need for referral for more intensive and/or specialty mental health services
• Independently identifies high-risk patients and connects with needed resources and services as needed
• Consults collaborates and coordinates with other staff who provide care to Veteran
• Reviews agreements between Housing Choice Voucher Authority landlords Public Housing Authorities and the VA in establishing appropriate referral sites for HUD-VASH placements
• Participates in community and VA collaboration meetings including but not limited to By Name List Meetings assigned to each county covered within the catchment
• Actively participates in program planning and development advising the supervisor of shifting trends with caseloads and identifying the need for and making recommendations on program procedure or policy changes based upon work experiences
• Complies with criminal conflict of interest laws and Executive Branch Standards of conduct so as to avoid conflicts of interest while serving as the HUD-VASH Case Manager
• Follows VHA VISN and local policies for the HUD-VASH Program. This includes following policies and documentation requirements as required for Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities and Joint Commission accreditation
• Serves as social work champion for treatment planning discharge planning and psychosocial and psychotherapeutic needs
• Provides clinical supervision to social work trainees
• Serves on Medical Center or Healthcare System VISN and/or National VA committees or task forces as assigned by the Supervisor or the Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health.
• Represents social work on decision-making committees at the Medical Center or Healthcare System as assigned by the Supervisor or the Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health.

Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
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 $144000 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: Ad Hoc per administration guidance
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 94444-A 94443-A
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

• 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.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the Required Documents section of this announcement.
• 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.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public determining if your employment advances the public interest we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification in writing that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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 masters 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 masters degree in social work.
• Licensure. Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the masters 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 up to the full performance level.
• English Language Proficiency. Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Regulations.

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).

Grade Determinations (GS-9) Entry Level
Experience Education and Licensure. GS-9 is the entry level grade for the GS-185 social work series and is used for social workers with less than one year of post-MSW experience and for social workers who are not yet licensed or certified at the independent practice level. Social workers at the GS-9 level are working toward completion of prerequisites for licensure or certification.

• Assignments. Individuals assigned as GS-9 social workers are considered to be at the entry level and are closely supervised as they are not yet functioning at the independent practice level conferred by independent licensure or certification. Social workers at the GS-9 entry level are typically assigned to VHA program areas that do not require specialized knowledge or experience. Since these social workers are not practicing at an independent level they should not be assigned to program areas where independent practice is required such as in a CBOC unless there is a licensed social worker in the program area who can provide supervision for practice. GS-9 social workers provide psychosocial services in the assigned area under supervision.

Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• Ability to utilize a Veteran centric approach when providing interventions and counseling for Veterans their family members caregivers and survivors.
• 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.
• 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.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients staff and representatives of community agencies.
• 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.

Grade Determinations (GS-11 Full Performance Level)
Experience Education and Licensure. GS-11 full performance level requires completion of a minimum of I year of post-MSW degree experience in the field of health care social work (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level. OR In addition to meeting basic requirements a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required 1 year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting.

• Assignments. 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.

Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• Knowledge of community resources how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services and ability to coordinate services.
• Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic educational and other backgrounds.
• 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.
• Skill in independently implementing different treatment modalities in working with individuals families and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric 8 medical and social problems to achieve treatment goals.
• 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.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit Experience: Has provided case management services within the last 3 years. Has worked in a community or home-based work setting within the last 3 years. Has worked (2 years) with mental health and/or substance use disorder services.

The full performance level of this vacancy is 11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 09 to 11.

Physical Requirements: Ability to use computers frequently/continuously throughout the day for data input and communication. Ability to use phone. Ability to physically access various treatment settings within the facility as well as various settings in the community. Ability to sit for prolonged periods of time. Ability to lift and carry 50 pounds. Ability to walk up and down steps. Ability to navigate unfamiliar surroundings. Possession of current and valid drivers license is a requirement as incumbent is required to drive to various community locations as part of job duties.