Social Worker (OutreachPrevention Case Manager & HCHVHUD VASH)

The Social Worker in this position functions in a dual role serving as the Outreach/Prevention Case Manager and HCHV/HUD VASH point of entry for Bath VAMCs Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Program. The Social Worker is responsible for monitoring Veterans that are homeless or at risk of homelessness in the community as well as initiating and coordinating services to ensure housing retention for those at-risk Veterans served in the HUD VASH program.

The HCHV program works closely with community partners to ensure Veterans remain successfully housed. Numerous challenges may arise for this at-risk group and the Social Worker in this position must be able to multitask and efficiently navigate complex systems in a high paced environment. The Social Worker will conduct outreach to Veterans that are at-risk and vulnerable to homelessness as needed. Community meeting participation will be expected to ensure all at-risk Veterans in the community are being reached. Along with community outreach for referrals and education public relationship and marketing of HCHV services as needed.

The Social Worker provides case manage for those enrolled in HCHV and HUD-VASH. HUD-VASH is an intensive case management program for chronically homeless Veterans and their families aimed at providing psychosocial services to Veterans while residing in stable housing through HUDs Section 8 voucher system. The Social Worker in this position functions as the Case Manager for VAMCs Housing and Urban Development /VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH). Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program funding will provide rental assistance under a supportive housing program for homeless Veterans authorized by section 8(o)(19) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)(19).

Major duties and responsibilities of the position:

• The social worker serves as the point of contact for the HCHV Program responsible for answering referrals/consults from VA facilities and community resources.
• The social worker is responsible for assessing all Veterans that enter into the HCHV program. This includes identifying all psychosocial needs of the Veteran and determining the appropriate services required. Along with completing treatment plans and clinical reminds/postings.
• The social worker verifies the Veterans status and eligibility for VA and non-VA resources along with eligibility criteria for VA and non-VA programs. The social worker must have knowledge of VA and non-VA resources and the ability to work within multiple systems to advocate appropriately for Veterans.
• The social worker is responsible for collecting and submitting HCHV Program participant data as outlined by NEPEC evaluation procedures.
• The Social Worker is responsible for following and maintaining a process for referrals and admissions into any HCHV Program and ensures that Veterans in HCHV are considered primary participants for program acceptance.
• The social worker is responsible for collecting and submitting HOMES assessments as indicated. The social worker is responsible for working with the local Continuum of Care (COC) COC subcommittees and Homeless Housing Task Forces committees along with ensuring VA is in compliance with COC.
• The social worker is responsible for reviewing agreements between Section 8 landlords Public Housing Authorities and the VA in establishing appropriate referral sites for HUD-VASH placements. The social worker performs site visits of HUD-VASH apartments to ensure that Veterans reside in safe environments in compliance with local housing codes.
• The social worker 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.
• The social worker actively participates in the HUD-VASH Program conference calls attends training offered by the HUD-VASH HCHV team meetings and other VA medical center mandatory meetings/ trainings.
• The social worker is responsible for following local and national VA policies along with Standard Operating Procedures for HCHV. This includes following policies and documentation requirements as required for CARF and Joint Commission accreditation.

• 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.

• 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.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C. 7407(a).
• 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. Verification of the degree can be made by going to 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 masters degree level. Current state requirements may be found by going to 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.
• 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-Masters 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 masters 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 masters 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 GS-9
Experience Education and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements.
Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
(a) Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic cultural ethnic educational and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills.
(b) 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.
(c) 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.
(d) Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients staff and representatives of community agencies.
(e) 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.

Social Worker GS-11
Experience and Licensure. Appointment to the GS-11 grade level requires completion of a minimum of one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the field of health care or other social work-related settings (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level. OR

Education. In addition to meeting basic requirements a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required one year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting. AND

Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
(a) Knowledge of community resources how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services and ability to coordinate services.
(b) 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.
(c) 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.
(d) 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.
(e) 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.

Drivers License preferred.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit 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: Work is sedentary but also demands standing walking bending twisting and carrying light items. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
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: 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:

Additional information

Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted heated and ventilated. However the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations. Work is also conducted outside of the office for example: in the car the patients home and / or at community partners.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

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.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicants criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations Security and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government passionate about the ideals of our American republic and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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