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Summary This Social Worker is assigned to Community Housing and Outreach Services (CHOS), specifically with Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) programs at VA Puget Sound Health Care System (VAPSHCS) located in the Puget Sound Region, Washington with responsibility to provide direct services for Veterans, their families and caregivers. Responsibilities The incumbent functions as the Department's subject matter expert for the provision of eligibility and outreach services to Veterans experiencing homelessness. Duties will include: Provides assessment and psychotherapy services initiated through outreach with the focus on providing access to housing resources and monitoring of Veteran involvement with appropriate VA and community-based providers throughout the continuum of services. Responsible for coordination and support related to Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM), education and training, and outreach in accordance with the goals and mission of CHOS and SWS. Provides support to CHOS staff as a functional member of the team, to include participation in outreach activities and provide subject matter consultation on community involved interventions for homeless Veterans. Works with Health Administration Services (HAS) or designated program to verify Veteran eligibility in homeless programming and/or medical services, supports enrollment processes into the VA Healthcare System, and facilitates utilization of resources as soon as possible by communicating eligibility status to service providers within the VA and non-VA homeless continuum within the region. Coordinates referrals for assessments for placements in transitional housing, the VA Domiciliary, WA State Soldier's Homes, WA State Veteran's Homes, HUD-VASH, SSVF, ATC, and other VA or non-VA treatment and/or residential alternatives. Incumbent shares expertise with internal and/or external customers to the organization by leading or actively participating in interdisciplinary groups such as committees, taskforces, projects, formal teaching, publishing, or professional activities. Serves as a role model for utilization or appropriate communication and conflict management techniques. Incumbent independently identifies high-risk Veterans and provides crisis intervention services, seeking to address the cause as well as the presenting complaint, coordinates family conferences and serves as liaison to family members, as indicated. Has working knowledge and experience in use 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. Incumbent conducts routine suicide risk screens, comprehensive assessments and collaborative safety plans when clinically indicated; provides follow-up appointments for all Veterans upon initiation on the "High Risk for Potential Suicide List" in compliance with VACO directives to include follow-up with Veterans who fail to attend appointments per local procedures. Incumbent independently conducts psychosocial assessments. Establishes care plans in collaboration with the Veteran/family and with the interdisciplinary treatment team, including referrals to appropriate housing intervention programs within and outside of the VA, as well as other medical and/or mental health programs, as determined by the assessment. Incumbent independently provides consultation services to other staff regarding the psychosocial needs of Veterans and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and adherence to treatment plan. Incumbent collaborates in identifying and addressing ethical issues that impact patients and staff, including initiating and participating in ethical consultations. Maintains complete Veteran confidentiality. Analyzes ethical/care issues, applying appropriate theoretical principles and ensures application of institutional policy. Incumbent participates in local and national EHRM meetings and provides feedback to leadership related to issues identified that may affect clinical programming or access to services. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. 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) 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. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment 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. You may be required to serve a trial period. 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Must possess a valid drivers' license and be cleared to drive a government vehicle. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. 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. English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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. TRANSCRIPTS WITH CONFER DATE REQUIRED WITH APPLICATION PACKAGE. 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. 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-11 Full Performance Level 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. 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. 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, 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. Preferred Experience: Experience working with individuals experiencing homelessness and experience with veterans. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. Physical Requirements: moderate lifting and carrying (15-44 lbs), pushing (6 hrs), operation of a motor vehicle, ability to distinguish basic colors, hearing (aid may be permitted), exposure to outside and inside, working closely with others, working alone. 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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information 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 applicant's 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.