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Summary Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV): This position is located in Social Work Service- Homeless Program Department, VA Central California Health Care System, Fresno, CA. The central goal of HCHV programs is to reduce homelessness among Veterans by engaging and connecting homeless Veterans with healthcare and other needed services. Responsibilities HCHV Senior Social Worker performs the functions throughout the medical center and community. Interventions take place in variety of settings and not necessarily in the traditional office settings. Travel throughout the medical center and the community is a component of providing patient centered care and continuity of care. HCHV clinicians provide walk-in clinics in order to meet face-to-face encounters same day access and triage high risk psychosocial assessments, participate as a member of a multi-disciplinary team in discharge planning for Veterans hospitalized, care coordination for posthospitalization follow up/or upon referral, conducts outreach activities including field interviews and all community settings, respond and complete homeless or other consults/referrals assigned to the program, respond and complete referrals from the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans Hotline Crisis line, completes VA specific clinical reminders (Suicide Screens, etc.) within licensure level and social work scope of practice. The incumbent will provide direct clinical services including conducting intakes and assessments to determine needs of veterans and family members; developing comprehensive treatment plans to address factors that contributed to homelessness including SUD factors, and identifying symptoms leading to clinical diagnoses of SUD and other clinical assessments. The incumbent will provide recovery oriented treatment with the goal of establishing the veteran independently in the community at the veteran's highest level of functioning and quality of life. Participates in collaborative treatment planning with the Veteran, family and the multi/interdisciplinary treatment team; prior to team meetings, reassess the Veterans current psychosocial situation, to include financial, residential status, coordinate any equipment needs and other needs that may affect discharge. The incumbent will act as liaison between VA and community resources to ensure continuity of care and promote successful transition of services. The incumbent will develop partnerships with community agencies, particularly those serving homeless veterans and at-risk veterans, with regular contact and communication. The incumbent will participate in committee assignments and/or outreach, Point in Time (PIT Count), Stand-down events and the Homeless Summit as deemed necessary by the service level program manager and/or Service Chiefs. The incumbent will as appropriate, supervise the practice of social work students/MSW Interns. The incumbent will make referrals to various VA Programs, i.e., HUD/VASH, GPD, Shelter Plus Care, Employment, VJO, HUD/VASH SOAR, emergency housing, etc. as well as programs in the community. The incumbent will provide consultation/education to Veterans and families on community resources, advance directive discussion and completing the form and VA benefits. General knowledge of Veterans' benefits and services relating to special programs, service connected compensation, nonservice connected pension. As consulted or requested, facilitates referrals based upon Veterans needs and eligibility. Documentation: the social worker provides a clinical assessment that support the Veterans current situation or need based on services rendered in the encounter. Documentation codes utilized include diagnosis relate to either previous mental health or psychosocial related; use discipline approved CPT codes. Documentation is a critical element, encounters, productivity and workload will be met at the appropriate benchmark each month as determined by the direct supervisor and SWS leadership. Complete service and/or program specific documentation pertaining to caseload statistics and outcomes in program identified data bases. Knowledge and skill in the use of word-processing, data management and other computer systems (Outlook, CPRS), especially those programs in use by VA. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8am to 4:30pm Telework: Not Available Travel: Up to 25% may be required. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. EDRP Authorized: This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact [email protected] , the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment NOTE: Prior to accepting a final employment offer, all selected applicants will be required to sign a Memorandum of Understanding regarding deployment responsibilities You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. 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 (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 and maintain CDT physical readiness. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Must be able to meet physical demands which include strenuous physical activity to include carrying persons and equipment, walking long distances over difficult terrain, running, climbing, working long hours in primitive or arduous conditions, long periods of standing, and bending and stooping. Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In 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. Qualifications 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. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. 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. Note: 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. Licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work 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. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements stated above, the following qualification criteria must be met for each grade. The candidate's qualifications must clearly demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade. Experience: 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 and 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. 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 causation 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 and Certifications Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), or Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) certification Full independent licensure at the advanced practice level At least two years should be in an area of specialized social work practice. Experience in conducting visits to impacted areas and emergency shelters, possibly in conjunction with VA Disaster Emergency Medical Personal System (DEMPS) or other Emergency Management response protocols Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Eligible applicants must be physically and mentally able to perform efficiently the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation, without hazard to themselves or others. Depending on the essential duties of a specific position, usable vision, color vision, hearing or speech may be required. However, in most cases, a specific physical condition or impairment of a specific function may be compensated for by the satisfactory use of a prosthesis or mechanical aid. Education 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.