Summary This position is eligible for 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 your start date. 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. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov for questions. Responsibilities The Senior Social Worker is responsible for clinical supervision of assigned staff and coordination of clinical services for Veterans receiving housing and supportive services provided through the program. Assigns work to subordinates based on priorities, selective consideration of the difficulty and requirements of assignments, and the capabilities of the employees. Evaluates the work performance of subordinates; develops performance standards; assigns performance ratings; approves awards; takes performance-based corrective actions; and provides advice, counsel, or instruction to employees on both clinical and administrative matters. Interviews candidates for positions; recommends appointments, promotions, or reassignment; hears and resolves complaints, referring group grievances and more serious unresolved complaints to a higher-level supervisor or manager; counsels subordinates on behavior and initiates minor disciplinary measures. Independently directs program planning, development, and operations, overseeing caseload trends & making necessary adjustments in consultation. Identifies and develops needed changes to program procedures or policies and oversees the implementation of these changes. Responsible for providing clinical mental health treatment/case management for a caseload of homeless Veterans. Responsible for reviewing agreements between Section 8, landlords, Public Housing Authorities, and the VA in establishing appropriate referral sites. Performs on-site visits to ensure that Veterans reside in safe environments in compliance with local housing codes. Verifies the Veteran's status, eligibility for VA medical care, and eligibility for program participation. Responsible for providing HUD-VASH case management. 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. Complies with criminal conflict of interest laws and Executive Branch Standards of Conduct to avoid conflicts of interest. Responsible for following local policy and SOP for the Homeless Programs. Performs accountability functions: 1) documents all contacts with patients/families in the medical charts; 2) complete statistical and other reports by VA Medical Center and respective professional discipline service policies. Works with multi-disciplinary teams and community agencies to strive to develop more effective and efficient ways of delivering healthcare services. Provides comprehensive psychological/social work/nursing services to Veterans and their families. Responsibilities include the management, coordination, and provision of services to Veterans and their families in inpatient, outpatient, and community settings. In the provision of care in patients from the adult (less than 65 years of age) to the geriatric (greater than 65 years of age), the employee recognizes the age-related needs and demonstrates knowledge and care appropriate to that age group. Work Schedule: Monday Thru Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: AD-HOC Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more 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. Must possess a current, valid drivers' license and be cleared to drive and transport veterans. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). 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. Education: Hold a master's or doctoral degree in: Clinical Mental Health Counseling; Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling; Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling; or a related field, from a program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Examples of related mental health counseling fields include, but are not limited to Addiction Counseling; Community Counseling; Gerontology Counseling; Marital, Couple, and Family Counseling. CACREP defines the date when graduates are considered to have graduated from a CACREP accredited program. Additional information may be obtained from http://www.cacrep.org/directory/. NOTE: Traditional Rehabilitation counseling programs that are accredited by CACREP do not meet the LPMHC qualification standards as Traditional Rehabilitation counseling differs from Clinical Rehabilitation counseling. Licensure: Persons hired or reassigned to LPMHC positions in the GS-0183 series in VHA must hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to independently practice as a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, which includes diagnosis and treatment. NOTE: Loss of Licensure-Once licensed, LPMHCs must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted license to independently practice mental health counseling, which includes diagnosis and treatment. Loss of licensure will result in removal from the GS-0183 LPMHC occupation and may result in termination of employment. Grade Determinations: Supervisory Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, GS-12: Experience, Education, and Licensure: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills, judgment, and competency. *In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-11 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: 1. Ability to administratively supervise other providers and conduct meetings. 2. Ability to maintain a professional environment by following organizational policies, guidelines and safety standards. 3. Ability to establish and clearly communicate guidelines and performance expectations for staff. Assignments: At this level, LPMHCs administratively supervise their licensed staff and/or graduates and are considered LPMHC subject matter experts and may serve as the discipline lead. LPMHCs may provide treatment to patients. They direct the development and implementation of services and treatment to patients through the administrative supervision, mentoring, and oversight of assigned clinical staff. Their experience must demonstrate practice skills in a specialty area or in administration demonstrating progressively more professional competency and judgment. Preferred Experience: Experience working with people experiencing homelessness. Experience working with Public Housing Authorities. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: This work requires moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds, moderate carrying, 15-44 pounds, light carrying, use of fingers, operation of motor vehicle, use of computer screen and hearing (aid may be permitted) . Environmental Factors include outside and inside, slippery or uneven walking surfaces, working closely with others, working alone and places where homeless people congregate. 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 Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. 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.
