Summary The Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn Columbia VA Health Care System (VAHCS) opened in 1932 at its current location. The facility has 204 skilled nursing beds, which includes acute medical, surgical, psychiatric, and long-term care. The hospital provides primary, secondary, and some tertiary care. The facility is a complex teaching hospital, providing a full range of patient care services, with state-of-the-art technology, education, and research. Responsibilities Develops working relationships with various community agencies, SSVF partners and other governmental agencies, often serving as the VA liaison or contact person. Have frequent contact with staff from various community agencies and maintains a good relationship that fosters interagency collaboration and allows for the coordinated care for Veterans. Interviews potential clients, confirms eligibility and attempts to complete a bio - psychosocial assessment screening for admission including the completion of HOMES form, discharge planning, evaluation for ongoing psychosocial service, evaluation of progress of treatment and the evaluation of the Veterans adjustment in their immediate environment, including assessment of need for environmental changes. Provides information, referrals and linkage to Veterans and families to VA healthcare, community resources, VA financial benefits, and assists with paperwork to obtain these services. Makes referrals to the various homeless programs, as appropriate, for further evaluation and indicated treatment such as HCHV intake, GPD transitional housing, CWT/CEC employment services, VJO and HUD/VASH. Incumbent interviews potential clients, confirms eligibility and attempts to complete a bio-psychosocial assessment and completes the HOMES forms, discharge planning and evaluation for ongoing services and interprets and explains the VA's treatment and benefit programs. Develops and appropriate treatment plan using known available resources and information from the psychosocial assessment. Provides direct social services to Veterans to include case management, transportation, crisis intervention, short focused individual and group intervention as appropriate directed at a specific limited objective such as assisting the Veteran with specific change in his/her normal lifestyle or overall treatment choice to affect an improvement in the Veterans level of functioning, employment status, family situation, etc. Maintain data and statistical compilations to comply with JCAHO, CARF, VA and medical center policy and procedures. Maintain familiarity and shares responsibility for all performance measures relating to VA's Health Care for Homeless Veterans Programs. Incumbent will assist with verifying Veterans' eligibility for VA hospital care and medical services and assist with linkage as appropriate by helping Veterans with completing VA Form 10-EZ, Application for Medical Benefits, for those Veterans not seen at the medical facility and/or will transport them to the VA eligibility office for services. Additional duties as assigned. Work Schedule: 8:00am to 4:30pm, M-F Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 01926-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized 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. 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 identification 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). 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 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 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. 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: Specialized Experience: Experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-6). Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: interview potential clients, provide direct social services to veterans, makes referrals to various homeless programs, and communicate effectively both verbally and in writing, etc. Education: As a General rule is not creditable however graduate education may be credited in few instances where graduate education is related directly to the position. Combination: Applicants may combine directly related graduate education and specialized experience to meet the total qualification requirement. 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-7. Physical Requirements: The physical demands of this position involve primarily walking, talking, driving, climbing stairs, standing, use of telephone, etc., and may handle and carry light to moderately heavy objects. No special physical demands are required to perform work. 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 for 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.
