Outreach Social Worker Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Summary
The HCHV Outreach Social Worker functions independently in community-based setting and is often required to manage and deliver assistance for chronically mentally ill Veterans who are in crisis. The HCHV Outreach Social Worker will have a broad and comprehensive knowledge of community resources and will be familiar with local, State and Federal benefits.
Learn more about this agency
Duties
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VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU
VA Careers - Licensed Clinical Social Worker: https://youtube.com/embed/U_xC25QsN0w
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional
Duties include but not limited to:

• The HCHV Outreach Social Worker will locate Veterans in the community and engage Veterans seeking services through Community Integration Services. This may involve visiting homeless encampments, shelters, and areas unfit for human habitation (e.g., under bridges, parks). The HCHV Outreach Social Worker will provide information about Community Integration Services and may transport Veterans to/from the VAMHCS if needed, to engage homeless Veterans.
• The HCHV Outreach Social Worker will complete a psychosocial assessment under the supervision of a Clinical Supervisor or Senior Social Worker. The HCHV Outreach Social Worker is also responsible for developing a plan of care for the Veteran. The goal of this psychosocial assessment is to highlight the Veteran's strengths, limitations, internal/external support and service needs, to optimize the Veteran's functional status.
• The HCHV Outreach Social Worker is responsible for contributing to the development of the plan of care and setting achievable treatment goals with the Veteran, family members /significant others and other community and hospital-based providers.
• The HCHV Outreach Social Worker demonstrates an understanding of the range of treatment and skills needed for all adult homeless patients, being sensitive to human growth and development, age-appropriate needs and concerns of the Veteran, and be able to provide current and advanced techniques to the treatment of this Veteran population. It is the responsibility of the HCHV Outreach Social Worker to refer homeless Veterans for appropriate levels of care while attempting to engage the Veteran in a therapeutic relationship. It is also the responsibility of the HCHV Social Worker to assist in addressing treatment barriers for the homeless Veteran population.
• The HCHV Outreach Social Worker is responsible for contributing to the development of the plan of care and setting achievable treatment goals with the Veteran, family members /significant others and other community and hospital-based providers.
• Throughout the course of treatment, the HCHV Outreach Social Worker is the subject matter expert on VA and community based homeless resources. The HCHV Outreach Social Worker will collaborate with internal and external service providers in addressing the Veteran's needs. The HCHV Outreach Social Worker is responsible for educating the Veteran and family members/significant others of available services and assisting them in establishing appropriate service referrals, based on the Veteran's preference.
• The HCHV Outreach Social Worker is responsible for efficiently accessing internal and community based homeless Veterans. The HCHV Outreach Social Worker is also responsible for developing their own knowledge base regarding community homeless resources as well as competency in procedural processes for accessing these services. The HCHV Outreach Social Worker may also be tasked with expanding collaborations with community-based providers to provide access to other community-based social services.

Work Schedule:8am- 4:30pm Monday-Friday
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): No
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): No
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)
Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
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: May be eligible for ad-hoc telework.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 512-260321-F and 512-260322-F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): No
Requirements
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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• 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.
• 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 tohttp://www.cswe.org/Accreditation 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 master's degree level. Current state requirements may be found by going tohttp://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/.

Exception: 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.]
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).
Grandfathering Provision. The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all title 38 hybrid qualification standards. Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/registration requirements that apply to this occupation.

1. All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all of the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:
2. Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure or certification, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
3. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
4. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
5. If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. § 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

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 Requirements:

• 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 utilize a Veteran centric approach when providing interventions and counseling for Veterans, their family members, caregivers, and survivors.
(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 Requirements:

• 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:

(a)Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to comm