Summary

The incumbent provides community-based case management services to Veterans participating in the HUD-VASH program within the Community Reintegration and Recovery Service across the North Florida / South Georgia Veterans Health System (NF/SGVHS) working within the Mental Health Service located in Jacksonville - FL or Gainesville - FL.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet the requirements by the closing date of this announcement - which is 09/17/2025.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States
• 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
• Licensure: Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-185 series at the 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/
• 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 employment termination
• Grade Determinations
• In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates
• Senior Social Worker GS-12 Experience and Education: The candidate must have at least two (2) years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which - one (1) year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level
• Senior social workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment
• Senior social workers 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
• Licensure/Certification: Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state 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
• Advanced Practice Licensure must be submitted with your application
• 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)
• Preferred Experience: Previous Mental Health and Homeless experience
• Reference: VA Regulations - specifically VA Handbook 5005/120 - Part II - Appendix G39 - Qualification Standard - dated 9/10/19
• For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12
• Physical Requirements: The work requires extreme patience and controlling of emotions
• The work may require using appropriate techniques to physical restrain patients who present a danger to self or others
• The work may also require assisting physically disabled Veterans
• Day to day work involves sitting - walking - standing and carrying light objects
• The work is typically performed in a clinical setting that exposes the incumbent to the communicable diseases common to the homeless populations
• Much of the work is performed in a setting away from the office - where the environment cannot be controlled
• Incumbent must have a valid driver's license and pass Occupational Health screening as position will require driving a government vehicle
• Travel is expected at least 75% or less of the work week.

Duties

• The duties of the HUD-VASH Senior Social Worker include: Responsible for program oversight - monitoring and administration - serving as the primary contact with local Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) and providing case management-based services (directly or through referral) necessary to ensure that Veteran care is coordinated with the VA Medical Center - community health or mental health providers - and agencies that serve homeless populations
• Provides services in serious - complex and complicated cases - often referred by other workers and interdisciplinary team members and carries full responsibility for cases presenting a wide range of psychosocial and environmental problems
• Works closely with the VA medical center's homeless programs - residential and community care programs - and domiciliary programs to ensure that coordination between these entities is facilitated and veterans direct care - refer and follow-up is contiguous and based on a continuum of services
• Serves as the Medical Center's primary point of contact for the National HUD/VASH Program - Office of Mental Health Services - VACO
• Develops working relationships and agreements with other organizations and directly coordinates with the designated PHA regarding housing voucher application and award process for each Veteran
• Establishes - implements - and maintains referral and screening procedures for potential HUD/VASH Veteran participants that meet national and local policy as well as needs of medical center mental health services and residential programs
• Conducts and participates regularly in outreach activities including field interviews - assessments and referrals for homeless Veterans contacted in the community - shelters - and \"on the streets -\" as well as those who are referred by VA Programs - medical centers or outpatient clinics utilizing a government owned vehicle
• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8:00am - 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not available
• Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized
• Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)
• 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: Not available
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: Senior Social Worker HUD/VASH - FS #52053F.