Social Worker (supportive Services For Veteran Families)

Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Position

The Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is responsible for providing case management and therapeutic services to Veterans throughout the VA Portland catchment area. SSVF programs serving Veterans within the VA Portland Health Care System (VAPORHCS) are private non-profit organizations and consumer cooperatives that assist very low-income Veteran families by providing a range of supportive services designed to promote housing stability.

Responsibilities

The duties of this position include but are not limited to:

• Provides direct Substance Use Disorder (SUD) services for Veterans enrolled in the Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program.
• Provides Outreach services for Veterans and supports referral to VA and community-based treatment programs, for Veterans enrolled in SSVF.
• Provides training for other members of the multidisciplinary treatment team in areas related to SUD assessment and co-occurring disorders.
• Completes comprehensive bio-psychosocial assessments evaluating the psychological functioning and needs of Veterans, including Veteran identified strengths, needs, abilities, and preferences (SNAP).
• Formulates and implements patient-centered treatment plans, using Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely (SMART) interventions, reassessing and revising as indicated by the Veteran's engagement in treatment.
• Utilizes recovery model framework to develop treatment interventions to address the factors that contributed to homelessness, including SUD and other co-occurring factors.
• Conducts individual and group treatment, including case management and psychotherapy treatment, including early interventions and supportive follow-up to ensure stability.
• Supports Veterans enrolled in SSVF by providing consultation to Grantee or accompanying SSVF case managers on home visits, as clinically indicated, as well as assists with policy development, goal setting, and treatment service planning discussions with SSVF Grantees and VA Homeless Programs.
• Serves as a member of a multidisciplinary homeless program treatment team.
• Develops strong partnerships and processes with local SSVF grantees, incumbent develops partnerships with community-based agencies providing direct services to Veterans experiencing homelessness and/or Substance Use Disorders.
• Provides appropriate clinical documentation for all contacts with or about Veterans within the time frames expected by the Mental Health Division and the VA Portland Health Care System.
• Incumbent ensures information in the Homeless Operation Management Evaluation Systems (HOMES) database is maintained, providing timely updates to case management stage and other relevant information needed, making improvements and adjustments as needed to ensure Medical Center performance is met or exceeded.
• Establishes, implements, and maintains referral and screening procedures for potential participants that meet national policy, supporting access to outpatient and residential programs within the VAPORHCS and the community.
• Monitors progress, collecting appropriate data to assess performance, reviewing to determine effectiveness of care, and makes recommendations to CRS Leadership for changes to delivery of services.
• Provides 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.
• Conducts and participates in outreach activities including interviews, assessments, and referrals to literally homeless Veterans and those in transitional housing, shelters, and other unstable housing locations.

Work Schedule

Monday - Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm

Incentives

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized

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)

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)

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.

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).

Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check.

To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov.

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.
• 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.
• 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.
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English.

Grade Determinations:

GS-9 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:

• Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills.
• 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.
• 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.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies.
• 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.

GS-11 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. OR 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:

• Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services.
• Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational and other diversified backgrounds.
• Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities and treatment procedures (i.e. acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries, common