Montana Jobs

Summary Housing and Urban Development-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program is an intensive case management program for chronically homeless and other vulnerable homeless Veterans. The program combines rental assistance for homeless Veterans through HUD and case management and clinical services provided by the VA. HUDVASH utilizes the principles of Housing First, Harm Reduction and a team-based model of care aimed at assisting Veterans in maintaining stable housing. Responsibilities Accepts referrals for screening and admission to the program, gathers information about a Veteran's status and eligibility for VA medical care, & verifies a clinical need for program participation. Case management and appropriate services for Veterans in the HUD-VASH program based on the Veteran's needs, acuity level, and preferences for care. Reassesses for changes in the Veteran's needs, acuity level & preferences for care at least quarterly. Empowers and respects the Veteran's right to self-determination while helping the Veteran identify & articulate their strengths, needs, abilities & preferences. Serves as an advocate on behalf of the Veterans with landlords, PHAs, VA services & community providers. Coordinates care of Veterans with high-acuity and high-risk mental health & behavioral factors with relevant providers in the VA & community. Utilizes Housing First, Harm Reduction and other evidence-based practice models to promote Veteran engagement & self-efficacy. Assists Veterans in development of their self-identified goals & assists Veterans in removing barriers to achieve their stated goals. Promotes housing retention and stability. Includes but is not limited to helping Veterans understand their lease agreement, develop money management & budgeting skills, establish healthy boundaries, learn how to effectively communicate with landlords & PHAs & navigate the recertification process as needed. Complies with criminal conflict of interest laws & Executive Branch Standards of conduct to avoid conflicts of interest. Adheres to professional ethics guidelines & completes annual ethics training. Participates in Homeless Program conference calls, monthly national HUD-VASH calls and VISN calls. Develops relationships with the local Continuum of Care & actively participates in Coordinated Entry case conference meetings. Follows policies and documentation requirements for CARF & JC accreditation. Responsible for improving professional skills, participating in planning & executing specific staff development projects, attending seminars & participating in training programs of other disciplines as requested. Participates in mandatory Prevention & Management of Disruptive Behavior training, reporting all incidents of Veteran threats, aggression or violence including those witnessed in the community and completing required safety training to include suicide risk reduction. Outreach services to engage homeless Veterans, especially those who are chronically homeless & are highly vulnerable. Conducts comprehensive bio-psychosocial assessments to ensure appropriateness of placement into the program, determine acuity status & identify needs. Performs site visits of HUD-VASH residences to ensure that Veterans reside in safe environments in compliance with local housing codes. Collects & submits HUD-VASH Program participant data within three business days. Documents all contacts in the Veterans CPRS file in accordance with local documentation policies. Develops an individualized Housing Stability Plan with each HUD-VASH Veteran that identifies Veteran goals using their own words & steps to achieve those goals. Assists Veterans through the voucher application process from referral to voucher issuance. Provides housing search assistance to include transportation to view units as needed. Makes regular home visits based on the Veterans acuity level to assess housing stability, social & community integration & recovery progress. Involves Veterans in the development of disaster planning & provides relevant local emergency response resources. Obtains Release of Information consents when possible, with all community providers & housing stakeholders to ensure comprehensive coordination of services & collaboration. Meets regularly with landlords & PHA officials, conducting landlord outreach events. Assists Veterans with pursuing employment to increase their income & integrate into the community. Assists Veterans in determining eligibility & applying for non-service-connected pension, service connected compensation, applying for mainstream entitlement benefits. Provides individual, family & group counseling as appropriate. Assists Veterans in completing Advance Directives. Provides wellness/prevention education as appropriate. As appropriate, supervises the practice of social work students or provides mentoring & training to a less experienced social worker. Participates in committee assignments, as deemed necessary by the supervisor. Assists Veterans in coping with loss & grief experiences. Maintains familiarity with & responsibility for all performance measures relating to the HUD-VASH Program. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8-4:30 pm Compressed/Flexible: May be available Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 57095-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required 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 probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. 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). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 29,2023 The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be June 5th, 2023, with subsequent cut-off dates on the 1st of each month. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled. 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. LPMHCs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3.j. Driver License: Driver License is Required. Will be transporting Veterans in a Government Vehicle up to 50% of the time. 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/ Licensure. Persons hired or reassigned to LPMHC positions in the GS-0101 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. Grade Determinations: GS-12: Experience, Education, and Licensure. In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least one year of progressively complex LPMHC experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Senior LPMHCs must have five years of post-licensed experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressive professional competency and expertise and be licensed to provide clinical supervision to trainees or unlicensed LPMHCs. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-11 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: Advanced knowledge of and mastery of theories and modalities used in the specialized treatment of complex mental illness. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of veteran patients, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. Ability to determine priority of services needed and provide specialized treatment. Advanced and expert skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities for Veterans with complex needs. This includes individual, group, and/or family counseling, or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial, and/or case management interventions used in the treatment of Veterans. Ability to coordinate the delivery of specialized psychosocial services and programs. Ability to design system changes based on data. Ability to provide subject matter consultation to colleagues and trainees on the psychosocial treatment of patients, rendering professional opinions based on experience, expertise and role modeling effective clinical skills. Ability to teach, mentor staff and trainees, and provide supervision for licensure or for specialty certifications. Ability to engage in written and oral communication with leadership/staff and community stakeholders regarding policies, procedures, practice guidelines, and issues pertaining to the practice of the profession. Preferred Experience: Experience with HUD/VASH programs References: VA Handbook 5005/106 Part II Appendix G43 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS 12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS 12. Physical Requirements: Traveling throughout the medical center and Eastern Montana service area is required, as is performing activities involving sitting, walking, and standing, bending and carrying such items as books, papers, and files. In carrying out responsibilities it is necessary for the incumbent to travel into the community where he/she conducts interviews with the Veterans, their families, representatives of community health and welfare agencies and law enforcement agencies. The incumbent must possess current driver's license and drive a government vehicle in carrying out professional duties when deemed necessary. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. 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. 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. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. 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.

Montana Jobs