Senior Social Worker

Department of Veterans Affairs

The Justice Outreach Social Worker is a Senior Social Worker whose primary responsibilities are to provide psychosocial assessments, case management services, continuous quality improvement activities, evaluation/consultation, placement services, and referral and linkage to various community agencies for Veterans who are within 6 months of release from correctional institutions and/or are being monitored by the courts, including treatment or problem solving courts.

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Major duties include, but are not limited to: Program Coordination: The Justice Outreach Social Worker meets with judges, officers of the court, correctional administrators and staff on a regular basis to design and/or maintain appropriate policies and procedures required for each setting. He/She attends justice system staff trainings relevant to working with offenders and high risk populations and represents the VA at community meetings, seeking or maintaining membership on relevant boards, councils and task forces. The Justice Outreach Social Worker also collaborates with other Justice Outreach clinicians to support engagement in care for eligible Veterans recently discharged from correctional institutions. Contacts include providers who serve Veterans by contract or formal agreement with the VA, government staff, social, financial, legal, health and mental health agencies, Veterans and/or their families/relatives, Veterans' conservators, friends, employers, landlords, police, attorneys, judges, and probation and parole officers. Outreach: The incumbent is required to conduct active outreach to Veterans involved with the justice system, including those who may be participants, or candidates for participation, in treatment court programs, including Veterans Courts. This outreach may also include field interviews, assessments and referrals for Veterans contacted in community settings, courts and/or prior to release in jails or prisons, as well as those referred by VA residential programs, medical centers or outpatient clinics. Clinical Assessment: Advanced clinical training, insight and experience is utilized to interpret data and identify viable treatment options. The Justice Outreach Social Worker assesses high risk factors, acuity, and the need for services. This Justice Outreach Social Worker has the ability to serve Veterans who tend to have frequent and severe crises, lack family or an adequate community support network, be poor at self-monitoring, frequently fail to comply with instructions and treatment, or have significant deficits in coping skills and require continuing professional psychosocial support. The Justice Outreach Social Worker identifies and interviews justice-involved Veterans in the appropriate setting to conduct needs assessment and determine appropriate referrals, linkage and coordination for VA and non-VA services to enhance function in the community, including in transition from jail or prison. The Justice Outreach Social Worker establishes a relationship with correctional medical and psychiatric leadership and personnel, where appropriate, to ensure continuity of care and for appropriate backup, if needed, when encountering Veterans in a correctional institution. The Justice Outreach Social Worker may perform work in maximum, medium, or minimum security correctional institutions usually under a "no hostage" policy. The Justice Outreach Social Worker observes established VA safety precautions while working in correctional facilities and/or in community settings. The work environment may involve unclean settings. There is ongoing exposure to individuals with psychiatric and physical illness and disabilities, which can include acute infections, violent or aggressive behavior, or chronic psychiatric and medical problems. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00am - 4:30pm Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized. Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): 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 authorized. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 61258F. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.

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