Summary The Social Service Representative will serve as a Social Work Assistant and Housing Support Specialist for the Housing and Urban Development/VA Supported Housing (HUDVASH) program, a section of the Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Service at the Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center (VAMC). Responsibilities THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION Act as a Liaison between all parties, including but not limited to the VA, Public Housing Authority (PHA), landlords, community agencies and Veterans. The incumbent primarily educates, helps and support Veterans in their effort to obtain necessary documents, fill out required forms, submit PHA packet information, locate suitable housing, and lease an apartment. This includes helping Veterans obtain necessary documents and filling out paperwork required by VA, PHA, community partners, and/or landlords to access services, obtain a housing choice voucher, and utilize the voucher to lease an apartment. This also includes: Create processes to expedite inspections, such as pre-inspections and/or rapid re-inspections. Serve as main Point of Contact (POC) for the PHA to ensure housing packets are complete and processed and voucher are process and issued in a timely manner. Create and establish systems to track each Veteran's progress through the paperwork requirements and process from entry into HUD/VASH until housed. Serve as main Point of Contact (POC) for landlords to ensure applications to lease are complete, W9s submitted to the housing authority, and voucher is submitted to landlord. Educate landlords on homeless programs and HUDVASH operations and to navigate HUD and the VA homeless programs. Duties included in incumbents paraprofessional case management duties meet the standards required to code visits with Veterans as T1016 case management encounters in medical records: With supervisor oversight, interview and review the facts, financial and other implications of the Veteran's situation (this includes eviction and rental history, family size, income, legal history, employment, homeless status, disabilities and mental status) directly with the Veteran. Work with the Veteran and the HUDVASH case manager to assess the Veteran's preferences, financial capabilities and liabilities, barriers, and physical accommodations, and use this information to locate housing, in competitive housing markets, that best meet Veteran's criteria. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday (8:00am - 4:30pm) Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not 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 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Transcripts must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process 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 Possess one (1) year of specialized experience equipped with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the Social Services Representative position. Specialized experience is experience in mental health in a program of direct social welfare services that require the application of program policy and operations knowledge in providing social welfare services and/or assisting social workers. To be creditable this experience must be equivalent to the next lower grade level in federal service. (This experience must be documented in resume) -OR- Possess a successfully completed one (1) full academic year of graduate level education with a major study in social sciences. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. (Transcripts Required) -OR- Possess an equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduated education and specialized experience as described above that may be used to meet total qualification requirements. (Transcripts Required) You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Customer Service (Clerical/Technical) Influencing/Negotiating Interpersonal Skills Legal, Government and Jurisprudence Transportation IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Physical Requirements: The work is often sedentary. Typically, the employee sits comfortably to do the work. However, there is walking, standing, bending, carrying of light items such as papers and books, and driving an automobile. No special physical demands are required to perform the work. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov). Additional Information Receiving Service Credit for 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. Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities (i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities), and/or disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. For more information on how to apply using this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator within the office, contact the facility Human Resources Department at (888) 687-8863. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. 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.