Registered Nurse (Housing and Urban Development)

Summary

VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System seeks a skilled RN for our HUD-VASH Program, combining HUD housing assistance with VA case management to move homeless Veterans into stable housing. Using a Housing First approach, the incumbent provides community-based nursing care to Veterans with complex health and substance use needs, supporting medication management, health stabilization, and housing retention in coordination with VA providers, PHAs, and community agencies.

Duties

Duties Include but not limited to: Delivers fundamental knowledge-based care to assigned clients while developing technical skills, with a focus on individual growth and development in practice and increased levels of self-direction. Assesses, plans, implements, and evaluates care based on age-specific components, using the nursing process to identify health needs, risks, and priorities relevant to housing stability and recovery. Assumes responsibility for the coordination of care focused on patient education, self-management, and customer satisfaction throughout the continuum of care. Follows procedures per established policies and guidelines, influencing care outcomes by collaborating with members of the interdisciplinary team. Administers medications and treatments prescribed by a licensed provider, including filling weekly medication planners and administering injections of long-acting antipsychotic medications to Veterans in home and community settings. Provides patient management, care coordination, and discharge/disposition planning for inpatient and outpatient settings, bridging the gap between discharge and primary care follow-up. Assists Veterans, family members, and caregivers with receiving the most appropriate options and services to meet their complex health care needs, including but not limited to acute, chronic, multiple, complex, catastrophic, or life-threatening illnesses; combat stress; residuals of traumatic brain injury; community adjustment; addictions; and other health problems. Coordinates care with multiple providers across all levels and sites of care, developing a plan of care using information from the patient, family, and provider. Identifies high-risk patient populations and transitions Veterans to the appropriate discipline (e.g., Primary Care, Home Based Primary Care, Hospice/Palliative Care), and is responsible for intensive monitoring, follow-up, and clinical management of high-risk patients. Conducts home visits to assess the Veteran's physical and mental health status, safety, and overall well-being, and to identify emerging health concerns that could jeopardize housing stability. Provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention support for Veterans experiencing psychiatric, substance use, or medical crises, coordinating rapid access to appropriate levels of care. Collaborates with interdisciplinary team members to develop and implement the Veteran Housing Stability Plan. Provides recovery-oriented and Housing First services, with the goal of establishing the Veteran independently in the community, at the Veteran's highest level of functioning. Maintains timely, accurate clinical documentation of all Veteran encounters using the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS), Essentris, and Bar Coded Medication Administration (BCMA) software, consistent with VA policy and reporting timelines. (Nurse II/III only) Serves as a clinical resource and mentor to less experienced nurses and team members, sharing expertise in community-based psychiatric nursing, Housing First principles, and crisis intervention techniques. (Nurse II/III only) Provides leadership in evaluating and improving team-level care delivery, guiding staff in the application of critical thinking and evidence-based practice to improve outcomes for Veterans experiencing homelessness. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Compressed/Flexible: Not Available. Telework: Ad-hoc as determined by agency policy. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. Pay: Competitive salary, regular salary increases, potential for performance awards Paid Time Off: 50 days of paid time off per year (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) Licensure: 1 full and unrestricted license from any US State or territory VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: VA Nurse Total Rewards Notifications: This position is in the Excepted Service. This position is covered by a special rate. The salary is based on the grade and step approved for the selected candidate. Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees. Official Transcript will be required if you are selected If you are a current federal employee, you are required to attach your Most Recent non-award SF-50. This should be a SF-50 from the current calendar year which shows your current position, grade and step. Award SF-50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. Graduate of a school of professional nursing approved by the appropriate accrediting agency and accredited by one of the following accrediting bodies at the time the program was completed by the applicant: The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE); OR Individuals attending a master's level bridge program in nursing who have completed coursework equivalent to a bachelor's level degree in Nursing may have opportunity to become registered as a nurse with a state licensing board prior to completion of the bridge program. Upon achievement of a State license, the individual may be appointed on temporary basis and later converted to a permanent appointment upon successful completion and graduation from the bridge program. (Reference VA Handbook 5005, Appendix G6); OR In cases of graduates of foreign schools of professional nursing, possession of a current, full, active, and unrestricted registration will meet the requirement for graduation from an approved school of professional nursing to warrant an appointment as a Nurse who has completed an associated degree/entry level Nursing education program. Credit for foreign nursing education higher that associate degree/entry level requires a formal degree equivalency validation from a recognized equivalency evaluation accepted by VA such as International Consultants of Delaware (ICD). Current, full, active, and unrestricted registration as a graduate professional nurse in a State, Territory or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico) of the United States, or the District of Columbia. Graduate Nurse Technician (GNT) Exception: Candidates who otherwise meet the basic education requirements, but do not possess the required licensure, may be appointed at the entry step of the grade and level applicable to the completed nursing education as a GNT on a 120-day temporary appointment while actively pursuing licensure (may be extended up to two years on a case-by-case-basis.) NOTE: Grandfathering Provision - All persons currently employed in VHA in 0610 series and performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of the standard (1/29/2024) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education and licensure/certification. Preferred Experience: Work with Homeless populations, community-based nursing,