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.
Requirements
U.S. Citizenship; non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). 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 evaluation/examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). You may be required to serve a probationary period. Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. May be subject to satisfactory completion of our credentialing process.
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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.The Associate Degree Nursing (ADN), Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing (BSN), or Master of Science degree in Nursing (MSN) must be fully accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) or the Commission On Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). Verification of accreditation may be obtained from http://www.acenursing.us/accreditedprograms/programsearch.htm or https://directory.ccnecommunity.org/reports/accprog.asp. If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application. If your school was accredited by ACEN or CCNE at the time of graduation, but is no longer listed on the websites, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet.
How you will be evaluated
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment. Resume Reminder: Your resume must include the following information each job listed: Job title Duties (be as detailed as possible) Month & year/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008) Full-time or part-time (include hours worked per week) Education (include name of school and date degree conferred) Please be aware that your answers well be verified against information provided on your resume. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions by addressing your work experience in detail. NOTE: Candidate's education, scope, and length of nursing practice (experience) will be considered in determining the grade and salary of the applicant selected. The recommended salary may be at any point in the range listed for this vacancy. Experience as an RN will be evaluated to determine if the experience is of an acceptable level of quality with regard to the following five dimensions of nursing: Practice, Veteran/Patient Driven Care, Leadership, Professional Development, and Evidence/Based Practice/Research. Each dimension of practice has criteria that demonstrate essential core competencies for VHA Nursing Personnel. 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; religions; 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. The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.