Registered Nurse (Housing and Urban Development)

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 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.

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.