Senior Social Worker -Suicide Prevention Coordinator

This position is located in Social Work Service - Boise VA Medical Center - Boise - ID. The Suicide Prevention Coordinator (SPC) Senior Social Worker provides psychosocial assessments and treatment to veterans needing interventions due to high risk of suicide and provides individual - couples - family and group psychotherapy.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• Education: Have a master's degree in social work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
• Graduates of schools of social work that are in candidacy status do not meet this requirement until the School of Social Work is fully accredited
• A doctoral degree in social work may not be substituted for the master's degree in social work
• Licensure: Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-0185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C.
• 7403(f)
• GS-12 Senior Social Worker Grade Determinations: Experience/Education: The candidate must have at least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which - one year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level
• Senior social workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment
• Senior social workers are experts in their specialized area of practice
• Senior social workers may have certification or other post-masters training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience in a specialty
• Licensure/Certification: Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination - unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California - which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: In addition to the experience above - candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations
• This includes individual - group - and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management
• (b) Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice
• (c) Knowledge in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area - utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to design system changes
• (d) Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients in the service delivery area - as well as role modeling effective social work practice skills
• (e) Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession - and to write policies - procedures - and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area
• Preferred Experience: Experience working in behavioral health and completing suicide assessments and safety plans preferred
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation and would generally not require a pre-placement examination
• Exceptions: A pre-placement examination is required for any occupation or assignment that requires the operation of a government-owned or -leased motor vehicle in order to properly carry out assigned duties
• Examinations may also be required for any occupation or assignment that requires a pre-placement examination by virtue of another policy - regulation - or statute.
  
  

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Duties include but are not limited to the following: Functions as a coordinator of care of veterans at high risk
• Tracks high-risk patients and monitors treatment to insure that needed services are being received
• Completes consults from the National Suicide Hotline
• Plays an active role in the RCA (Root Cause Analysis) Suicide Team with the facility as required
• Completes reports and submits them with in the required time frames
• Provides training to clinical and non-clinical staff in the Medical Center - CBOC's and community that includes and is not limited to risk factors - warning signs - treatment options and resources
• Assists with developing an on-going Gatekeeper Training program with non-clinical frontline staff and community to assure that they are aware of options for patients whom they come in contact during crisis situations
• Promotes the use of evidence-based interventions and strategies for suicide prevention in the medical center
• Assists in developing and implementing ongoing plan for providers - veterans - families and members of the community on risk factors and warning signs for suicide and treatment options
• Interfaces with services throughout the medical center - including but not limited to medical providers and patient advocate - to resolve administrative and clinical problems
• This includes collaboration on individual patients and the coordination of medical care within the treatment team
• Coordinates the provision of a level of care for all patients that meet VA and JCAHO standards
• Provision of supportive group and individual counseling
• Participates in the interdisciplinary treatment planning process - attending team meetings and working in conjunction with the treatment team
• Represents the Suicide Prevention Program to other organizations - services and agencies within the medical center and community
• Settles issues and disputes or refers them to the Patient Advocate when no solution can be reached through discussion and collaboration with other services
• Performs Administrative and Case Management Function
• Assists with REACH VET Program
• Assists with maintaining the facility Category I Patient Record Flag for High Risk for Suicide Is responsible for supporting the mission - policies - and procedures of the Department of Veterans Affairs - the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) - the appropriate Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) - and the facility
• Is willing to serve on committees and work groups at the facility as deemed appropriate by the supervisor and/or Chief of Social Work Services
• Is able to provide assistance with the orientation and learning of less experienced social workers and to serve as a preceptor for social work students when appropriate
• Is able to demonstrate knowledge and skill in the use of software applications for drafting documents and data management as well as other computer systems in use by the VHA
• Is able to maintain a level of productivity and quality consistent with the complexity of the assignment and consistent with Social Work standards - Joint Commission standards - and facility standards
• Is able to document in the veteran's electronic medical record chart (CPRS) and completes a thorough assessment and treatment plan in Mental Health Suite
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday - 8:00am to 4:30pm or compressed tour available
• Compressed/Flexible: Available
• 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) Ad-hoc Telework: Available at supervisors discretion
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized