Summary

The Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention (OMHSP) in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is responsible for providing strategic guidance directed toward improving the quality of mental health care for over one and a half million Veterans nation-wide. The Suicide Prevention Program (SPP) is focused on the full implementation of VA's National Strategy for Preventing Veteran Suicide (2018) and the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense (VA/DoD).

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
• English Language Proficiency
• Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• 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
• Failure to Obtain License or Certification
• In all cases - social workers must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure or certification starting from the date of their appointment
• Failure to become licensed or certified within the prescribed amount of time will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment
• Loss of Licensure or Certification
• Once licensed or certified - social workers must maintain a full - valid - and unrestricted independent license or certification to remain qualified for employment
• Loss of licensure or certification will result in removal from the GS-0185 social worker series and may result in termination of employment
• May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria)
• Grade Determinations: Senior Social Worker - GS-12 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 in outreach and building coalitions preferred
• Effective communication - written and spoken
• Flexibility and ability to work independently
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12
• Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 - Employee Occupational Health Services.

Duties

• VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional This position is located at Charles George VA Medical Center in Mental Health Service under the direct clinical supervision of the Service Chief - Mental Health Service
• The Social Worker (Program Coordinator) of Community Engagement and Partnership Coordinator (CEPC) serves as a subject matter expert for community-based suicide prevention and facilitates the integration of suicide prevention education throughout the community
• The CEPC supports community capacity development for suicide prevention by organizing community partners and coalitions to implement suicide prevention programs aimed at reducing Veteran suicide at the community - state - and Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) levels
• The CEPC serves as a content matter expert for suicide prevention and facilitates integration of suicide prevention education throughout the community by developing and organizing community partners and coalitions aimed at reducing Veteran suicide at the state and Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) level
• The CEPC is a subject matter expert (SME) in state and local community suicide prevention resources and education connections
• The CEPC promotes a public health approach to suicide prevention
• Major duties and responsibilities - but not limited to: Develops - facilitates - and strengthens Community-Based Interventions for Suicide Prevention at the community - state - and VISN levels
• Connects VA programs and stakeholders-including - but not limited to - Veterans - Veteran Service Organizations - congressional staff - media - community business partners - and community members throughout the health care system and VISN catchment areas-to conduct community-based interventions and provide outreach and education on suicide prevention related topics and services
• Serves as a subject matter expert (SME) in public health and suicide prevention - supporting partnerships and coalitions by providing new or existing community education and outreach initiatives on behalf of the assigned VA Health Care facility and the surrounding catchment area
• Implements VHA Community-Based Interventions for Suicide Prevention including collaborating with community - Veteran - and state partners to develop - conduct - and/or support community-based suicide prevention programs as defined and supported by the VHA Suicide Prevention Program
• Develops VHA-community partnerships - meet with prospective community partners and/or establish formal relationships between the VHA and local partners to facilitate suicide prevention in the community Develops and provides suicide prevention related media/marketing - including interviews (print or broadcast) - social media postings - and communication campaigns (Paid/PSAs)
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8:00 am - 430 pm (occasional required hours outside of tour of duty due to outreach events and coalition meetings - i.e
• 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm) Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases 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) Telework: Ad-hoc based on agency guidelines Travel: 25% travel and Government Vehicle Authorized Virtual: Not Authorized