Career Center

The incumbent is a professional social worker who demonstrates advanced social work practice and specialized experience as a Suicide Prevention Coordinator (SPC) for the Suicide Prevention Program at the VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System. The position also includes a significant community-based responsibility that includes outreach and training to external stakeholders. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/10/2022 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 Requirement - Per VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, Paragraph 3j: No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C., chapter 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English. 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. Verification of the degree can be made by going to http://www.cswe.org/Accreditation to verify that the social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a masters of 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. Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/. 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. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 Preferred Experience: Experience as a Coordinator. Experience with crisis intervention. Experience in a suicide prevention program. Experience in community outreach activities. Experience in presenting formal and informal trainings. Grade Determinations: GS12 Senior Social Worker 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. Advanced Practice Level: For all assignments above the full performance (journey) level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Advanced Practice Level is defined as the ability to provide independent and expert clinical psychosocial and case management services in a specialized area of practice to Veterans who tend to have serious and severe crises, may lack any familial and community support, may be poor self-monitors, may frequently fail to comply with instructions and treatment, or may have major deficits in coping skills and require continuing professional psychological support. The advanced practice or senior social worker has an increased depth and breadth of practice skills; has expertise in participating in the professional development of colleagues through mentorship and teaching; demonstrates leadership in developing and expanding professional intervention strategies; demonstrates leadership in defining and attending to professional practice issues; and has the ability to expand the conceptual knowledge of the profession. The advanced practice or senior social worker will make independent professional decisions and recommendations for agency action; the consequences to the Veteran of these decisions and actions may be quite serious. Work involves intensive social work services requiring the exercise of mature professional judgment and the flexible use of a wide range of complex social work practice skills not typically required in routine social work interventions. The advanced practice or senior social worker has mastered a range of specialized interventions and provides consultation to colleagues, renders professional opinions based on experience and expertise, develops new models of psychosocial assessment or intervention, and incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment. The advanced practice or senior social worker utilizes outcome evaluations to further treatment and designs system changes based on empirical findings. References: VA Handbook 5005/120 Part II Appendix G39 VA Qualification Standards. http://vaww1.va.gov/ohrm/Directives-Handbooks/Direct_Hand.htm The full performance level of this vacancy is GS12. Physical Requirements: light lifting/carrying under (15 pounds), both legs required; have vision/sight ["This vacancy will remain open until filled. The first cut-off date is 4/29/2022. Additional applications will be referred as needed. Once a selection has been made, this vacancy will be closed. The senior social worker demonstrates advanced social work practice and specialized experience as a Suicide Prevention Coordinator (SPC) for the Suicide Prevention Program (SPP) at the VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System. The SPC provides coverage to all VATVCBHCS clinics and surrounding geographic catchment areas. The SPC will provide cross coverage to all ambulatory locations across VATVCBHCS and back-up coverage for other SPP staff as needed. The position also includes a significant community based responsibility that includes outreach and training to external stakeholders. Care Coordination of High Risk Veterans:\nThe incumbent serves in conjunction with Suicide Prevention Program and other facility staff to provide individualized comprehensive care coordination, clinical services and crisis intervention to Veterans identified as high risk for suicide. The incumbent must use a high level of skill in assessing and managing the complicated psychosocial problems of identified high-risk Veterans who are experiencing a wide range of complicated mental, emotional, behavioral, physical, psychosocial, and environmental issues to include but not limited to acute and chronic illness, combat stress, the residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI), community adjustment, and addictions. Facilitation of suicide prevention strategies to internal and external stakeholders:\nThe incumbent is responsible for the education of providers, Veterans, families and community stakeholders on the risk factors and warning signs for suicide, suicide risk assessment and safety planning, lethal means counseling, self-directed violent behavior classification system, and treatment strategies for Veterans at risk for suicide. In addition to education and training, the incumbent is also responsible for assisting with data collection for all suicides and suicidal behavior as required by local, VISN, and VACO suicide prevention requirements and participation and facilitation of performance improvement activities. Response to Veterans Crisis Line Consults:\nThe incumbent is responsible for responding to consults directed to VATVCBHCS from the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL). The incumbent is also responsible for responding to direct calls to the VATVCBHCS Suicide Prevention Program from community stakeholders including Veterans, family members, Veterans service organizations, and other community agencies. Must be sensitive to the ethnic and cultural diversity and age-specific challenges across the spectrum of Veterans served and adjust intervention and treatment plans as appropriate. Works both independently and collaboratively with other treatment team members, professionals, and non-professionals both at VA facilities and other community agencies to assist Veteran in managing their mental health issues, psychosocial needs, and barriers to treatment in order to mitigate risk factors related to suicide. Assesses psychosocial and environmental needs secondary to or exacerbating the psychiatric issues which might contribute to the risk of suicide. Establishes and maintains an intensive therapeutic relationship with the Veteran, family, and/or significant others, if appropriate, and formulates treatment goals that address identified needs, stressors and problems. Provides ongoing continuity of care to Veterans, in conjunction with the Veteran's care providers, and assists in the development of structured continuum of care for each case assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm\nTelework: Available\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nFunctional Statement #: 000000\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized for Highly Qualified Candidate.\nPermanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]