Social Worker (Suicide Prevention)

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

01Basic 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: Must be proficient in written and spoken English. 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).

Education You must possess 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. Note: A doctoral degree in Social Work may NOT be substituted for the master's degree in Social Work.

License or Certification - You must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. Exception - For assignments at the GS-9 level, VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations.

VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent, master's level within three years of their appointment as a social worker.

02Grade Determinations

Social Worker, GS-0185-09 Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-09, you must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Ability to utilize a Veteran centric approach when providing interventions and counseling for Veterans, their family members, caregivers, and survivors.

Ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the Veterans problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed. Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals. This requires judgment and skill in utilizing supportive, problem solving, or crisis intervention techniques.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures. This includes acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses/injuries; common medications and their effects/side effects; and medical terminology.

Social Worker, GS-0185-11 GS-11 Licensure Requirement: You must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level.

GS-11 Experience or Education Requirement: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-11, you must possess a minimum of one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the field of health care or other social work-related settings, (VA or non- VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level.

Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: Working under close supervision in program areas that do not require specialized knowledge or experience.

Identifying behaviors or symptoms of abuse, neglect or exploitation; providing education on advance directives and advanced care planning; providing social work case management; acting as an patient/family member/caregiver advocate with community service providers/agencies; assessing the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members. In collaboration with the patient, family, and interdisciplinary treatment teams, identifying strengths, weaknesses, coping skills and psychosocial acuity.

Maintaining a current network of internal and external resources to educate the patient and/or family members/caregivers and assist with appropriate referrals. -OR- a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required one year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting.

In addition to the experience above, you must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services. Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, educational, and other backgrounds.

Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities and treatment procedures (i.e. acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology) to formulate a treatment plan. Skill in independently implementing different treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems to achieve treatment goals.

Ability to provide consultation services to new social workers, social work graduate students, and other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment.

03Preferred Experience

Proficiency in suicide screening, risk assessment, and safety planning is essential.

This includes knowing when and how often to screen, how to conduct a thorough risk assessment, and how to follow up on safety plans Experience in lethal means counseling and providing ongoing clinical treatment for individuals with suicidal thoughts or behaviors is highly valued Familiarity with evidence-based interventions such as CBT, DBT, and trauma informed approaches adapted for suicide prevention Experience in 988 crisis counseling or similar roles can be valuable, especially for roles that require rapid response and de-escalation skills Understanding of cultural, historical, and contextual factors that influence suicide risk and prevention strategies, Experience working with diverse populations (e.g., LGBTQ+ communities, racial/ethnic minorities, rural populations) is a plus.

Familiarity with suicide prevention policies, public health initiatives, and advocacy efforts 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-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to GS-11.

04Physical Requirements

Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation and would generally not require a pre-placement examination.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The Social Worker functions as a member of the Suicide Prevention Team for care of Veterans at suicide risk and as an advisor to the Chief, Mental Health Services, facility leadership, program managers, and staff concerning suicide prevention strategies at the individual patient level, and for the facility and Veterans community as a whole.

The Suicide Prevention Social Worker - Tracks all suicide and preparatory behaviors as indicated in suicide prevention program guide. - Assures that all Veterans on the facility tracking list are being followed closely by the appropriate provider on a regular basis as determined by the coordinator and the provider. - Responds to Veterans Crisis Line consults on a daily basis. - Tracking any no-show appointments by these patients and following up with the patient as soon as possible to reschedule the appointment. - Provides VA SAVE Suicide Prevention training to VA and community resources. - Provides treatment to adult patients, including geriatric patients related to physical limitations, psychological needs and age associated illnesses and conditions. - Makes decisions based on consideration of age-related concerns. - Provides consultation and education to Veterans and their families regarding community resources, VA benefits and specialty programs, and advance directives.

This includes accessing and/or coordinating community-based services, including information and referral for additional services from other VA programs, other government programs, and community programs. - Provides consultation to other treatment team and staff members regarding psychosocial needs of Veterans and/or their families and the impact of the identified psychosocial problems on the Veteran's health care planning, compliance with treatment, and discharge planning. - Communicates effectively, both orally and in writing with people from varied backgrounds. - Supports 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. - Serves on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility as deemed appropriate by the supervisor and Chief of Mental Health Service. - Keeps supervisor apprised of problems and recommended solutions to problems encountered in the incumbent's area of responsibility. - Furthers professional growth through continuing education and for ensuring continuing education appropriate to the area of assignment. - Uses software applications for drafting documents and data management as well as other computer systems in use by the VHA. - Maintains 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.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 4:30 PM Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance.

Learn more 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).

This may be requested at the discretion of the supervisor and may not be offered without Medical Center Director approval 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 Telework is available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: GS-9: 53171-F, GS-11: 53172-F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized