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This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Learn more 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. 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/. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Senior Social Worker, GS-12: (1) 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. (2) 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. (3) 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. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/120 PART II APPENDIX G39 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services. ["The Suicide Prevention Coordinator (SPC) facilitates the implementation of suicide prevention strategies at a local level through education, monitoring, and coordination activities. The SPC functions as a coordinator for care of veterans at suicide risk and an consultant to the MHSL, facility leadership, program managers, and staff concerning suicide prevention strategies for individual patients, for the facility and veteran community as a whole. Services include assessing veterans for high risk for suicide, diagnosing mental health and high risk factors related to suicide and suicide prevention, and providing treatment options. The SPC tracks appointments and coordinates enhanced care as needed, educating providers, veterans, families, and members of the community about risk factors and warning signs for suicide. FUNCTIONS OR SCOPE OF ASSIGNED DUTIES:\nThe SPC functions as a coordinator for care of veterans at suicide risk and an advisor to the Suicide Prevention Program Manager and staff concerning suicide prevention strategies for individual patients level, and for the facility and veterans community as a whole. This is accomplished through: Administrative Duties\n1. The SPC is responsible for tracking and reporting all suicide attempts and completions at the facility.\n2. The SPC is responsible for maintaining a facility \"high-risk\" list which identifies patients who have been deemed at-risk for suicide, per consultation with clinicians.\n3. The SPC exclusively controls the Category I Patient Record Flag as it relates to suicide and limits its use to patients who meet the criteria of being placed on the facility high risk list.\n4. The SPC maintains the list of patients who have a Category I Patient Record Flag for suicide and reviews the list at least every 90 days.\n5. The SPC should participate in the aggregate suicide Root Cause Analyses (RCA's) and individual RCA's concerning patients who have attempted or committed suicide.\n6. The SPC should be involved in the Environment of Care (EOC) Safety Survey. The SPC is required to assist the EOC Safety Survey team in determining actions that should be taken to improve the mental health inpatient environment.\n7. The SPC is responsible for updating and revising, as necessary, local policies related to suicide prevention training, documentation, and suicide risk assessments. This shall be in coordination with ACOS MHSL.\n8. Other administrative duties as assigned. Clinical Duties:\n1. The SPC is responsible for following up on consults (within 24 business hours) received from the Veterans Crisis Line to assure timely access to care and follow-up for patients in crisis. When an appointment is needed, and when possible, the SPC should meet the veteran at the door to make sure they are seen and evaluated in a timely manner. When needed, the SPC assists with and expedites veteran enrollment into the VA.\n2. The SPC will contact veterans who have been identified as surviving an attempt or who are identified as being high risk. Personal contact will be made with the veteran and the SPC will establish US mail contact with him/her in order to provide an \"enhanced care\" model of prevention which maintains communication with the veteran. The SPC documents, when appropriate, the nature of follow-up and plans for continuing treatment in the electronic medical record.\n3. The SPC is responsible for assisting in the suicide risk assessment (if clinical consultation is necessary) in individual patients in conjunction with the treating clinician and managing the Category I Patient Record Flag for patients at high risk for suicide.\n4. The SPC is responsible for continued contact and monitoring with veterans that have been identified as high-risk for suicide to assure continued care and treatment.\n5. The SPC is responsible for coordinating with providers continued contact and monitoring with veterans that have been identified as high-risk for suicide to assure continued care and treatment.\n6. The SPC ensures that patients identified as being at high risk for suicide receive follow-up for any missed mental health and substance abuse appointments in conjunction with the clinical treatment team, and that this follow-up is documented by the MH treatment providers in the electronic medical record.\n7. The SPC is responsible for following-up on referrals received from staff as a result of the SAVE training.\n8. Other clinical duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 0800-1630\nTelework: Not Available\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized\nEDRP Authorized: Contact stacy.hermann@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance\nPermanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]