Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to current permanent VA Nationwide employees and permanent Federal employees of other Agencies.

Videos

VA Careers - Licensed Clinical Social Worker: https://youtube.com/embed/U_xC25QsN0w

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 an a half mllion Veterans nation-wide.

The social worker exercises a wide degree of autonomy in conducting clinical evaluations, treatment, and consultation.

As the Social Worker Community Engagement Partnership Coordinator your duties may include but are not limited to the following duties:

• 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 facilitates 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).
• Provides a variety of suicide prevention trainings including but not limited to a focus on training in Lethal Means Safety, Mental Health Apps (Hope Box, PTSD, etc.), Military Culture, Other Gatekeeper Training (QPR, ASSIST), Postvention, Safety Planning, S.A.V.E., Suicide Risk Evaluation, Whole Health/Wellness.
• Closely coordinates with Suicide Prevention team members, and other facility and VISN stakeholders and the National OMHSP office to implement SP communication plans, both internal and external to the VA.
• Disseminates relevant research findings through practice, education, and consultation with non-VA community partners as well as other VA health care professionals and administrators.
• Hosts Outreach Awareness Tables on suicide prevention at community events.
• Leads meetings with prospective and existing community stakeholder(s) focused on Veteran suicide prevention.

Provides leadership for coalition management -

• Leads alignment of community coalition goals with VA goals, collaborates with non-VA coalition leaders (remote or in-person), attends coalition meetings (general) and coalition subcommittee meetings,
• Manages and attends coalition sponsored events/public meetings, conducts and/or supports coalition evaluation activities (survey distribution, data collection, key informant interviews, etc.); and leads other coalition activities defined in a coalition action plan.
• Serves as SME supporting coalitions and partners by developing and leading new or existing education and outreach initiatives on behalf of the assigned VA Health Care facility and the surrounding catchment area.
• Demonstrates effective public speaking skills and the ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with a variety of audiences with a focus on suicide prevention. Demonstrates strong interpersonal and collaborative skills, working with staff and stakeholders at all knowledge and proficiency levels.
• Demonstrates military cultural competence in collaborating with and supporting Veterans and Veteran Service Organizations in the community.
• Responsible for establishing and maintaining strong relationships between the VA suicide prevention team and community-based veteran organizations and leadership.
• Comprehends and maintains knowledge of current VA guidelines, policies, Federal regulations, and laws governing benefits for Veterans.
• Disseminates program evaluation and surveillance data related to suicide prevention with community partners.

Work Schedule: 0730 to 1600 (7:30am) to 4:00pm)
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 58304A
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a trial period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

Qualifications

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.

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: Applicants 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. 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/Accredidation to verify that the social work degree meets the accredediation standards for a masters of social work.
• Licensure: All 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/
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

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). NOTE: If social workers covered under the grandfathering provision of the 1991 Federal law regarding licensure or certification of VHA social workers leave the GS0185 social work series, they lose the grandfathering protection. If they choose to return at a later date to the GS-0185 series, they must be licensed or certified to qualify for employment as a social worker.

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:

• 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:
  • 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.
  • Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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: Suicide Prevention. Community Outreach.

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 GS-12.

Physical Requirements: Physical demands of the work are generally minor, as the position requires sitting, standing, and walking. Some travel is required as the incumbent is required to conducted monthly active outreach in the community which may require traveling long distances. The emotional demands can be stressful in working with high-risk for suicide veteran population and their families. A high level of self-awareness is essential. Work, divided between office and clinical settings, is primarily sedentary. May require prolonged standing, moderate walking, and manual dexterity. Requires carrying light items, such as books, files, or laptop computer.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.