Clarification from the agency

United States Citizens

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VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU

The Suicide Prevention Outreach Coordinator Social Worker serves to facilitate implementation of suicide prevention strategies at the local level through direct patient care of Veterans determined to be at high risk, education, outreach, monitoring and coordination activities. The incumbent assists VA Loma Linda providers and the programs within Suicide Prevention Section with the identification and care of Veterans at risk for suicide, local response to Veterans who utilize the national Veterans' Crisis Line (VCL), and other activities that pertain to suicide prevention. The incumbent makes intensive efforts to facilitate Veterans' access to care to meet their individual treatment needs. She/he makes intensive efforts to assist Veterans in overcoming barriers that may prevent them from engaging in care and services for which they are eligible. The incumbent tracks Veteran appointment attendance and coordinates enhanced care as needed. The incumbent coordinates Suicide Prevention Program outreach efforts to educate providers, veterans, families, and members of the community about risk factors and warning signs for suicide and treatment options. The incumbent builds community partnerships to facilitate Veteran engagement in recovery oriented services to improve their functioning and quality of life.

Incumbent is responsible for such administrative tasks as monitoring consults, coordinating program schedule, facilitating team meetings updating and revising the literature provided to veterans entering the program, ensuring implementation of outcome measures and training staff in how to properly use the tools with veterans entering the services. Assists colleagues in preparing for Joint Commission survey by a review of patient records in CPRS and assisting in completion of necessary and required documentation. Consult with staff in other disciplines throughout the medical center to organize and coordinate functions that will assist the team in the appropriate care for Veterans.

Incumbent provides direct patient care that may include psychiatric or substance abuse assessment, individual, group and/or couples treatment for a variety of psychological/emotional diagnoses including substance abuse and/or Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Interventions are evidence-based, time-limited and/or brief and may include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution-focused Therapy, stress management/relaxation training and group psychosocial education.

Incumbent independently conducts psychosocial assessments and develops treatment plans in collaboration with the veteran/family and with the interdisciplinary treatment team. Incumbent possesses the skills to offer psychosocial interventions and measure outcomes to those interventions.
Incumbent is able to coordinate community-based services, including information and referral for additional services from other VA programs, other government programs and community agency programs. Incumbent has general knowledge of veterans' benefits and services relating to special programs, service connected compensation, non-service connected pension. Facilitates referrals based upon veterans needs and eligibility. The incumbent provides intensive social work service requiring the exercise of mature professional judgment and the flexible use of a wide range of social work skills. He/she carries full professional responsibility for cases presenting a wide range of psychosocial and environmental problems with no limitations as to the difficulty of services to be performed.

The incumbent performs administrative functions such as actively participating in clinic meetings and maintaining accurate records of his/her clinical interactions. The incumbent will establish and maintain positive working relationships with other employees, volunteers, consumers and stakeholders within the VA and outside community agencies. The incumbent will attend all appropriate staff meetings (interdisciplinary treatment team meeting, Social Work staff meetings, Social Work supervision meeting and other committees and workgroups as appropriate) and perform other duties as required. The incumbent will collaborate in the performance improvement processes and comply with Performance Measures as required by Mental Health Service and the Medical Center. Incumbent may provide training experiences for graduate social work trainees as well as other allied health care trainees and/or may provide supervision for unlicensed staff social workers. Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm (Subject to change based upon the needs of the agency.)
Compressed/Flexible:Not Applicable
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 0000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): 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
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to a background/security investigation
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Personnel
• "Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement."

Qualifications

Resume Requirement: Your resume must be detailed include the following information: Job title, description of duties, beginning and ending date (month/year) of employment; and average hours worked per week.

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. [Transcripts must be submitted at time of application. Conferral of degree(s) must be stated on transcript(s). Unofficial transcripts(s) are acceptable]
• Licensure. Individuals assigned as social worker program coordinator must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level, and must be able to provide supervision for licensure. Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/. [Copies of licensure/certification must be submitted with application packet]

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:

Social Worker (Program Coordinator), GS-12

Experience and Education: Applicants must have at least one (1) year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency. Candidate may have certification or other post-master's degree training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship, or equivalent supervised professional experience.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate the following KSAs:

(a) Knowledge of program coordination and administration which includes consultation, negotiation, and monitoring.
(b) Knowledge and ability to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program.
(c) Ability to supervise multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program.
(d) Skill in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating assigned program area(s).
(e) Ability to provide training, orientation, and guidance within clinical practice.

Assignments: For all assignments above the full performance 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. Program coordinators at the GS-12 grade level are administratively responsible for a clinical program providing treatment to Veterans in a major specialty area, such as but not limited to: Spinal Cord Injury, Homeless Continuum Veteran Program, Hospice and Palliative Care Program, Suicide Prevention Program, Veterans Justice Outreach, Caregiver Support Program and Community Nursing Home Program. The program coordinator may be the sole practitioner in this specialty at the facility and typically provide direct patient care services in the program area. The program coordinator oversees the daily operation of the program, develop policies and procedures for program operation, and prepare reports and statistics for facility, VISN, and national use. They may be responsible for the program's budget, developing and monitoring staff compliance with practice, standards and guidelines on documentation, workload, data entry, ethical practice and service delivery. The program coordinator provides analysis and evaluation of clinical program data and computerized programs to identify system-wide trends and needs to enhance the quality of service. They may be responsible for, or contribute to, the program's resource and fiscal management, monitoring control points developing the annual budget, operating within that budget, and accounting for appropriated funds. The program coordinator is administratively responsible for the clinical programming and prepares reports and statistics for facility, VISN, and national use. They provide leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs for assigned staff. They initiate and conduct a variety of program or service audits and complete designated clinical practice audits and reports, including productivity assessments. They oversee program operations and evaluations, identifying areas for improvement, gathering relevant data, assessing the data, developing and implementing ideas for improvement and evaluating efficacy of improvement efforts.

Preferred Experience: Experience with Homeless population preferred.

References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II Appendix G39 Social Worker Qualification Standard GS-0185 Veterans Health Administration.

Physical Requirements: Traveling throughout the medical center and the community is required, as is performing activities involving sitting, walking, and prolonged standing, bending and carrying such items as books, papers, and files. In carrying out responsibilities it may be necessary for the incumbent to travel into the community where he/she conducts interviews with the Veterans, their families, representatives of community health and welfare agencies and law enforcement agencies. The incumbent must possess current driver's license and drive a government vehicle in carrying out professional duties when deemed necessary.

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.