Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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The Suicide Prevention Coordinator is an advanced practice social worker who practices in the VA Eastern Colorado Healthcare System (VAECHCS). This position is assigned to the PFC Floyd K. Lindstrom Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic, in Colorado Springs, CO. The incumbent provides direct patient care services to a very high risk population and manages the daily operation of the program.

Major duties and responsibilities of the position include but are not limited to:

• Provides a full range of mental health services utilizing appropriate evaluations and structured interviews, generates reports, and provides expert consultation to other disciplines or units providing care oriented to veterans at high risk for suicide.
• Independently coordinate and monitor services for Veterans designated as "High Risk for Suicide", and act as the transitional coordinator of care for these patients throughout a period of the most acute risk. They manage the High-Risk Flags and ensure all local and national standards and best practices are met by all services and providers involved in the care of high risk Veterans.
• Complies with all CPRS documentation procedures, including timeliness standards for documentation and proper patient check out procedures.
• Follows national guidelines while independently maintaining a caseload of high-risk Veterans with complex clinical needs and providing comprehensive care management for Veterans entering a period of acute risk.
• Facilitation of complex care management and risk mitigation interventions for high-risk Veterans recently discharged from the Emergency Department through the program known as SPED.
• Identifying system and patient level suicide risk through the surveillance of all suicide attempts, completions and patients with serious suicide ideation across facilities in the healthcare system.
• Developing and implementing an ongoing subject matter evidenced-based education and training for providers, veterans, families and members of the community on risk factors and warning signs for suicide and treatment options.
• Independently evaluating Veteran progress towards goals and working with veteran and treatment providers to adjust the treatment plan, as appropriate, to best help mitigate suicide risk and in support of recovery goals.
• Independently collaborates and consults in managing the complex legal and ethical issues often present in crisis intervention and suicide risk mitigation.
• Tracking any no-show appointments by these patients and following up with the patient as soon as possible to reschedule the appointment.
• Disseminating, organizing, and where possible, conducting evidence-based and promising, emerging interventions.
• Assuring compliance with Joint Commission standards related to suicide prevention.
• Assists with outreach to community resources such as Veteran Service Organizations and other community groups to assure that they are aware of how to recognize veterans at risk for suicide and their options for getting these veterans assistance.
• The incumbent maintains an ongoing education to provide guidance and education to providers, veterans, families and community agencies regarding suicide prevention, risk factors, assessment, intervention and treatment.
• Responds to Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) referrals per national guidelines and internal facility referrals regarding suicidal Veterans or other related crisis with application of independent clinical determinations for risk mitigation and expedition of crisis interventions.

Work Schedule: M-F, 7:30 AM - 4 PM
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
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)
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 may be authorized at supervisory discretion.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 53864A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• 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).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

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: Candidates must be proficient in spoken & written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
• 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 SW Licensure Summary by State.

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:

GS-12 Senior Social Worker:
Experience and 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, the candidate 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: Experience in Crisis Intervention, Suicide Prevention and Suicide Risk Identification, Assessment and Safety Planning

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: The position is generally involves activities normally associated office based mental health practices. No unusual
physical demands are placed on the incumbent. The work requires extreme patience and control of emotions in a multidisciplinary
work setting. Occasional automobile driving may be necessary in meeting one's responsibilities.

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.