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.

Duties

The 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 1. The SPC is responsible for tracking and reporting all suicide attempts and completions at the facility. 2. 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. 3. 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. 4. 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. 5. 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. 6. 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. 7. 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. 8. Other administrative duties as assigned. Clinical Duties 1. 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. 2. 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. 3. 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. 4. 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. 5. 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. 6. 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. 7. The SPC is responsible for following-up on referrals received from staff as a result of the SAVE training. Training and Outreach Duties 1. The SPC is responsible for the delivery of SAVE training, or other approved "gatekeeper" training, to all non-clinical staff who has patient contact. 2. The SPC is also responsible for the delivery of other training programs at the site by request of the facility. 3. The SPC is responsible for the delivery of the community version of SAVE training to community organizations that have contact with veterans. 4. The SPC is responsible for delivering and documenting community outreach activities every month. 5. The SPC is responsible for building relationships with local and state suicide prevention organizations, local crisis line organizations, and local Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs). Work Schedule: Monday -Friday 0800-1630 Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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. Hold a master's or doctoral degree in: Clinical Mental Health Counseling; Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling; Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling; or a related field, from a program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Examples of related mental health counseling fields include, but are not limited to Addiction Counseling; Community Counseling; Gerontology Counseling; Marital, Couple, and Family Counseling. CACREP defines the date when graduates are considered to have graduated from a CACREP accredited program. Additional information may be obtained from http://www.cacrep.org/directory. NOTE: Traditional Rehabilitation counseling programs that are accredited by CACREP do not meet the LPMHC qualification standards as Traditional Rehabilitation counseling differs from Clinical Rehabilitation counseling. Licensure. Persons hired or reassigned to LPMHC positions in the GS-0183 series in VHA must hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to independently practice as a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, which includes diagnosis and treatment. English Language Proficiency. LPMHCs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3.j. 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: Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, GS-12 Experience, Education, and Licensure. In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least one year of progressively complex LPMHC experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Senior LPMHCs must have five years of post-licensed experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressive professional competency and expertise and be licensed to provide clinical supervision to trainees or unlicensed LPMHCs. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-11 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: Advanced knowledge of and mastery of theories and modalities used in the specialized treatment of complex mental illness. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of veteran patients, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. Ability to determine priority of services needed and provide specialized treatment. Advanced and expert skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities for Veterans with complex needs. This includes individual, group, and/or family counseling, or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial, and/or case management interventions used in the treatment of Veterans. Ability to coordinate the delivery of specialized psychosocial services and programs. Ability to design system changes based on data. Ability to provide subject matter consultation to colleagues and trainees on the psychosocial treatment of patients, rendering professional opinions based on experience, expertise and role modeling effective clinical skills. Ability to teach, mentor staff and trainees, and provide supervision for licensure or for specialty certifications. Ability to engage in written and oral communication with leadership/staff and community stakeholders regarding policies, procedures, practice guidelines, and issues pertaining to the practice of the profession. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/106 April 3, 2018 PART II APPENDIX G43 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address White City VA Medical Center 8495 Crater Lake Highway White City, OR 97503 US
• Name: Angelica Jimenez
• Phone: (541) 440-1000 X40641
• Email: [email protected]