*****A recruitment/relocation incentive may be offered to highly qualified candidate(s).***** VA Caribbean Healthcare System offers a wide range of health care, services for Veterans in Puerto Rico, Vieques, Saint Thomas, and Saint Croix. The incumbent serves as the Suicide Prevention Program Manager for the MH & BH Service at VA Caribbean Healthcare System responsible to assist with the direct supervision of all professional behavioral health staff assigned to the program.

Duties

The incumbent has direct administrative responsibilities over the day-to-day operation of this program in alignment with the guidelines set forth in the Uniform MH Handbook of the program. The Suicide Prevention Program Manager assists the ACOS for MH & BH Service in the development and implementation of the program, its policies, and procedures; in the oversight of administrative and programmatic resources; and in monitoring of outcomes using a data-driven quality assurance process of a program that delivers specialized, complex, highly professional services that are important components of the Medical Center and significantly affect the health care provided to veterans. Duties include leading the Suicide Prevention Program in implementing VACO Suicide Prevention mandates and initiatives at the VACHS. Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Serves as the Program Manger to the Suicide Prevention Program. Manages daily operations of the program with numerous tasks and deadlines. Provides direct supervision of the Suicide Prevention Team. Assists in the design, development, and implementation of Suicide Prevention Program activities within the MH&BS service, to include program development such as REACH VET, Suicide Risk ID benchmark and SPED SPRITE etc. Oversees and is responsible for Suicide Prevention initiatives on the medical units and implementation of the BHIP program. Implementation of Suicide Prevention Services to improve access to evidence-based treatments Certified in CBT for SP, CBT-SA and MI that will be able to provide Outpatient Discharge Groups, Suicide Prevention Services to the CBOCs, Rural areas and those hard to engage as identified on the Post-Discharge Engagement (PDE) Patient Tracking Report serving as the PDE Dashboard Champion. Evaluates the suicide prevention program, assess program needs, recommend and implement solutions for improvement, submit monthly reports, establish program accountability. Provides additional support to the Suicide Prevention Program by tracking, trending, and assisting with specific reports, data collection, and data analysis for performance improvement, completes Heads UP and Issue Briefs. Adheres to operational policies and procedures established for the MH&BS and Psychology Section. Assists in the execution of on-going program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement projects to monitor the effectiveness of the Suicide Prevention clinical program. Complies with CPRS documentation procedures, including timeliness standards for documentation and proper patient check-out procedures (e.g. entering diagnostic and procedure codes) Attends and participates in administrative and informational meetings held by the Mental Health Clinic, the Chief of the Psychology Section, the Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences Service Chief, and the Chief of Staff. Attends regular Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences Service and Psychology Section Staff meetings as possible, Mandatory Medical Staff meetings, and complies with Psychology Peer Review procedures. Serves on Medical Center or Healthcare System, VISN, and/or National VA committees or task forces, including participation in assigned RCA committee activities as needed. Represents the Medical Center at professional/program community group/events and committees. Trains clinical and non-clinical staff in the Medical Center, Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), and community about suicide risk factors, warning signs, treatment options, and research. Provides community outreach and education regarding the VAMC, Suicide Prevention Program, and opportunities to reduce the rate of suicide to external stakeholders including Veteran's Service Organizations, local colleges and universities, local guard, and reserve units, etc. Preparing and maintaining administrative records, data bases, and reports in accordance with VACO and local guidelines. Community visits may be required Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm(Note: Work schedules are determined and approved by the supervisor. The incumbent may be required to work various shifts on a permanent or temporary basis based on facility/patient care needs). Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: Supervisory Social Worker, GS-13 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be Authorized - As determined by Facility/Agency 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. English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and 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 http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/. 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: In addition to meeting the basic requirements stated above, the following qualifications criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates. GS-13 SupervisorySocial Workercandidates must have the following: Experience/Education: One (1) year of experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills in a specialty area or in administration demonstrating progressively more professional competency and judgment. 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. Licensure/Certification: Individuals assigned as supervisory social workers must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level, and must be able to provide supervision for licensure. While we no longer require essay-style responses to our Knowledge's Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics (KSAOs), you must be able to demonstrate that you possess the (below) competencies which are necessary to perform the work of the position. Please ensure your resume/CV/application contains sufficient information to support the level of experience/education/training; otherwise, we will not be able to award you credit for the experience/education/training you claim. These are the KSA's for this subject position: Ability to independently organize work, set priorities, and meet multiple deadlines. Skill in a range of supervisory duties which includes clinical supervision, consultation, negotiation with other departments and quality improvement. Ability to ensure provision of clinical social work services by supervised social workers. Ability to delegate authority, manage priorities, coordinate work, and follow up on pending issues to complete duties in an accurate and timely fashion. Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems, develop and implement solutions that result in efficient operations, and use data effectively to manage workload, quality, performance, and productivity within the service. Ability to provide staff training and development. References: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39, Social Worker Qualification Standard. Selective Placement Factor (SPF): This position includes a skill, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to -and essential for- satisfactory performance of the job. Selective Placement Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. Evidence of the Selective Placement Factor must be reflected in your resume. The SPF for this position is: In addition to the English Language Proficiency, you must also be proficient in basic written and spoken Spanish in order to perform the duties of this position. Preferred Experience: Extensive experience in Suicide Prevention day-to-day operation, development and implementation of the program, its policies, and procedures. Experience in community outreach and education regarding the VAMC, Suicide Prevention Program, and opportunities to reduce the rate of suicide to external stakeholders including Veteran's Service Organizations, local colleges and universities, local guard, and reserve units, etc. Experience in implementing VACO Suicide Prevention mandates and initiatives. Experience in supervision Experience in development of action plans to meet performance measures targets as well as for the development and oversight of performance improvement activities. Knowledge and experience in Suicide Prevention Program initiatives, activities and program goals. Physical Requirements: The physical demands of the work requires use of fingers; moderate walking and standing; near vision correctable at 13" to 16" to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in on eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; hearing aid permitted; clear speech; emotional stability; moderate duty. Ability to operate a government vehicle.

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.

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 San Juan VA Medical Center 10 Calle Casia San Juan, PR 00921 US
• Name: Yolanda Ortiz-Davila
• Phone: (407) 664-3446
• Email: [email protected]