The incumbent is a social worker assigned to FHCC providing services to Veterans, Active Duty, Retirees and their Dependents at the main campus and in Community Based Outpatient Clinics as the COMPACT Act Coordinator working on the Suicide Prevention Team. The work of this position involves a combination of mental health administrative skills and intensive clinical services, which requires the exercise of mature professional judgment and the flexible use of a wide range of abilities.

Duties

The incumbent plans, develops, implements and oversees all components of the COMPACT Act for patients with episodes of suicide required care. Duties include, but are not limited to: The incumbent is responsible for tracking and reporting suicide behavior for patients in the community, as well as, monitoring facility specific data related to the COMACT Act. Provides assessment for risk of suicide in individual patients Provides follow up on consults, assists in scheduling appointments and making sure Veterans are seen and evaluated in a timely manner. When eligible, the COMPACT Act Coordinator assists with and expedites Veteran enrollment into the VA. 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 in the electronic medical record. Establishes relationships with local and state suicide prevention organizations, local crisis line organizations, and local Veteran Service Organizations (VSO). Develop partnerships with facility programs to assure that patients are assessed and evaluated for suicide risk as appropriate and preventative interventions are in place. Is responsible for monitoring Veterans Health Administration (VHA) performance monitors and measures related to the COMPACT Act to assure they are met or exceeded. Establishes performance and outcome standards for the facility related to the COMPACT Act that promote quality and efficiency of services in coordination with the overall goals of the medical center and those of the VISN and VA Central Offices. Develops policy and procedures to ensure compliance with the Joint Commission, Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), and other accrediting bodies and regulatory standards as needed. Develops a data-driven, continuous quality improvement program with established goals and outcomes to evaluate and document the program's effectiveness. Identifies gaps in services and develops a plan, in consultation with facility staff that will make available the best possible resources in meeting program. Responsible for staff and patient education during Suicide Prevention Month. Develops and implements a plan for outreach to promote awareness of Veteran suicide risk and educate the community regarding recognizing suicide risk among Veteran population and how to assist Veterans and their families in accessing available resources for support and care. Develops and implements a plan for outreach to promote awareness of the COMPACT Act with community hospitals and mental health partners. Serves as a resource for both the FHCC and community, related to Veteran suicide, suicide prevention and COMPACT Act related issues. Utilize program coordination skills to develop and monitor administrative and clinical plans for Veterans receiving COMPACT Act services. Oversees daily operations of the program and provides reports and metrics to facility, VISN and VACO as requested. Captures and analyses local data trends to inform program development and improvement. Collaborate with local facility revenue and finance departments Advocate for Veteran, ensuring they do not receive bills for COMPACT related care Provide education and training on COMPACT Act to internal and external stakeholders as the facility subject matter expert W. Reviews and develops policies, standard operating procedures, practice guidelines for the program Coordination between health care providers and care managers in direct care and community care Collaborate with inter-professional teams within the VA healthcare system and community to navigate complex care coordination Consultation and negotiation across program areas to ensure appropriate resources are secure in a clinically relevant and timely manner Coordinate with local Patient Advocate Tracking System - Replacement (PATS-R) COMPACT clinical review teams Coordinates with local facility Office of Integrated Veteran Care (IVC) Care Coordinators Provides training, education, orientation and guidance on clinical program area Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 0800-1630 Telework: Ad-hoc Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 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. 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/. Exception. VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level. For the GS-11 grade level and above, the candidate must be licensed or certified. At the time of appointment, the supervisor, chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification, including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline. 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. One 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. Licensure/Certification. 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of program coordination and administration which includes consultation, negotiation, and monitoring. Knowledge and ability to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program. Ability to supervise multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program. Skill in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating assigned program area(s). Ability to provide training, orientation, and guidance within clinical practice. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/120 PART II APPENDIX G39 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12.

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 Captain James A Lovell Federal Health Care Center 3001 Green Bay Road North Chicago, IL 60064 US
• Name: Jessica Thompson
• Phone: 757-722-9961
• Email: [email protected]