This position is located within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), VA Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6), Hampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center (HVAMC), under the Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences Service Line (MHBS). This position is aligned with the Suicide Prevention Program.

Duties

The Suicide Prevention Program Coordinator (SPC) will serve to facilitate implementation of suicide prevention strategies within the Medical Center to help ensure that all appropriate measures are being taken to prevent suicide in our Veteran population. Activities will include support for the identification of Veterans at high risk and coordinating enhanced care when needed. Their health care and psychosocial needs are complex and require a high degree of clinical oversight and creative problem solving. This position facilitates efficient and appropriate delivery of services related to Suicide Risk Assessment and enhanced care requirements across episodes of care within the Medical Center and Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs). This position plans, develops, implements, and evaluates the facility Suicide Prevention Program to ensure continual quality improvement and excellence in customer service. The work affects a wide range of agency activities and operations. It directly affects the health and well-being of the patients served and relationships with community organizations and stakeholders. Responsible for overseeing daily job duties of facility staff assigned to the Suicide Prevention Program, which include Social Worker Case Managers and Administrative Program Support Staff. Responsible for tracking and reporting all suicide attempts and completions at their facility. 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. Engages in aggregate suicide Root Cause Analyses (RCA's). Involved in the Environment of Care (EOC) Safety Survey. The SPC assists the EOC Safety Survey team in determining actions that should be taken to improve the mental health inpatient environment. Establishes performance and outcome standards for the facility Suicide Prevention Program 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 Office. Develops a data-driven, continuous quality improvement program with established goals and outcomes to evaluate and document the program's effectiveness. Coordinates the daily operation of the Suicide Prevention Program, in conjunction with the Suicide Prevention Program Manager and provides accountability for program effectiveness and modification of service patterns to enhance customer satisfaction. Oversees the Suicide Prevention Case Managers, including monitoring their caseload and the advocacy services provided to high risk for suicide Veterans in their caseload. Provides follow up on VCL consults received from the VA Suicide Hotline within required timeframes to assure timely access to care and follow-up for patients in crisis. When needed, the SPC 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 use disorder appointments in conjunction with the clinical treatment team, and that this follow-up is documented in the electronic medical record. Provides consultation for assessment for risk of suicide in individual patients in conjunction with the treating clinician and managing the Category I Patient Record Flag for patients at high risk for suicide. Provides Operation S.A.V.E. training or other approved "gatekeeper" training to all non-clinical staff that have patient contact. Provides training for all new employees as part of New Employee Orientation. Responsible for staff and patient education during Suicide Awareness Month. Educational activities may include displays and exhibits regarding suicide prevention. In addition, educational activities may provide information about the VA National Mental Health Crisis/Suicide Hotline discussion, and other support services available. 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. Serves as a resource for both the VA facility and community related to Veteran suicide and suicide prevention issues. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:30pm Monday - Friday Telework: Not Eligible for Telework Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required.

Requirements

Qualifications

Applicants must have completed their education and obtained their certification/licensure requirements to be referred and tentatively selected. 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/. (1) 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. (a) For appointments at the GS-9 grade level, VHA social workers who are not licensed or certified at the time of appointment must become licensed or certified at the independent, master's level within three years of their appointment as a social worker. Most states require two years of post-MSW experience as a prerequisite to taking the licensure/certification exam, and VHA gives social workers one additional year to pass the licensure/certification exam. In states such as California, Washington, and others where the prerequisites for licensure exceed two years, social workers must become licensed at the independent, master's level within one year of meeting the full state prerequisites for licensure. (b) A social worker who does not yet have a license that allows independent practice must be supervised by a licensed independent practitioner of the same discipline who is a VA staff member and who has access to the electronic health record. (c) Different states have different levels of licensure or certification, making it difficult for VHA staff to determine the independent practice level. Each state, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia completed surveys identifying the level of licensure or certification allowing independent practice. Copies of the surveys are on file in the VHA Office of Care Management and Social Work Services, and a summary spreadsheet of the levels of licensure or certification is available to social work professional standards board members for purposes of determining whether the social worker's level of licensure or certification meets the VHA qualification standards. All states except California use a series of licensure exams administered by the ASWB. Information can be found at https://www.aswb.org/. The ASWB is the association of boards that regulates social work. ASWB develops and maintains the social work licensing examination used across the country and is a central resource for information on the legal regulation of social work. The ASWB offers three examinations. The master's examination is generally used by states for the independent practice level of licensure or certification, while the advanced generalist and the clinical examinations are used for the advanced practice level of licensure or certification. Differences between the master's and the advanced exams demonstrate the expectation that advanced practice social workers will have a more sophisticated knowledge of practice theory and its application. 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: Experience/Education. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Ability to independently organize work, set priorities, and meet multiple deadlines. (b) Knowledge of supervisory duties which includes clinical supervision, consultation, negotiation with other departments and quality improvement. (c) Ability to ensure provision of clinical social work services. (d) Ability to provide staff training and development. (e) Skill in interpersonal relationships in dealing with employees, team leaders, and managers. References: September 10, 2019 VA HANDBOOK 5005/120 PART II APPENDIX G39 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services. The work is primarily sedentary. The employee may sit comfortably in an office or clinic to perform the work. However, there may be some walking, standing, stooping, bending, and carrying light items such as papers, books, etc. It may require some lifting (10-20 lbs.) occasionally. Reaching above shoulder; Frequent keyboarding (4-7 hours per day); Sitting (4-7 hours per day); Walking up to 6 hours per day); Standing (up to 8 hours per day); Infrequent climbing/descending of stairs; Some bending; Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; Correctable near sighted and far-sighted vision; Hearing (Aid permitted). With patients who may suffer with mental illness, there is occasional risk of violence requiring the use of good judgment and safety precautions. The work performed will be both within the medical center and within the community as needed. The environment involves everyday risks or discomforts which require normal safety precautions typical of offices, patient rooms, and in general, the medical center.

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 Hampton VA Medical Center 100 Emancipation Drive Hampton, VA 23667 US
• Name: Antonio Deans
• Phone: 951-234-6167
• Email: [email protected]