As the Social Worker - Suicide Prevention Coordinator (SPC) You will serve to help facilitate implementation of suicide prevention strategies in the Birmingham VA Healthcare System. You will have the responsibility to independently provide clinical psychosocial and case management services at an advanced practice level to eligible veterans and their family members to meet biological, psychological, social and environment needs.

Duties

VA Careers - Social Work: https://youtube.com/embed/enRhz_ua_UU The SPC is an advanced level professional Social Worker. The SPC performs specialized treatment of complex physical or mental illness. The SPC incorporates 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. The SPC exhibits skill assessing ad treating the complicated psychosocial problems of veterans referred to the suicide prevention team. The SPC functions independently as a care manager of veterans at high risk. Tracks high risk patients and monitors treatment to insure that needed services are being received. Completes consults from the Veterans Crisis Line. Plays an active role in the Root Cause Analysis (RCA) team by performing individual case reviews, assisting with preparation of yearly aggregate summaries and facilitating the implementation of system improvement recommended by the Team. Provide individual, group and family psychotherapy. The SPC develops and implements methods for measuring effectiveness of social worker practice and services, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services. The SPC is able to demonstrate the ability to design changes based on empirical findings. Conduct risk assessments of clients in crisis for suicidal behavior, intervene with clients and their families in acute psychological distress. Serves as consultant to peers and non-VHA counseling staff. Determine appropriate referrals to VAMC and other community agencies, develop and maintain appropriate referral resources in the community. Perform administrative and clinical tasks as assigned by the Team Leader, maintain case records in accordance with program guidelines and professional requirements. Conform to legal and ethical standards of service delivery, privacy and confidentiality. Develop and maintain cooperative working relationship with support facility. While functioning as an independent professional, the incumbent is under the direct supervision of the Suicide Prevention Manager and receives clinical, administrative guidance/mentoring from the Assistant Chief and Chief, Mental Health Service. You will meet the needs of customers while supporting VA missions. Consistently communicate and treat customers (Veterans, their representatives, visitors, and all VA staff) in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner. Provide the customer with consistent information according to established policies and procedures. Handle conflict and problems in dealing with the customer constructively and appropriately. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30-4:00 or 8:00-4:30 Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 52871F, Social Worker, Program Coordinator 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. Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. 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 (MSW) 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. Please note: A doctoral degree in social work may not be substituted for the master's degree in social work. Licensure. Licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level. English Language Proficiency. Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Regulations. 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). Must pass a background check. Grade Determinations: (1) 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. (2) 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. [(3) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of program coordination and administration which includes consultation, negotiation, and monitoring. (b) Knowledge and ability to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program. (c) Ability to supervise multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program. (d) Skill in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating assigned program area(s). (e) Ability to provide training, orientation, and guidance within clinical practice. (4) Assignments. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Program coordinators at the GS- 12 grade level are administratively responsible for a clinical program providing treatment to Veterans in a major specialty area, such as but not limited to: Spinal Cord Injury, Homeless Continuum Veteran Program, Hospice and Palliative Care Program, Suicide Prevention Program, Veterans Justice Outreach, Caregiver Support Program and Community Nursing Home Program. The program coordinator may be the sole practitioner in this specialty at the facility and typically provide direct patient care services in the program area. The program coordinator oversees the daily operation of the program, develop policies and procedures for program operation, and prepare reports and statistics for facility, VISN, and national use. They may be responsible for the program's budget, developing and monitoring staff compliance with practice, standards and guidelines on documentation, workload, data entry, ethical practice and service delivery. The program coordinator provides analysis and evaluation of clinical program data and computerized programs to identify system-wide trends and needs to enhance the quality of service. They may be responsible for, or contribute to, the program's resource and fiscal management, monitoring control points developing the annual budget, operating within that budget, and accounting for appropriated funds. The program coordinator is administratively responsible for the clinical programming and prepares reports and statistics for facility, VISN, and national use. They provide leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs for assigned staff. They initiate and conduct a variety of program or service audits and complete designated clinical practice audits and reports, including productivity assessments. They oversee program operations and evaluations, identifying areas for improvement, gathering relevant data, assessing the data, developing and implementing ideas for improvement and evaluating efficacy of improvement efforts.] References: VA Handbook 5005/120, Part II, Appendix G39 The full performance level of this vacancy is 11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is the 12. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Birmingham VA Medical Center 700 South 19th Street Birmingham, AL 35233 US
• Name: Manuel Argumedo
• Phone: 210-956-9231
• Email: [email protected]