Social Worker (Program Coordinator) - Suicide Prevention Program Manager

Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

Duties

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The Social Worker (Program Coordinator) - Suicide Prevention Program Manager (SPPM) position serves all facilities within the VA Maine Healthcare System (VAMHCS). The SPPM provides clinical services in serious and complicated cases and carries full professional responsibility for cases presenting with a wide range of psychosocial and environmental problems. Duties may include, but are not limited to: Provides administrative and clinical oversight (as appropriate) for all program staff. Cultivates a healthy and collaborative workplace for assigned staff. Oversees program operations and evaluations. Identifies areas for improvement and gathering and assessing the data while developing and implementing ideas for improvement. Serves as facility subject matter expert (SME) and point of contact (POC) for matters related to suicide, including prevention, intervention, postvention efforts, education and outreach, and suicide behavior and death reporting. Provides general consultation to healthcare providers on available resources for suicidal individuals. Provides expertise and direction in the areas of system design to prevent deaths by suicide within the VAMHCS catchment area. Implements, monitors and tracks all applicable guidelines consisting of organizational vision, mission, and goals. Collaborates on, develops, revises and enforces policies related to national and local suicide prevention efforts. Ensures tracking and reporting mechanisms are implemented for all suicidal behaviors occurring within facility catchment areas. Completes Issue Briefs and other reports related to self-directed violence. Ensures that enhanced care and services, including intensified treatment, safety planning, and follow-up care for missed appointments, are provided. Responds to referrals from staff members, the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL), and other touch points. Collaborates with community organizations and partners to increase awareness of suicide prevention best practices and providing training to individuals. Participates in suicide prevention outreach activities. Trains both clinical and nonclinical staff within VA to identify and respond to those at increased risk for suicide. Within the scope of privileges granted, provides a full range of patient care interventions, including individual, family, and group therapy, as well as specialized interventions such as behavior management consultations and systems or environmental interventions. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Available Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Available EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact Hannah.Neilson@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more EDRP Code: 25 Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retireme…

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship - Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g this part). 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 4 accreditation standards for a masters of social work. License - 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). Grandfather Provision. A Social Worker employed in VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard (9/10/2019) who did not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply: All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and licensure or certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all of the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure or certification, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all of the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. If an employee who was retained in an occupation listed in 38 U.S.C. § 7401(3) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. NOTE: If social workers covered under the grandfathering provision of the 1991 Federal law regarding licensure or certification of VHA social workers leave the GS0185 social work series, they lose the grandfathering protection. If they choose to return at a later date to the GS-0185 series, they must be licensed or certified to qualify for employment as a social worker. Grade Determinations: Social Worker (Program Coordinator), GS-13: Licensure/Certification Requirement: Individuals assigned as social worker program coordinator must be…

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/.