Senior Social Worker -Suicide Prevention Coordinator

Veterans Health Administration • Boise, ID

5d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is in Social Work Service at the Boise VA Medical Center in Boise, Idaho. The Senior Social Worker serves as the Suicide Prevention Coordinator (SPC), providing psychosocial assessments and treatment to Veterans at high risk of suicide, including individual, couples, family, and group psychotherapy. The role coordinates care, monitors high-risk patients and receipt of needed services, responds to National Suicide Hotline consults, and supports suicide-prevention efforts across the medical center and community.

The position also provides consultation, training, clinical documentation, administrative and case-management support, and collaboration with interdisciplinary teams. The coordinator supports the facility’s suicide-prevention programs, including REACH VET and maintenance of Category I Patient Record Flags for high suicide risk. The role is expected to uphold VA, VHA, VISN, facility, Joint Commission, and Social Work standards, and may assist with orienting less experienced social workers and serving as a preceptor for social work students.

The regular schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; a compressed tour is available. Flexible scheduling and ad-hoc telework may be available. This is not a virtual position. A sign-on bonus and relocation assistance are not authorized.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in social work from a school fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE); a doctoral degree cannot substitute for the master’s degree.
• State license or certification to independently practice social work at the master’s level.
• For the GS-12 Senior Social Worker level, at least two years of experience after advanced practice clinical licensure, in a specialized area of social work practice; one year must be equivalent to GS-11.
• Advanced-practice-level state licensure or certification, including an advanced generalist or clinical examination, subject to stated grandfathering exceptions; ability to provide supervision for licensure.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Demonstrated skill in specialized interventions and treatment modalities, including individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced psychosocial or case management.
• Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation into differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
• Knowledge of methods to measure the effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area, use outcome evaluations to improve treatment, and design system changes.
• Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on psychosocial treatment and model effective social work practice.
• Ability to expand clinical knowledge and write policies, procedures, or practice guidelines for the service delivery area.
• U.S. citizenship is required, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Must meet applicable background/security investigation and onboarding requirements, and participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period and receive written certification for continued employment after the trial period.
• Education used to qualify must be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and from an accredited institution; foreign education requires a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with transcripts.

Nice To Haves

• Behavioral health experience.
• Experience completing suicide assessments and safety plans.
• Certification or post-master’s training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university in a specialty area, including a defined curriculum and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate care for Veterans at high risk of suicide and track high-risk patients to ensure they receive needed services.
• Complete consults from the National Suicide Hotline.
• Participate in the facility Root Cause Analysis Suicide Team as required and submit reports within required time frames.
• Train clinical and non-clinical staff at the medical center, community-based outpatient clinics, and in the community on suicide risk factors, warning signs, treatment options, and resources.
• Help develop an ongoing Gatekeeper Training program for non-clinical frontline staff and community members.
• Promote evidence-based suicide-prevention interventions and strategies in the medical center.
• Help develop and implement ongoing education plans for providers, Veterans, families, and community members regarding suicide risk factors, warning signs, and treatment options.
• Collaborate with medical-center services, including medical providers and the patient advocate, to resolve administrative and clinical problems and coordinate individual patient care with treatment teams.
• Coordinate patient care levels that meet VA and Joint Commission standards.
• Provide supportive group and individual counseling and individual, couples, family, and group psychotherapy.
• Participate in interdisciplinary treatment planning, attend team meetings, and work with the treatment team.
• Represent the Suicide Prevention Program to organizations, services, and agencies in the medical center and community.
• Resolve issues and disputes through discussion and collaboration, or refer unresolved matters to the Patient Advocate.
• Perform administrative and case-management functions.
• Assist with the REACH VET Program and maintenance of the facility Category I Patient Record Flag for high suicide risk.
• Support the mission, policies, and procedures of the Department of Veterans Affairs, VHA, the appropriate VISN, and the facility.
• Serve on facility committees and work groups as appropriate at the direction of the supervisor or Chief of Social Work Services.
• Assist with orientation and learning for less experienced social workers and serve as a preceptor for social work students when appropriate.
• Use software applications for drafting documents and data management, as well as other VHA computer systems.
• Maintain productivity and quality consistent with assignment complexity and applicable Social Work, Joint Commission, and facility standards.
• Document in the Veteran’s electronic medical record (CPRS) and complete thorough assessments and treatment plans in the Mental Health Suite.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases; a higher step rate may be considered for higher or unique qualifications or VA special needs.
• 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year, including 13–26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, and 11 paid federal holidays.
• Eligible employees may receive credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to approval.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave after 12 months of employment in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster-care placement of a child.
• Eligible full-time employees may qualify for a childcare subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to income and other eligibility limits.
• Traditional federal pension with five-year vesting and a federal 401(k) with up to 5% in VA contributions.
• Federal health, vision, dental, term-life, and long-term-care insurance; many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior