Social Worker (Program Coordinator) Suicide Prevention

Veterans Health Administration•Clarksburg, WV

17h•Onsite

About The Position

The Suicide Prevention Coordinator (SPC) coordinates care for Veterans at risk of suicide and advises the Suicide Prevention Program Manager and staff on suicide prevention strategies for individual patients, the facility, and the Veterans community. The position is at the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg, West Virginia. The coordinator tracks and reports suicide attempts and deaths, maintains and reviews the facility’s high-risk patient list and related Category I Patient Record Flags, and participates in suicide Root Cause Analyses and Environment of Care safety surveys. The role also involves updating local policies concerning suicide prevention training, documentation, and risk assessments. Clinical work includes timely follow-up on Veterans Crisis Line referrals, helping Veterans access VA enrollment and care, contacting Veterans identified as high-risk or as survivors of an attempt, documenting follow-up and treatment plans, and coordinating ongoing monitoring with providers. The coordinator also delivers suicide prevention training to facility staff and community organizations, documents monthly outreach, and builds relationships with local and state suicide prevention and Veteran organizations. The work schedule is 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Telework is ad hoc only, subject to agency policy; this is not a virtual position. Relocation and recruitment incentives and permanent change of station are not authorized. The position is in the Excepted Service and requires a two-year trial period.

Requirements

Master’s degree in social work from a school fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education; a doctoral degree cannot substitute for the master’s degree.
State licensure or certification to independently practice social work at the master’s degree level.
Advanced-practice-level licensure or certification and ability to provide supervision for licensure.
At least one year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 level, demonstrating advanced practice skills, judgment, and progressively greater professional competency.
Knowledge of program coordination and administration, including consultation, negotiation, and monitoring.
Knowledge and ability to write program policies, procedures, or practice guidelines.
Ability to supervise multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program.
Ability to organize work, set priorities, meet multiple deadlines, and evaluate assigned program areas.
Ability to provide training, orientation, and guidance within clinical practice.
Proficiency in written and spoken English.
U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
Must pass a pre-employment physical examination and background/security investigation; seasonal influenza vaccination is required for VA Health Care Personnel.
Must complete the required application and online onboarding processes and serve a two-year trial period.

Nice To Haves

One year of practice in a specialized area of social work involving suicide prevention.
Maintain independent clinical licensure.
Certification or other post-master’s training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university, with a defined curriculum or course of study and internship, or equivalent supervised professional experience.

Responsibilities

Track and report all suicide attempts and completions at the facility.
Maintain the facility high-risk list in consultation with clinicians and manage the related Category I Patient Record Flags; review the flag list at least every 90 days.
Participate in aggregate and individual suicide Root Cause Analyses and the Environment of Care Safety Survey, including helping identify improvements to the mental health inpatient environment.
Update local policies, as needed, concerning suicide prevention training, documentation, and suicide risk assessments in coordination with ACOS MHSL.
Follow up within 24 business hours on Veterans Crisis Line consults to support timely access to care; when possible, meet Veterans at the door when appointments are needed.
Assist Veterans with VA enrollment when needed and ensure suicide screening and evaluation requirements are met.
Contact Veterans identified as high-risk or as survivors of suicide attempts, establish mail contact where appropriate, and provide ongoing communication and follow-up.
Document appropriate follow-up and plans for continuing treatment in the electronic medical record.
Assist treating clinicians with suicide risk assessments when clinical consultation is needed and manage the Category I Patient Record Flag for high-risk patients.
Coordinate continued contact and monitoring with providers to help ensure high-risk Veterans receive ongoing care and treatment.
Deliver VA SAVE or other approved suicide prevention training to non-clinical staff, and provide other site training as requested.
Deliver community VA SAVE training, document community outreach activities monthly, and build relationships with local and state suicide prevention organizations, crisis lines, and Veteran Service Organizations.