Social Worker-Suicide Prevention Case Manager

Veterans Health Administration • Saint Cloud, MN

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Social Worker-Suicide Prevention Case Manager provides clinical and administrative social work services to Veterans, with a focus on suicide prevention and care coordination. The incumbent responds to referrals from the Veterans Crisis Line and other staff, assesses Veterans at high risk for suicide in collaboration with Veterans, families, significant others, and the interdisciplinary treatment team, and develops treatment plans that build on individual strengths and address limitations and support needs. The role tracks care for Veterans with a Category I High Risk for Suicide Patient Record Flag and coordinates services within the VA Health Care System and with outside agencies.

The position includes behavioral and mental health biopsychosocial assessments; clinical judgment and treatment planning; referrals and transitions of care; advocacy; goals-of-care discussions and assistance with advance directives and related documentation; and assessment for abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The incumbent may provide postvention services as directed and performs on-call duties as assigned, which may include transporting a Veteran. Virtual visits are conducted using modalities preferred by patients and Consult Toolbox functions.

Administrative duties include maintaining complete and timely clinical records and data, participating in meetings and approved committees or work groups, supporting performance improvement and accreditation requirements, and participating in Social Work Professional Practice Evaluation processes. The position is scheduled Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; evening and weekend work may be required. Telework and virtual work are not available.

The position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program, subject to individual eligibility and program approval. The position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in social work from a school fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education; a doctoral degree does not substitute for the master’s degree requirement.
• State licensure or certification to independently practice social work at the master’s level, except that an exception may be available at the GS-9 level while completing state prerequisites. GS-11 applicants must be licensed or certified at the independent practice level.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• For GS-11: at least one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to GS-9 in health care or another social-work-related setting, plus independent-practice licensure or certification; alternatively, a doctoral degree in social work may substitute for the one year of professional clinical social work experience.
• For GS-9 applicants who are not licensed or certified at appointment: obtain independent, master’s-level licensure or certification within three years of appointment.
• Demonstrate a Veteran-centric approach to interventions and counseling with Veterans, families, caregivers, and survivors.
• Demonstrate ability to assess psychosocial functioning and needs, formulate and implement treatment plans, and identify problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needs.
• Demonstrate ability to implement treatment modalities with individuals, families, and groups, using supportive, problem-solving, or crisis-intervention techniques as appropriate.
• Demonstrate ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients, staff, and community-agency representatives.
• Have fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, treatment procedures, acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses or injuries, common medications and their effects or side effects, and medical terminology.
• For GS-11: demonstrate knowledge of community resources and referral coordination; skill conducting independent psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions with people from varied backgrounds; knowledge of diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures to formulate treatment plans; skill independently implementing treatment modalities with individuals, families, and groups; and ability to consult with new social workers, graduate students, and other staff.
• Unrestricted driver’s license and a clean driving record report from the DMV during onboarding.
• Pass a pre-employment driving physical examination; a driver’s physical is required.
• Complete a background/security investigation and online onboarding process, and provide acceptable identification for pre-employment requirements.
• Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Submit a transcript with the application; foreign education used to meet qualifications requires a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with the transcript.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period, during which continued employment is evaluated.

Nice To Haves

• Mental health experience.
• Previous outreach or community engagement experience.

Responsibilities

• Conduct behavioral health and mental health biopsychosocial assessments.
• Use professional judgment to develop clinical impressions, select treatment approaches, and plan treatment.
• Coordinate with internal and external professionals to support transitions of care and appropriate treatment for Veterans.
• Maintain knowledge of VA and Veteran benefits and services, community resources, and referral processes; make appropriate referrals.
• Advocate to overcome barriers to care or services when in the Veteran’s best interests.
• Discuss goals of care and educate Veterans; assist with advance directives, organ, tissue, and eye donation release-of-information forms, and guardianship documentation.
• Assess for signs and symptoms of abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
• Practice in accordance with VA and discipline-specific ethical requirements and within the limits of current licensure or certification.
• Complete assigned on-call duties, which may include transporting a Veteran.
• Conduct virtual visits using patient-preferred modalities and Consult Toolbox functions.
• Respond to referrals from the Veterans Crisis Line and other staff.
• Assess Veterans at high risk for suicide in collaboration with the Veteran, family members, significant others, and the interdisciplinary treatment team; identify strengths, limitations, support, and service needs.
• Develop treatment plans with Veterans and the interdisciplinary treatment team based on assessment findings.
• Track care for Veterans assigned a Category I High Risk for Suicide Patient Record Flag.
• Assess, plan, implement, coordinate, monitor, and evaluate services for Veterans at high risk for suicide, working within VA and with outside agencies.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on suicide, VA health care, and/or community resources, and collaborate with providers to reassess Veteran needs.
• Participate in postvention services as directed by the supervisor.
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing with people from varied backgrounds and use computer systems and the internet to communicate with Veterans who choose those methods.
• Serve on supervisor-approved committees, work groups, and task forces; collaborate in performance improvement and comply with performance measures.
• Attend required administrative and clinical meetings.
• Maintain accurate, timely, and complete clinical records in accordance with professional practice and VA guidelines.
• Maintain data and statistical compilations for accreditation bodies and VA health care systems.
• Participate in Social Work Professional Practice Evaluation processes.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to eligibility and approval; award amounts may be up to $200,000 over an eligibility period of one to five years.
• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• 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.
• 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.
• Eligible full-time employees may receive a childcare subsidy after 60 days of employment, subject to income and other eligibility limits, up to 25% of eligible childcare costs and a monthly maximum of $416.66.
• Traditional federal pension, with five-year vesting, and 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.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to request and approval.

What This Job Offers

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