Social Worker - Suicide Prevention Program Coordinator

Veterans Health Administration • Knoxville, TN

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Suicide Prevention Coordinator (SPC) facilitates implementation of suicide prevention strategies at James H. Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center and its Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs). The SPC serves as a subject matter expert on preventing Veteran suicide, identifies and case-manages high-risk Veterans, supports them, and coordinates efforts to increase community awareness and adoption of suicide-prevention best practices. The role supports identification of Veterans at high risk through suicide-prevention programs and coordinates enhanced care when needed. It facilitates appropriate delivery of mental health services across episodes of care at the Medical Center and CBOCs. This highly complex position combines mental-health administration with intensive clinical services and requires mature professional judgment, excellent communication and customer service, and flexible use of professional abilities. The position provides comprehensive clinical services to complex mental-health patients and carries full professional responsibility for cases involving a wide range of clinical, psychosocial, and environmental problems.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• 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.
• Advanced-practice state licensure or certification for senior social workers, including an advanced generalist or clinical examination, subject to the stated grandfathering provisions; ability to provide supervision for licensure.
• At least one year of experience equivalent to GS-11, demonstrating advanced practice skills and 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.
• Skill in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating assigned program areas.
• Ability to provide training, orientation, and guidance within clinical practice.
• Meet the stated pre-employment conditions, including background/security investigation, pre-employment physical examination, and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements.

Nice To Haves

• 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

• Serve as a subject matter expert on matters related to preventing Veteran suicide.
• Facilitate implementation of suicide-prevention strategies within the medical center.
• Identify, case-manage, and support high-risk Veterans within facilities.
• Coordinate strategies to increase community awareness and adoption of suicide-prevention best practices.
• Support identification of Veterans at high risk for suicide through suicide-prevention-related programs.
• Coordinate enhanced care when needed.
• Facilitate efficient and appropriate delivery of mental-health services across episodes of care within the Medical Center and CBOCs.
• Provide comprehensive clinical services to complex mental-health patients and carry full professional responsibility for assigned cases.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) student loan payment reimbursement, subject to eligibility and program approval; award amount may be up to $200,000 and the eligibility period may be one to five years.
• Federal employee benefits package; the specific benefits offered depend on position eligibility.

What This Job Offers

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