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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. 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. Learn more Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. 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 accreditation standards for a masters of social work. Licensure: 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/. English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). 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). Grandfathering Provision: The following is the standard grandfathering policy for all title 38 hybrid qualification standards. Please carefully review the qualification standard to determine the specific education and/or licensure/certification/registration requirements that apply to this occupation. 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 GS-0185 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: Senior Social Worker, GS-12 Experience/Education. The candidate must have at least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which, one year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Senior social workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment. Senior social workers are experts in their specialized area of practice. Senior social workers may have certification or other post-masters training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience in a specialty. Licensure/Certification. Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California, which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations. This includes individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. Knowledge in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to design system changes. Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients in the service delivery area, as well as role modeling effective social work practice skills. Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession, and to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G39 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: Physical Demands of the work are generally minor. The work is primarily sedentary, although the stress involved in dealing continually with persons in emotional distress and who may be uncooperative makes this work notably more demanding than most sedentary jobs." For additional information on Physical Standards please see VA Directive and Handbook 5019. http://www.va.gov/vapubs/ ["**This is an open continuous announcement - qualified applicants will be referred at least every 2 weeks.** Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm\nTelework: Available\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nFunctional Statement #: 000000\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized to highly qualified candidates.\nEDRP Authorized: Contact V21CCOEEDRP@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance\nPermanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required The Suicide Prevention Coordinator (SPC) is located in the Mental Health Care Line and serves to facilitate implementation of suicide prevention strategies at the local level through education, monitoring, and coordination activities. The SPC identifies Veterans at High Risk for suicide, offers direction to providers regarding delivery of enhanced care to High Risk Veterans, completes required chart review after a suicide or suicide attempt and serves as a consultant to frontline staff in the area of suicide. Services are provided in person, over the phone and/or via telehealth. Provides advanced evaluation and treatment strategies to the full range of patient problems in their work setting, including providing evidenced based interventions. Incumbent employs a high level of skill and expertise to establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans and/or their families. Provide expert advice and consultation to professionals representing a variety of disciplines and is required to exercise independent and expert judgment in the selection of or adaptation of standard and accepted theories, techniques and practices, and is able to develop new techniques and programs for the treatment of clinical populations. The incumbent has at least two years of experience in an area of specialized, advanced practice post licensure and he/she is able to provide clinical supervision for unlicensed social workers working towards clinical licensure. Duties of the position include, but are not limited to: Identifying Veterans that are at High Risk for suicide and assisting in the maintenance of the Facility High Risk List which ensures providers are aware of the Veteran and providing clinically indicated treatment for the Veteran's diagnosis and/or specific situational stressors. Assuring that all Veterans on the Facility High Risk List are either offered enhanced treatment in accordance with VACO requirements and as determined by the provider or that appropriate outreach efforts are being made to engage Veteran in treatment. Tracking any no-show appointments by these patients and coordinating provider follow up with the patient as soon as possible to assess current functioning, suicide risk, request welfare check as needed and to reschedule the appointment. Ensuring Veterans who are identified by the REACH Vet algorithm are offered treatment which is appropriate and clinically indicated. Interfacing with Psychiatric Inpatient Units to determine acuity of Veterans at risk for suicide and assisting with coordination of aftercare. Facilitating liaisons with other health care programs in order to effectively coordinate services for complex High Risk Veterans. Reviewing and Tracking all suicide attempts using the \"Suicide Behavior & Overdose Report\" and either identifying these Veterans as High Risk for Suicide or offering rationale why they are not High Risk. Completing applicable duties after a suicide or suicide attempt including Issue Briefs, Behavioral Autopsies (BHAP), Family Interview Telephone Contact (FIT-C), Root Cause Analysis (RCA) and postvention briefings. Assisting with regularly scheduled environmental scans on inpatient psychiatric units to identify elements of the architecture or care process that may lead to suicidal behaviors, and follow-up as needed. Assisting in ongoing data-driven evaluation to monitor efficacy of suicide prevention programming. Assisting with completion of programmatic changes that enhance delivery of treatment to suicidal patients or improve consultation efforts with frontline providers as directed by supervision. Ensuring Compliance with national and local performance measures, including timely health care screening and completion of clinical reminders for all patients. Participating in administrative and informational meetings held by the Service Chief (or designee) and facility Director. Attempting to offer all NCHCS patients information on crisis services including the phone number for the Veteran's Crisis Line and other relevant resources by ensuring attendance at outreach events (by the coordinator or their proxy) in accordance with VACO requirements. Conducting on-going suicide prevention training with both clinical and non-clinical staff to assure that they are able to respond to patients during crisis situations. Must have a valid unrestricted driver's license. Other duties as assigned by management."]