Senior Social Worker (Suicide Prevention)
As part of a Suicide Prevention National Telehealth Program team, the incumbent is expected to possess strong clinical skills to provide treatment for mental health disorders relevant to Veterans at risk for suicide. Incumbent provides a wide range of care including:
risk assessment and referral, intake/diagnostic and psychosocial assessments, comprehensive treatment planning, and evidence-based psychotherapy services in a manner consistent with established protocols to Veterans at risk for suicide. The incumbent must use a high level of skill in assessing and treating the complex factors of suicidality. Incumbent will provide evidence-based suicide prevention psychotherapies and interventions such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Suicide Prevention, Advanced Safety Planning, Problem Solving Therapy for Suicide Prevention, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Incumbent will also provide crisis intervention within the context of treatment. The incumbent:
Completes a current psychosocial assessment to determine the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans, after thorough review of the medical record. Participates as a member of a Suicide Prevention National Telehealth Program treatment team and engages in active collaboration with Veterans and family as well as other interdisciplinary treatment team members, including but not limited to Psychiatrists, Nurse Practitioners, Psychologists, Social Workers, RNs, Peer Support Specialists and Administrative Support staff, in the development and implementation of a treatment plan. Facilitates enrollment and discharge planning through collaboration with Veterans and their families as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members to ensure that appropriate plans are executed in a timely manner. Provides consultation and education to Veterans and their families regarding community resources, VA benefits, specialty programs, and advance directives. Provides emergency/crisis intervention services to patients experiencing acute psychological crises by helping to stabilize these individuals, providing evidence-based suicide prevention psychotherapies, assisting in referral arrangements for transfer to a psychiatric facility for inpatient care (taking into account locality demands), if necessary, and providing follow up care as needed. Work Schedule:
Monday through Friday, 8:
00am - 4:
30pm PST Telework Eligible:
Authorized Virtual:
Authorized EDRP:
Position is not authorized for the Education Debt Reduction Program Financial Disclosure Report:
Not required 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 the CSWE website to verify if that social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a master of social work. Licensure:
Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-185 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 on the OHRM website. Physical Requirements:
VA Directive and Handbook 5019 states that applicants must complete a pre-employment physical with the possibility of a drug screen. English Language Proficiency:
Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j. Grade Determination:
Senior Social Worker, GS-12:
In addition to meeting the above requirements, the candidate must meet the following:
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. Assignments:
For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Senior social workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work at an advanced level. Senior social workers typically practice in a major program area such as but not limited to:
Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center or Polytrauma Network Site; a Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Center, or a national VHA referral center, such as a national Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or a national Transplant Center, or other program areas of equivalent scope and complexity. The senior social worker may be assigned administrative responsibility for clinical program development and is accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns. Assignments include clinical settings where they have limited access to onsite supervision such as CBOCs or satellite outpatient clinics. The senior social worker collaborates with the other members of the treatment team in the provision of comprehensive health care services to Veterans, ensures equity of access, service, and benefits to this population, ensures the care provided is of the highest quality. The senior social worker provides leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs for assigned social work staff. They serve on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility, VISN and national level, or in the community as deemed appropriate by the supervisor, Social Work Executive or Chief of Social Work Services. This assignment is to be relatively few in number based on the size of the facility/service and applying sound position management. This assignment must represent substantial additional responsibility over and above that required at the full performance grade level and cannot be used as the full performance level of this occupation. Preferred
Experience:
Experience with Telemental health; experience in evidenced based psychotherapy modalities for suicide prevention; experience with VA certification. References:
VA HANDBOOK 5005/23 Part II Appendix G39 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements:
Work is primarily sedentary. Typically, the employee will sit to do the work. However, there may be some walking standing, bending, carrying of light items, accessing transportation, and/or driving a government vehicle. The work requires patience and control of emotions. Work may require occasional use of appropriate techniques to physically restrain clients who present a danger to self or others
Estimated Salary: $20 to $28 per hour based on qualifications.
risk assessment and referral, intake/diagnostic and psychosocial assessments, comprehensive treatment planning, and evidence-based psychotherapy services in a manner consistent with established protocols to Veterans at risk for suicide. The incumbent must use a high level of skill in assessing and treating the complex factors of suicidality. Incumbent will provide evidence-based suicide prevention psychotherapies and interventions such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Suicide Prevention, Advanced Safety Planning, Problem Solving Therapy for Suicide Prevention, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Incumbent will also provide crisis intervention within the context of treatment. The incumbent:
Completes a current psychosocial assessment to determine the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans, after thorough review of the medical record. Participates as a member of a Suicide Prevention National Telehealth Program treatment team and engages in active collaboration with Veterans and family as well as other interdisciplinary treatment team members, including but not limited to Psychiatrists, Nurse Practitioners, Psychologists, Social Workers, RNs, Peer Support Specialists and Administrative Support staff, in the development and implementation of a treatment plan. Facilitates enrollment and discharge planning through collaboration with Veterans and their families as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members to ensure that appropriate plans are executed in a timely manner. Provides consultation and education to Veterans and their families regarding community resources, VA benefits, specialty programs, and advance directives. Provides emergency/crisis intervention services to patients experiencing acute psychological crises by helping to stabilize these individuals, providing evidence-based suicide prevention psychotherapies, assisting in referral arrangements for transfer to a psychiatric facility for inpatient care (taking into account locality demands), if necessary, and providing follow up care as needed. Work Schedule:
Monday through Friday, 8:
00am - 4:
30pm PST Telework Eligible:
Authorized Virtual:
Authorized EDRP:
Position is not authorized for the Education Debt Reduction Program Financial Disclosure Report:
Not required 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 the CSWE website to verify if that social work degree meets the accreditation standards for a master of social work. Licensure:
Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-185 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 on the OHRM website. Physical Requirements:
VA Directive and Handbook 5019 states that applicants must complete a pre-employment physical with the possibility of a drug screen. English Language Proficiency:
Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j. Grade Determination:
Senior Social Worker, GS-12:
In addition to meeting the above requirements, the candidate must meet the following:
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. Assignments:
For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Senior social workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work at an advanced level. Senior social workers typically practice in a major program area such as but not limited to:
Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center or Polytrauma Network Site; a Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Center, or a national VHA referral center, such as a national Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or a national Transplant Center, or other program areas of equivalent scope and complexity. The senior social worker may be assigned administrative responsibility for clinical program development and is accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns. Assignments include clinical settings where they have limited access to onsite supervision such as CBOCs or satellite outpatient clinics. The senior social worker collaborates with the other members of the treatment team in the provision of comprehensive health care services to Veterans, ensures equity of access, service, and benefits to this population, ensures the care provided is of the highest quality. The senior social worker provides leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs for assigned social work staff. They serve on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility, VISN and national level, or in the community as deemed appropriate by the supervisor, Social Work Executive or Chief of Social Work Services. This assignment is to be relatively few in number based on the size of the facility/service and applying sound position management. This assignment must represent substantial additional responsibility over and above that required at the full performance grade level and cannot be used as the full performance level of this occupation. Preferred
Experience:
Experience with Telemental health; experience in evidenced based psychotherapy modalities for suicide prevention; experience with VA certification. References:
VA HANDBOOK 5005/23 Part II Appendix G39 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements:
Work is primarily sedentary. Typically, the employee will sit to do the work. However, there may be some walking standing, bending, carrying of light items, accessing transportation, and/or driving a government vehicle. The work requires patience and control of emotions. Work may require occasional use of appropriate techniques to physically restrain clients who present a danger to self or others
- Department:
0185 Social Work - Salary Range:
$76,721 to $99,741 per year
Estimated Salary: $20 to $28 per hour based on qualifications.
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