Social Worker-Suicide Prevention Case Manager

About the role

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. The EDRP application must be submitted within four months of the start date. For questions, contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. Basic requirements include United States citizenship, English language proficiency, a master's degree in social work from a school of social work fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), and licensure or certification by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree level.

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. Â7403(f).
• 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).
• 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.

Grade Determinations

Social Worker GS-9: Experience, Education, and Licensure: None beyond the basic requirements. The candidate must demonstrate all of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs):

• Ability to work with Veterans and family members from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds utilizing counseling skills.
• Ability to assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members, and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the Veterans' problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed.
• Ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals.

Social Worker GS-11: Experience and Licensure: Appointment to the GS-11 grade level requires completion of a minimum of one year of post-MSW experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level in the field of health care or other social work-related settings, and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level.

• Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services.
• Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds.
• Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures to formulate a treatment plan.

Responsibilities

Duties will vary by grade, but at the GS-11 level, responsibilities include:

• Weekly clinical contact as needed for high-risk Veterans discharged from inpatient status for the first thirty days, post-discharge while identified as high-risk, in collaboration with other treatment team members.
• Ongoing clinical contact as needed for Veterans deemed at high risk for suicide following national guidelines, and those Veterans placed on the high-risk list.
• Preparation and updates in conjunction with the primary mental health team of the suicide-specific assessment, treatment plan, safety plan, and follow-up notes including treatment plan updates.
• Provision of minimum monthly clinical case management contact with all high-risk Veterans in the program.

Benefits

The Veterans Health Administration offers a range of benefits, including:

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time off per year.
• Parental Leave: 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.
• Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full-time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA.
• Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement).

Work Schedule

Monday through Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm.