Social Worker (Suicide Prevention Program)

About the role

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. Program 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.

Responsibilities

• Collaboration with inpatient treatment providers to support appropriate discharge planning following recommendations for treatment of patients at high risk for suicide.
• Skills in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions to individuals from diversified backgrounds.
• Assuring that all Veterans assigned to the facility high risk monitoring list are being followed for a time period of 90 days. Monitoring activities include:
• Face to face and/or telephone contact with the Veteran to assess their safety and ongoing treatment compliance
• Tracking any no-show appointments and following up with the patient and provider to assess suicide risk and reschedule
• Initiating emergency interventions as indicated if a Veteran is at imminent risk of harm to self
• Contacting family members or other support to provide education and involve them in the patient's treatment and safety planning
• Completing safety plans with Veterans
• Serving as a consultant or member of the Veteran's treatment team if a high risk flag is in place
• Managing placement of the high risk flag and removal as clinically indicated, in consultation with Veteran's providers.
• Contacting and collaborating with the Veteran's' primary therapist to coordinate monitoring activities
• Making recommendations for referral of Veterans to a variety of appropriate programs such as health busy, MHICM, PRRC, etc.
• Maintaining awareness of suicide treatment options and making recommendation to the patient's provider when new options become available.
• Maintaining and improving upon a fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures; to include the typical effects of treatment plans and medications.
• Assuring that all high risk patients have completed and received a copy of safety plan which documents crisis prevention strategies that the Veterans identifies and agrees with.
• Collecting and reporting data related to suicide behaviors, safety plan completion, outreach activities and high risk monitoring as required by local administration, VISN, and VACO OMHSP.
• Respond to consults from the Veterans Crisis Line.
• Assisting with provision of ongoing gatekeeper training program (Operation SAVE) for new employees and non-clinical frontline staff such as clerks and telephone operators as needed to assure that they are aware of options for patients with whom they come in contact during crisis situations.
• Assisting with outreach to community resources and groups to assure that they are aware of how to recognize Veterans at risk for suicide and their options for getting these Veterans assistance.
• Establish and maintaining working relationships with the patient, family, or any external agencies used in the treatment process.
• Timely and accurate documentation, using appropriate notes and templates as defined within the suicide prevention program guide as well as behavioral health department.
• Absent special circumstances, assist with coverage when needed for Mental Health Intake and Evaluation Unit in the ED as well as inpatient psychiatry.
• Ability to provide guidance to new social workers and staff about the psychosocial needs and impacts of those with psychosocial issues in the overall health care and treatment plan.
• May be required to maintain a small caseload of patients.

Qualifications

• 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 3 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: Social workers must be proficient in spoken and written English.
• Exception: VHA may waive the licensure or certification requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure/certification examinations. This exception only applies at the GS-9 grade level. For the GS-11 grade level and above, the candidate must be licensed or certified.
• Grade Determinations:
  • Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services.
  • Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities and treatment procedures (i.e. acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology) to formulate a treatment plan.
  • Knowledge of treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems to achieve treatment goals.
  • Knowledge of psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment.