Suicide Prevention Coordinator

Location: Richmond, Virginia, United States | Agency: Dept of Veterans Services | Full-Time (Salaried) | Closing: Nov 6 2026

About the role

The Virginia Department of Veteran Services is seeking a dedicated and experienced professional to serve as the Suicide Prevention Coordinator. The Suicide Prevention Coordinator operates in a deadline-oriented, fast-paced environment and is an integral member of the SOS team. This position reports directly to the Suicide Prevention and Opioid Addiction Services (SOS) Director. The Suicide Prevention Coordinator supports the planning, implementation, coordination, and evaluation of suicide prevention initiatives designed to reduce suicide deaths and attempts and strengthen behavioral health and wellness across Virginia. The position works collaboratively with community partners, state and local agencies, healthcare organizations, schools, behavioral health providers, coalitions, and other stakeholders to advance comprehensive, evidence-informed suicide prevention strategies. The Suicide Prevention Coordinator supports statewide and community-based activities across the suicide prevention continuum, including prevention, early identification and intervention, training, community engagement, resource development, postvention, and connection to crisis and behavioral health services. The position also assists with implementation of state suicide prevention priorities and promotes coordinated approaches that address populations and communities disproportionately affected by suicide. The Suicide Prevention Coordinator shall display an aptitude for problem solving, as well as maintain effective attention to details, meeting deadlines and prioritizing competing demands. It is important that the candidate be able to perform these tasks at a high level of accuracy and possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to collaborate successfully with various partners, grantees, and grant agencies.

Responsibilities

• Plan, implement, coordinate, and evaluate suicide prevention initiatives to reduce suicide deaths and attempts and strengthen behavioral health and wellness across Virginia.
• Collaborate with community partners, state and local agencies, healthcare organizations, schools, behavioral health providers, coalitions, and other stakeholders to advance comprehensive, evidence-informed suicide prevention strategies.
• Support statewide and community-based activities across the suicide prevention continuum: prevention, early identification and intervention, training, community engagement, resource development, postvention, and connection to crisis and behavioral health services.
• Assist with implementation of state suicide prevention priorities and promote coordinated approaches addressing populations and communities disproportionately affected by suicide.
• Serve as a liaison between Federal, State, and local behavioral health, crisis services, other state agencies, suicide prevention partners, SOS grantees, and grantee agencies to provide technical support and training.
• Facilitate training and meetings, and provide consultation to diverse stakeholders.
• Manage database and data collection, tracking, storage, and retrieval for program evaluation and reporting.
• Exercise independent judgment, problem solving, critical thinking, and decision making to proactively resolve problems and implement viable solutions.
• Travel up to 60% of the time, including frequent overnight and multi-day stays, to support business operations and client needs.

Requirements

• Demonstrated ability to operate in a deadline-oriented, fast-paced environment, work independently and collaboratively on a wide variety of outreach, training, and consultation duties for behavioral health, crisis services, opioid services, and/or suicide prevention.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, analytical, problem solving, organizational skills, presentation skills, database and data collection, tracking, storage, and retrieval.
• Ability to act as a liaison between Federal, State, and local behavioral health, crisis services, other state agencies and suicide prevention partners, SOS grantees, and grantee agencies to provide technical support and training.
• Thorough knowledge of suicide prevention, including the incidence and prevalence of suicide, policy and service delivery issues, best practices in suicide prevention and intervention from interagency, federal, state, and community perspectives.
• Ability to work with diverse behavioral health and/or suicide prevention stakeholders and partners including other state and local agencies and organizations, service recipients, suicide survivors, universities, advocates, etc.
• Strong training and meeting facilitation and consultation skills.
• A valid Driver’s license is required.
• Excellent attention to detail and computer skills in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, and Outlook).

Additional Considerations

• Extensive professional experience in suicide prevention services, administrative experience, and experience with interagency issues at state and local levels, with veteran specific experience preferred.
• Willingness and ability to travel up to 60% of the time, including frequent overnight and multi-day stays.

Pay

Hiring Range: $75,000–$80,000 (Pay Band 4)

Schedule

Full-Time (Salaried)

Contact Information

Name: DVS HR Team | Email: recruitment@dvs.virginia.gov | Phone: N/A