The Social Worker in this position will serve as the Suicide Prevention Coordinator and the Primary Care Mental Health Integration Social Worker. The incumbent will be located (50% of the time) in the Primary Care Clinic at the Capt. James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center facilitating implementation of suicide prevention strategies within the medical center with a focus on the Primary Care population and will serve as a member of the PCMHI Team within the Mental Health Directorate. 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/. 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. At the time of appointment, the supervisor, chief social work or social work executive will provide the unlicensed/uncertified social worker with the written requirements for licensure or certification, including the time by which the license or certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming licensed or certified by the deadline. 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). Grade Determinations: Social Worker (Program Coordinator), GS-12 Experience and Education. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency. Candidate may have certification or other post-master's degree training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship, or equivalent supervised professional experience. Licensure/Certification. Individuals assigned as social worker program coordinator must be licensed or certified at the advanced practice level, and must be able to provide supervision for licensure. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of program coordination and administration which includes consultation, negotiation, and monitoring. Knowledge and ability to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines for the program. Ability to supervise multidisciplinary staff assigned to the program. Skill in organizing work, setting priorities, meeting multiple deadlines, and evaluating assigned program area(s). Ability to provide training, orientation, and guidance within clinical practice. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/120 PART II APPENDIX G39 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. ["Functions of Suicide Prevention will include: Identifies High Risk Veterans receiving care at FHCC, through review of consults, referrals from providers/teams, Reach Vet identification and by participation in Med/Surg Rounding or Treatment Team Meetings. Tracks patients identified as High Risk for Suicide. Assists with maintaining a facility \"High-Risk List\" which identifies patients who have been deemed at-risk for suicide. Ensures that all Veterans identified as High Risk for Suicide and those who may benefit clinically from having a Safety Plan, have a completed a Safety Plan documented in CPRS and will ensure the Patient is provided with a copy of his/her Safety Plan. Will provide education and training to Primary Care Staff on the use of Suicide Safety Plans and assist with integrating its use into their practice. Will provide education and training to Primary Care Staff on Lethal Means Counseling and assist staff with integrating this into their practice. Will establish relationships with medical teams and wards to ensure the implementation of the Suicide Prevention Program. The incumbent is responsible for tracking and reporting all suicide attempts and completions at the facility through the SPAN reporting system. Exclusively controls the Category I Patient Record Flag as it relates to suicide and limits its use to patients who meet the criteria for being placed on the facility High Risk List. They will maintain the list of patients who have a Category I Patient Record Flag for suicide. Provides assessment for risk of suicide in individual patients in conjunction with the treating clinician when managing the Category I Patient Record Flag for patients at high risk for suicide. Ensures that patients identified as being at high risk for suicide receive follow-up for any missed mental health and substance abuse appointments in conjunction with the clinical treatment team, and that this follow-up is documented in the electronic medical record. Functions of Primary Care Mental Health Integration will include: The incumbent will use appropriate assessment questions geared towards current problem referral and functioning, to identify how the patient's physical condition, thoughts, emotions, behaviors, habits, and environment are impacting/influencing the identified problem. The incumbent will be able to rapidly identify presenting problems and develop appropriate interventions based on clinical need. The incumbent will provide feedback to the referring provider about psychological intervention strategies. The incumbent will readily identify patients in need of specialty behavioral health care when the intensity of service needed is beyond care that can be provided as the Primary Care Mental Health Integration Social Worker. The incumbent will focus recommendations and interventions on functional outcomes and symptom reduction. The incumbent will teach self-management skills/home-based practice as the primary method for decreased symptoms and improved functioning. The incumbent will complete thorough psychosocial assessments in collaboration with the interdisciplinary treatment team, the Veteran, family members/significant others, as well as complete reassessments as defined by policy. Contribute to the development of the treatment plan by setting achievable treatment goals with the Veteran, family members/significant others and providers. The incumbent is the subject matter expert on VA and/or community resources and will collaborate with other service providers in reassessing the Veteran's needs. The incumbent is responsible for educating the Veteran and family members/significant others of the available services and assisting them in establishing the appropriate referrals based on the Veteran's preference or that of his surrogate decision-maker. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 0800-1630 Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]
OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans?Readying Warriors and Caring for Heroes! This position is located within Surgical Services at the CAPT James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center (FHCC) in North Chicago, IL. The FHCC is a first-of-its-kind partnership between the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA), and Department of Navy (DoN)/Department of Defense (DoD). It is larger than just a single facility, but rather it is a fully-integrated medical care facility with a single combined VA and Navy mission. The combined mission of the FHCC means active duty military and their family members, military retirees, and eligible veterans receive health care at this facility.VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. Join the FHCC team of energetic, career-minded professionals! For additional information, click onhttp://www.lovell.fhcc.va.gov/index.asp.