Social Worker (SPCCM)

The role of the Suicide Prevention Care Coordination Manager (SPCCM) is to coordinate and monitor services for veterans at risk for suicide and act as the transitional coordinator of care for these patients. The determination of risk level is based on clinical evaluation and assessment of a veteran by appropriate behavioral health care providers. The incumbent is responsible for coordinating the care of at-risk patients throughout the medical center including CBOCs and community agencies.

Duties include but are not limited to:

• The SPCCM must be sensitive to the ethnic and cultural diversity and age-specific challenges across the spectrum of veterans served and adjust intervention and treatment plans as appropriate.
• Work independently and collaboratively with other treatment team members professionals non-professionals and others at the VA Medical Center and community agencies to assist veterans in managing their mental health problems psychosocial needs barriers to treatment and mitigating risk factors related to suicide.
• Assist mental health clinical teams in the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) and/or Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) with completion of Comprehensive Suicide Risk Evaluation (CSRE) Safety Plans and follow-up care as indicated/requested.
• Provides structured follow-up calls for the Safety Planning in the Emergency Department (SPED) initiative as defined by the VA Suicide Risk Identification Strategy.
• Works with Suicide Prevention Clinicians (SPCLs) to provide follow-up care from the National Veterans Crisis Line calls as indicated/requested.
• In collaboration with the Suicide Prevention Coordinator assists in providing follow-up to Veterans identified as at risk for suicide and in need of additional care coordination efforts such as Veterans who are identified on the Suicide Prevention Population Risk Identification and Tracking for Exigencies (SPPRITE) Report.
• In collaboration with the Suicide Prevention Coordinator provides follow-up for Veterans identified as high risk for suicide while waiting to establish care with primary mental health treatment team as requested.
• Coordinates with community agencies/hospitals to provide follow-up as needed for Veterans until they are established with their primary mental health treatment team.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the Required Documents section of this announcement.

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

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 masters 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 masters degree in social work. Verification of the degree can be made by going to 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 masters degree level. Current state requirements may be found by going to Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).

• Experience Education and Licensure. None beyond the basic requirements.
• Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above candidates must demonstrate all of the following 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. This requires judgment and skill in utilizing supportive problem solving or crisis intervention techniques.
  • Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and communicate with clients staff and representatives of community agencies.
  • Fundamental knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses disabilities and treatment procedures. This includes acute chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries; common medications and their effects/side effects; and medical terminology.

• 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 (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure or certification in a state at the independent practice level.
• Education. In addition to meeting basic requirements a doctoral degree in social work from a school of social work may be substituted for the required one year of professional social work experience in a clinical setting.
• Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
  • 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 (i.e. acute chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries common medications and their effects/side effects and medical terminology) to formulate a treatment plan.
  • Skill in independently implementing different treatment modalities in working with individuals families and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric medical and social problems to achieve treatment goals.
  • Ability to provide consultation services to new social workers social work graduate students and other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment.