Social Worker (Program Coordinator)
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Job Summary
The Suicide Prevention Program Coordinator is a Senior Social Worker who will serve to facilitate implementation of suicide prevention strategies at a local level through education monitoring and coordination activities.
- Develops and implements information systems to track services including visits referrals inpatient days patient demographics and patient satisfaction.
- Provides programmatic guidance including technical and clinical assistance to other staff in the Suicide Prevention Program.
- Responsible for data collection and monthly reports on all veterans who have had a recent suicide attempt and monitors the completion of the Suicide Behavior Report by other providers.
- Responsible for data collection administrative record keeping monitoring of patient or program clinical indicators and performance measurements.
- The Suicide Prevention Program Coordinator in coordination with the rest of the provider staff interprets and implements the philosophy and goals of the Mental Health Service and the program to which they are assigned to others in the work setting; functions within established guidelines and demonstrates the ability to work effectively and develop sound relationships with their patients other caregivers professional staff and supportive personnel who provide patient care.
- Develops and implements an ongoing education plan for providers veterans families and members of the community on risk factors and warning signs for suicide and treatment options.
- Assures that all of these patients have a 24-hour resource number to call and ways to get assistance if an immediate crisis should occur.
- Provides referrals to VA medical and mental health treatment and to other VA services including VA benefits as well as community-based social services or other non-VA entitlement programs.
- Assesses high risk factors acuity and the need for services.
- Serve veterans who tend to have frequent and severe crises or an inadequate community support network those that frequently fail to comply with instructions and treatment or have significant deficits in coping and require continuing professional psychosocial support.
- Participates in the assignment of veterans to treatment teams and programs.
- Consults with other specialists in planning treatment for veterans and with co-morbidities.
- Develops working relationships with other organizations having responsibility for the same patient population.
- Maintains a current and productive network of referral resources.
- Monitors veterans progress and maintains comprehensive documentation ensures expert diagnosis and treatment of clinical disorders and shows competent discretion in decision to adjust treatment.
- Make recommendations for and changes to treatment plans with coordination from other providers and programs.
- Responds to consults from the National Suicide Prevention Hotline and coordinates the follow up care for these veterans and families.
- Responsible for reviewing all veterans whose charts have been flagged due to being at risk for self-harm.
- Assuring that all veterans on the facility tracking list are being followed closely by the appropriate provider on a regular basis as determined by the coordinator and the provider.
- Works with community resources such as VSOs and other community groups to assure that they are aware of how to recognize Veterans at risk for suicide and their options for getting these Veterans assistance via community outreach events.
- Provides orientation and on-going training for interdisciplinary team members and conducts staff development programs for mental health service and takes responsibility for providing opportunities to help staff update their mental health professional practice skills and acquire new knowledge in contemporary treatment modalities.
- Evaluates his/her practice on an on-going basis through participation I professional peer review case conference research studies or other organized means. Is active in and accepts responsibility for the development and maintenance of professional standards of treatment.
- Serves as a mentor to other Social Workers particularly those at the entry level and to Social Work graduate students.
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30AM-4:00PM
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 10146F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
VA Careers - Social Work: 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 identification 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.
Basic Requirements:
Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3 section A paragraph 3g this part).
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).
IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS LISTED ABOVE YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING GRADE REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION.
GS-12 Grade Requirements:
Experience/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-masters 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 provide supervision for licensure.
Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities: In addition to the experience above candidates must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
- Knowledge of program coordination and administration which includes consultation negotiation and monitoring.
- Knowledge and ability to wrote 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.
Reference: Meets the qualification standard for the GS 12 Social Work Program Coordinator as defined in See Handbook 5005 Part II Appendix G39 Social Worker Qualification Standard GS 185 Veterans Health Administration.
For more information on this qualification standard please visit
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges universities schools or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information visit:
During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
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.
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicants criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations Security and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government passionate about the ideals of our American republic and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
Required Experience:
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