Social Worker (Suicide Prevention National Telehealth Program)

VA Careers - Social Work: Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Social Work: include but are not inclusive of:

• Independently works with Veterans and their families who are experiencing a wide range of complicated medical psychiatric emotional behavioral and psychosocial problems within the context of suicide risk.
• Completes a current psychosocial assessment to determine the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans after thorough review of the medical record. The incumbent must be able to utilize this assessment and the VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines for Assessment and Management of Patients at Risk for Suicide (2024) in facilitating the Veterans maximum use of treatment for attainment of the highest level of recovery that is possible and practicable.
• Participates as a member of a Suicide Prevention National Telehealth Program treatment team and engages in active collaboration with Veterans and family as well as other interdisciplinary treatment team members.
• Possesses knowledge of current literature and experience in use of mental health and substance abuse diagnoses and treatment procedures including acute chronic and traumatic illnesses as well as in suicide risk assessment and intervention.
• Facilitates enrollment and discharge planning through collaboration with Veterans and their families as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members to ensure that appropriate plans are executed in a timely manner.
• Serves as a liaison between Veterans and their families and VA and community resources in order to ensure thorough delivery of suicide prevention-related services.
• Independently implements treatment modalities and to provide counseling and/or skills groups for Veterans and families.
• Provides consultation and education to Veterans and their families regarding community resources VA benefits specialty programs and advance directives.
• Provides consultation to other treatment team and staff members regarding psychosocial needs of Veterans and their families particularly related to suicide risk and the impact of the identified psychosocial problems on the Veterans health care planning compliance with treatment and discharge planning.
• Provides emergency/crisis intervention services to patients experiencing acute psychological crises by helping to stabilize these individuals providing evidence-based suicide prevention psychotherapies assisting in referral arrangements for transfer to a psychiatric facility for inpatient care if necessary and providing follow up care as needed.
• Serves on committees and work groups as deemed appropriate by the supervisor and attends all required meetings.
• Provides assistance to less experienced providers and serves as a preceptor or consultant when appropriate to colleagues and trainees.
• When needed acts as a coordinator of care for themselves and for fellow clinicians within their CRH.

• 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.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation/examination.
• 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.

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).
• 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 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: 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-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 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.
  Preferred Experience:
  Preferred experience includes suicide prevention; treatment of Veterans with chronic high-risk suicidality and a broad range of mental health conditions including serious mental illness; delivery of comprehensive evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions; and effective collaboration with interdisciplinary treatment teams regarding clinical assessment findings and appropriate individualized treatment plans.
  
  
  Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12.
  
  Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment.
  Education

  IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
  
  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:

  Additional information

  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.

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  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.