The Senior Social Worker - Community Engagement Program Coordinators support community capacity development for suicide prevention by organizing community partners and coalitions to implement suicide prevention programs aimed at reducing Veteran suicide at the community, state, and Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) levels. 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: Qualifications: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education: Master's degree in social work (MSW) 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 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 master's degree in social work. Licensure: Persons hired or reassigned to social worker positions in the GS-185 series in VHA must be licensed or certified by a state to independently practice social work at the master's degree levels. English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English as required 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: Senior Social Worker, GS-12 Experience/Education: The candidate must have at least two years of experience post advanced practice clinical licensure and should be in a specialized area of social work practice of which, one year must be equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Senior social workers have experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment. Senior social workers are experts in their specialized area of practice. Senior social workers may have certification or other post-masters training from a nationally recognized professional organization or university that includes a defined curriculum/course of study and internship or equivalent supervised professional experience in a specialty. Licensure/Certification: Senior social workers must be licensed or certified by a state at the advanced practice level which included an advanced generalist or clinical examination, unless they are grandfathered by the state in which they are licensed to practice at the advanced practice level (except for licenses issued in California, which administers its own clinical examination for advanced practice) and they must be able to provide supervision for licensure. Knowledge, Skills And Abilities: In addition to the experience and education listed above, candidates must be able to demonstrate the following knowledge, skills and abilities listed in the job announcement: a) Skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations. This includes individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management. (b) Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. (c) Knowledge in developing and implementing methods for measuring effectiveness of social work practice and services in the specialty area, utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services and to design system changes. (d) Ability to provide specialized consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients in the service delivery area, as well as role modeling effective social work practice skills. (e) Ability to expand clinical knowledge in the social work profession, and to write policies, procedures, and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area. Assignments: For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Senior social workers are licensed or certified to independently practice social work at an advanced level. Senior social workers typically practice in a major program area such as but not limited to: Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center or Polytrauma Network Site; a Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Center, or a national VHA referral center, such as a national Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or a national Transplant Center, or other program areas of equivalent scope and complexity. The senior social worker may be assigned administrative responsibility for clinical program development and is accountable for clinical program effectiveness and modification of service patterns. Assignments include clinical settings where they have limited access to onsite supervision such as CBOCs or satellite outpatient clinics. The senior social worker collaborates with the other members of the treatment team in the provision of comprehensive health care services to Veterans, ensures equity of access, service, and benefits to this population, ensures the care provided is of the highest quality. The senior social worker provides leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs for assigned social work staff. They serve on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility, VISN and national level, or in the community as deemed appropriate by the supervisor, Social Work Executive or Chief of Social Work Services. This assignment is to be relatively few in number based on the size of the facility/service and applying sound position management. This assignment must represent substantial additional responsibility over and above that required at the full performance grade level and cannot be used as the full performance level of this occupation. Preferred Experience: Experience in Community Suicide Prevention Programs. References: VHA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G39 dated September 10, 2019. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: Light Lifting (15 lbs. and under); Light Carrying (15 lbs. and under); Both hands required; Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; Near vision correctable at 13" to 16"; Far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; Hearing (aid permitted); emotional and mental stability. ["Major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Connects VA programs and stakeholders-including, but not limited to, Veterans, Veteran Service Organizations, congressional staff, media, community business partners, and community members throughout the health care system and VISN catchment areas-to conduct community-based interventions and provide outreach and education on suicide prevention related topics and services. Serves as a subject matter expert (SME) in public health and suicide prevention, supporting partnerships and coalitions by providing new or existing community education and outreach initiatives on behalf of the assigned VA Health Care facility and the surrounding catchment area. Develops VHA-community partnerships - meet with prospective community partners and/or establish formal relationships between the VHA and local partners to facilitate suicide prevention in the community. Develops and provides suicide prevention related media/marketing, including interviews (print or broadcast), social media postings, and communication campaigns (Paid/PSAs). Provides a variety of suicide prevention trainings. Serves as a SME supporting coalitions and partners by developing and leading new or existing education and outreach initiatives on behalf of the assigned VA Health Care facility and the surrounding catchment area. Demonstrates effective public speaking skills and the ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with a variety of audiences with a focus on suicide prevention. Provides leadership with the suicide prevention team in the development and implementation of suicide prevention educational programs and initiatives. All other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:am - 4:30pm\nTelework: Position is primarily Telework (must be in the local commuting area) - periodic visits to the facility will be required as indicated.\nFunctional Statement #: F00816\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]