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This position is located in Social Work Service, Boise VA Medical Center, Boise, ID. The Suicide Prevention Specialist (SPS) Social Worker provides psychosocial assessments and treatment to veterans needing interventions due to high risk of suicide and provides individual, couples, family and group psychotherapy. The incumbent serves as a member of the Behavioral Health Program. 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. English Language Proficiency Requirement - Per VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, Paragraph 3j: No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C., chapter 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English. 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 dependently practice social work at the master's degree level. Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/. Grade Determinations: Senior Social Worker GS-12 Experience and Education: 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 trainingfrom 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 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. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. 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. 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. 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. Physical Requirements: Work, divided between office and clinical settings, is primarily sedentary. May require prolonged standing, moderate walking, and manual dexterity. Requires carrying light items, such as books, files, or laptop computer References: VA Handbook 5005/120 Part II, Appendix G39. ["Duties include but are not limited to: (1) Functions as a coordinator of care of veterans at high risk. Tracks high-risk patients and monitors treatment to insure that needed services are being received. (2) Completes consults from the National Suicide Hotline. (3) Plays an active role in the RCA (Root Cause Analysis) Suicide Team with the facility as required. Completes reports and submits them with in the required time frames. (4) Provides training to clinical and non-clinical staff in the Medical Center, CBOC's and community that includes and is not limited to risk factors, warning signs, treatment options and resources. (5) Assists with developing an on-going Gatekeeper Training program with non-clinical frontline staff and community to assure that they are aware of options for patients whom they come in contact during crisis situations. (6) Promotes the use of evidence-based interventions and strategies for suicide prevention in the medical center. (7) Distributes outreach materials to include brochures, fact sheets, web content, and other targeted information which highlights suicide prevention, warning signs and risk factors. (8) Assists in developing and implementing ongoing plan for providers, veterans, families and members of the community on risk factors and warning signs for suicide and treatment options. (9) Prepares and maintains administrative records, data bases, and reports in accordance with VACO and local guidelines. (10) Interfaces with services throughout the medical center, including but not limited to medical providers and patient advocate, to resolve administrative and clinical problems. This includes collaboration on individual patients and the coordination of medical care within the treatment team. (11) Coordinates the provision of a level of care for all patients that meet VA and JCAHO standards. (12) Maintains comprehensive patient progress notes and treatment plans. (13) Provision of supportive group and individual counseling. (14) Participates in the interdisciplinary treatment planning process, attending team meetings and working in conjunction with the treatment team. (15) Represents the Suicide Prevention Program to other organizations, services and agencies within the medical center and community. (16) Settles issues and disputes or refers them to the Patient Advocate when no solution can be reached through discussion and collaboration with other services. (17) Performs Administrative and Case Management Function (18) Assists with REACH VET Program (19) Assists with maintaining the facility Category I Patient Record Flag for High Risk for Suicide (20) Ensures that the Veterans identified as being at \"High Risk for Suicide\" receives follow up for any missed appointments within the Health Care System in conjunction with the clinical treatment team and that this follow-up is documented in the Electronic Medical Record Work Schedule: 8 :00am - 4:30pm Telework: Yes- Partial Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Travel: Occasional Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]

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