Summary This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Responsibilities If you are not a current, permanent VA employee or Federal employee from another agency, you should apply under: CBST-12278557-24-AB. The Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor - Suicide Prevention Coordinator (SPC) is a member of the Suicide Prevention Team (SPT) and works collaboratively in managing the daily operation of the Suicide Prevention Program (SPP). The SPC facilitates the implementation of suicide prevention strategies at a local level through education, monitoring, and coordination activities within VHSO catchment area. Duties include, but are not limited to: Enhanced Care Delivery: Ensures that enhanced care and services, including intensified treatment, safety planning, and follow-up care for missed appointments, are provided for high-risk Veterans. Collaborates with treating clinicians to assess risk and provide guidance about criteria for Patient Record Flags Category I - High Risk for Suicide (HRS-PRF) placements and ensures that high-risk Veterans are receiving appropriate care following their HRS-PRF placements. This may include making personal contact with identified high-risk Veterans (e.g., letters, face-to-face, telephone). Access and Referrals: Responds to referrals from staff members, the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL), and other touch points to ensure that at-risk Veterans immediately receive care and services. Responds to consults from the VCL within 1 business day of receipt and ensure consults are closed within 3 business days. Consult responses may include assisting Veterans with the enrollment process if they are new to VA, facilitating the resolution of the Veteran's needs identified in the consult and reassessing for any potential risk, and making consults to care team members as appropriate. Outreach and Awareness: Performs mandated outreach and awareness activities as a member of the SPT to increase awareness of suicide prevention best practices and to improve the public's understanding and knowledge of suicide risk factors, military culture, lethal means safety and the accessibility of available resources, such as VCL. Fosters awareness of suicide prevention, interventions, and postvention through promoting safe messaging in partnership with the public affairs office through interviews and public events. Builds relationships and collaborates with state and local governments, health care systems, community organizations, and other public and private institutions, stakeholders, and partners for the enhancement of suicide prevention among Veterans, their families, and communities. Education and Training: Engages in educational activities including, but not limited to, dissemination of clinical practice guidelines, educational materials related to suicide prevention, training both clinical and nonclinical staff within VA to identify and respond to Veterans who are at increased risk for suicide and providing training to community organizations and staff who have contact with Veterans (e.g. local SPP procedures, suicide prevention topics such as crisis response, safety planning, postvention, suicide risk screening and evaluation). Instructs VA health care providers how to report Veteran suicidal self- directed violence behaviors, including attempts, interrupted attempts, preparatory behaviors, deaths, and all self-directed violence behavior events of undetermined suicidal intent that occurred within 12 months of the date of notification. Program Administration: Serves as a facility subject matter expert (SME) and point of contact (POC) for matters related to suicide, including prevention, intervention, postvention efforts, education and outreach, and suicide behavior and death reporting; collaborate with other SPCs and VA at-large to share best practices through multiple touch points; and accurately document services rendered to improve the SPP overall. Tracking and Reporting: Ensures reporting mechanisms are implemented for all suicidal behaviors occurring within facility catchment areas; manage the Patient Record Flag Category 1 - High Risk for Suicide (HRS-PRF) process for all Veterans determined to be at a high risk for suicide; and review the nature of care provided using a combination of tracking and reporting tools. Ensure that information about facility programs and patients is accurately articulated to VA leadership including information about all suicide attempts and deaths with quality management teams and assisting facilities with the evaluation of care environments to prevent future suicide- related events on VA campuses. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 564-00673-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Requirements 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. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications 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: LPMHCs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3.j. Education: VHA LPMHC must hold a master's or doctoral degree in: Clinical Mental Health Counseling; Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling; Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling; OR a related field, from a program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Examples of related mental health counseling fields include, but are not limited to Addiction Counseling; Community Counseling; Gerontology Counseling; Marital, Couple, and Family Counseling. NOTE: Traditional Rehabilitation counseling programs that are accredited by CACREP do not meet the LPMHC qualification standards as Traditional Rehabilitation counseling differs from Clinical Rehabilitation counseling. Licensure: Persons hired or reassigned to LPMHC positions in the GS-0183 series in VHA must hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to independently practice as a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, which includes diagnosis and treatment. 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 Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, GS-12 Experience, Education, and Licensure. In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least one year of progressively complex LPMHC experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Senior LPMHCs must have five years of post-licensed experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressive professional competency and expertise and be licensed to provide clinical supervision to trainees or unlicensed LPMHCs. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Advanced knowledge of and mastery of theories and modalities used in the specialized treatment of complex mental illness. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of veteran patients, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. Ability to determine priority of services needed and provide specialized treatment. Advanced and expert skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities for Veterans with complex needs. This includes individual, group, and/or family counseling, or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial, and/or case management interventions used in the treatment of Veterans. Ability to coordinate the delivery of specialized psychosocial services and programs. Ability to design system changes based on data. Ability to provide subject matter consultation to colleagues and trainees on the psychosocial treatment of patients, rendering professional opinions based on experience, expertise and role modeling effective clinical skills. Ability to teach, mentor staff and trainees, and provide supervision for licensure or for specialty certifications. Ability to engage in written and oral communication with leadership/staff and community stakeholders regarding policies, procedures, practice guidelines, and issues pertaining to the practice of the profession. Preferred Experience: Comfortable in providing Mental Health Care through Telehealth modalities; Participates as a member of multi-disciplinary treatment team providing a full range of Mental Health Services; Skilled at multi-tasking, and working under pressure of multiple responsibilities with deadlines; Excellent customer service skills (internal and external customers). References: VA Handbook 5005/106, Part II Appendix G43, Licensed Pharmacist Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, pulling, and pushing. Operation of motor vehicle. 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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information 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. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. 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.