Senior Social Worker Community Engagement & Partnership Coordinator (CEPC)

Summary

This Social Worker Community Engagement Partnership Coordinator (CEPC) serves as a content matter expert for community-based suicide prevention and facilities integration of sucide prevention education throughout the community.

As the Social Worker CEPC the incumbent develops and organizes community partners and coalitions aimed at reducing Veteran suicide at the state an VISN level. The incumbent promotes a public health approach to suicide prevention.

Duties

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VA Careers - Licensed Clinical Social Worker: https://youtube.com/embed/U_xC25QsN0w

The Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention (OMHSP) in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is responsible for providing strategic guidance directed toward improving the quality of mental health care for over one an a half mllion Veterans nation-wide.

The social worker exercises a wide degree of autonomy in conducting clinical evaluations, treatment, and consultation.

As the Social Worker Community Engagement Partnership Coordinator your duties may include but are not limited to the following duties:

• Develops, facilitates, and strengthens Community-Based Interventions for Suicide Prevention at the community, state, and VISN levels.
• 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.
• Implements VHA Community-Based Interventions for Suicide Prevention including collaborating with community, Veteran, and state partners to develop, conduct, and/or support community-based suicide prevention programs as defined and supported by the VHA Suicide Prevention Program.
  
  

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 including but not limited to a focus on training in Lethal Means Safety, Mental Health Apps (Hope Box, PTSD, etc.), Military Culture, Other Gatekeeper Training (QPR, ASSIST), Postvention, Safety Planning, S.A.V.E., Suicide Risk Evaluation, Whole Health/Wellness.
• Closely coordinates with Suicide Prevention team members, and other facility and VISN stakeholders and the National OMHSP office to implement SP communication plans, both internal and external to the VA.
• Disseminates relevant research findings through practice, education, and consultation with non-VA community partners as well as other VA health care professionals and administrators.
• Hosts Outreach Awareness Tables on suicide prevention at community events.
• Leads meetings with prospective and existing community stakeholder(s) focused on Veteran suicide prevention.
  
  

Provides leadership for coalition management -

• Leads alignment of community coalition goals with VA goals, collaborates with non-VA coalition leaders (remote or in-person), attends coalition meetings (general) and coalition subcommittee meetings,
• Manages and attends coalition sponsored events/public meetings, conducts and/or supports coalition evaluation activities (survey distribution, data collection, key informant interviews, etc.); and leads other coalition activities defined in a coalition action plan.
• Serves as 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. Demonstrates strong interpersonal and collaborative skills, working with staff and stakeholders at all knowledge and proficiency levels.
• Demonstrates military cultural competence in collaborating with and supporting Veterans and Veteran Service Organizations in the community.
• Responsible for establishing and maintaining strong relationships between the VA suicide prevention team and community-based veteran organizations and leadership.
• Comprehends and maintains knowledge of current VA guidelines, policies, Federal regulations, and laws governing benefits for Veterans.
• Disseminates program evaluation and surveillance data related to suicide prevention with community partners.
  
  

Work Schedule: 0730 to 1600 (7:30am) to 4:0pm)

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 58304A

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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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 trial period.
• 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification 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).
  
  

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

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  United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Education: Applicants must possess 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.
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  Licensure: All 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 master's degree level. Current state requirements may be found by going to http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/T38Hybrid/
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized 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).

NOTE: If social workers covered under the grandfathering provision of the 1991 Federal law regarding licensure or certification of VHA social workers leave the GS0185 social work series, they lose the grandfathering protection. If they choose to return at a later date to the GS-0185 series, they must be licensed or certified to qualify for employment as a social worker.

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:

• 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.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, candidates 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.

Preferred Experience: Suicide Prevention. Community Outreach.



Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS 11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12.



Physical Requirements: Physical demands of the work are generally minor, as the position requires sitting, standing, and walking. Some travel is required as the incumbent is required to conduct monthly active outreach in the community which may require traveling long distances. The emotional demands can be stressful in working with high-risk for suicide veteran population and their families. A high level of self-awareness is essential. 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.

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

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior Federal work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): NOT AUTHORIZED

Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases

Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.

Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.

Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.

Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA.

Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement).

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 applicant's 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.

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