Social Worker (Program Coordinator)

Suicide Prevention CoordinatorThe Program Coordinator serves as the Suicide Prevention Coordinator (SPC) in the Mental Health Department and facilitates the implementation of suicide prevention strategies at a local level through education, monitoring, and coordination activities. The SPC functions as a coordinator for care of veterans at suicide risk and acts as an advisor to the MH Executive Council, facility leadership, program managers, and staff concerning suicide prevention strategies for individual patients, for the facility and veteran community as a whole. Additional duties include but are not limited to:Ensures all suicide attempts and completions at their facility are documented in CPRS.Performs difficult and complicated review and analysis of complex issues, ambiguous situations, and ethical conflicts.Uses critical decision-making skills to quickly, logically; can accurately prioritize difficult needs and potential solutions.Employs judgement, initiative, and creativity in independent and/or collaborative problem-solving and in designing solutions when guidelines do not exist or do not apply, or where gaps exist in services, equipment, or coverage.Follows up on consults for high risk for suicide flag placement within required time frames.Monitors veterans that have been identified as high-risk for suicide to assure continued care and treatment.Ensures that providers follow-up on missed appointments for high-risk patients to ensure patient safety, in order to initiate problem-solving about any tensions or difficulties in the patient's ongoing care.Plans and coordinates outreach events, and staff and patient education, during Suicide Awareness Month.Works together with providers and treatment teams to ensure that monitoring and treatment is intensified for high-risk patients and high-risk patients receive education and support about approaches to reduce risks.Builds relationships with local and state suicide prevention organizations, local crisis line organizations, and local Veteran Service Organizations (VSO's).Delivers of VA S.A.V.E. training, or other approved "gatekeeper" training, to all non-clinical staff.Serves as a resource for both the VA facility and community related to veteran suicide and suicide prevention issues.Participates in interdisciplinary planning process and attends team meetings and works in conjunction with the treatment team as needed.Interfaces with services throughout the medical center, including but not limited to medical providers and patient advocate, to resolve administrative and clinical problems including collaboration on national suicide prevention initiatives, on individual patients and the coordination of medical care within the treatment team.Delivers a required number of community outreach activities every month which include driving to and from events in the facility catchment area, transporting outreach materials and facilitating the events.Work Schedule: 7:30am - 4:00pm, Monday through FridayTelework: Not AvailableVirtual: This is not a virtual position.Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not AuthorizedEDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn morePermanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized