[Hiring] Social Science Specialist (Crisis Responder) @Office of Suicide Prevention, Veterans Crisis Line

Role Description

The employee will serve as the Social Science Specialist (Crisis Responder) which is part of the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL). The VCL is a 24-hour, 7-days-a-week, 365-days-a-year service aimed at connecting callers worldwide to a caring, qualified Veterans Administration employee. The VCL's mission is to provide 24/7, world-class suicide prevention and crisis intervention services to Veterans, Service Members and their family members.

• Implements suicide/mental health crisis prevention strategies;
• Conducts interviews and utilizes assessments tools to assess emotional, functional, and/or psychological conditions;
• Assists Veterans and their family/friend/significant other with issues regarding the Veterans' mental health issues, referrals, benefits, support groups;
• Provides psycho-education and directs advice regarding suicide/mental illness crisis;
• Provides support for the identification of veterans at high risk, and coordinates enhanced care;
• Completes structured diagnostic and clinical assessments;
• Keeping a caller, texter, or chatter engaged while multi-tasking to document work, look up resources, and instant message for assistance when needed;
• Prepares and maintains records and reports in accordance with program guidelines;
• Works collaboratively with other members of the VA Crisis Hotline Program to identify appropriate services for Veterans in crisis;
• Makes outgoing calls to Veterans if a Veteran has sent an email or letter to the White House, or some other government agency.

If selected for the position, the Veterans Crisis Line has a comprehensive training that you will attend during your first weeks. As a new employee you will be expected to successfully complete all parts of the training, to include completing a final competency assessment with a score of 80% or higher. Failure to attain a passing score on the cumulative competency assessment may result in a determination that you are not qualified to progress in your employment with the Veterans Crisis Line.

Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process that will be directed from the VCL Onboarding Team and the Staffing Onboarding Team. This will include pre-employment tasks to be completed prior to final job offer.

Work Schedule: The VCL operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Work schedules are designed to ensure continuous coverage and may include evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays to support the VCL mission and operational needs. Newly hired Crisis Responders are required to work any assigned shift during their training period, which may include evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays. After successfully completing all training requirements and being cleared to work independently, Crisis Responders will remain on their assigned training shift until the next VCL tour process assigns new tours. The tour process allows all Crisis Responders to request permanent shifts based on internal seniority. However, staffing and operational needs of the VCL will take priority in all scheduling decisions.

This is a remote position. Selectees will work 100% of the time in a non-VA-owned space outside of the local commuting area of a parent station. The employee's workspace must be suitable for conducting business and as such, remote employees are expected to provide a secure, distraction-free home-based worksite with reliable high speed internet connectivity. The employee will be required to travel to the closest VA Medical Center or VA Outpatient Clinic for issuance of equipment, and as needed for technical support. Selectees will be required to self-certify that their remote workplace meets all safety, privacy, and internet speed requirements. Selectees are responsible for providing their own physical equipment like desks, chairs, lamps, etc.

The Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) is aware of the inherent risks involved in managing callers who frequently contact VCL and may exhibit inappropriate or abusive behaviors. Crisis Responders will be expected to manage stressful interactions with callers while maintaining a high level of professionalism and emotional resilience. VCL utilizes standard operating procedures and best practices/interventions to identify patterns of abusive behavior to ensure the well-being and safety of the customer and VCL staff are encouraged through supportive measures.

Qualifications

• 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: Social Science Specialists (Crisis Responders) must be proficient in spoken and written English.
• Education and Experience: Applicants must meet at least one of the basic requirements below:
  • Successful completion of a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university in a behavioral health or social science related field appropriate to the work of the position (e.g., psychology, social work, sociology, family counseling, mental health counseling, nursing, ministry and criminal justice);
  • Two years of specialized experience as a first responder (e.g., Police, Medic, Emergency Medical Technician, Emergency Dispatch, etc.) or in a social science related field that included behavioral health crisis response, and two years of higher education from an accredited college or university in a behavioral health or social science related field;
  • Successful completion of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in any field and, one year of specialized experience that included behavioral health crisis response or mental health counseling.

Requirements

• Specialized Experience: In addition to the basic requirements, you must have one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level, which is directly related to the position to be filled;
• Education: Ph.D. or equivalent degree from an accredited college or university in a behavioral health related field appropriate to the work of the position.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
  • Ability to provide an evidenced based crisis intervention through a variety of modalities (e.g., telephone interviews, chat/text services, or social media forums).
  • Ability to carry out crisis management steps while withholding judgment on controversial behaviors and not imposing one's values during the contact.
  • Ability to effectively prioritize complex problems quickly and respond appropriately in a crisis situation.

Benefits

• Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
• Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
• Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
• This is a bargaining unit position.

Education Requirements

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Transcripts must depict the name of the college to determine accreditation, and your name must also be displayed on the transcripts. If qualifying based on a degree, or for positions requiring a degree, the transcript must show the date the degree was conferred. If selected, you must provide official transcripts. Transcripts should state degree conferred, and have a date. Copies of Official Transcripts are accepted and are the best way to ensure your education is interpreted correctly in accordance with OPM qualification standards, but unofficial transcripts are accepted if they contain all the required information.

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 . Foreign education and certificates of foreign equivalency are not accepted for this position.

Physical Requirements

Work is primarily sedentary, but requires extreme patience and controlling one's emotions. The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.