[Hiring] Social Services Assistant @Office of Suicide Prevention, Veterans Crisis Line

Role Description

The employee will serve as a Social Services Assistant, located in the Clinical Operations Department, Veteran's Crisis Line (VCL), Veteran's Affair (VA). 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.

Responsibilities

• Communicates directly with emergency service providers, telecommunication companies, and others, directly negotiating assistance for Veterans.
• Collaborates with the responder to get information on Veteran identity and location to initiate the rescue.
• Advocates with emergency responders for the delivery of the appropriate level of emergency intervention.
• Acts as the sole point of contact for VA Suicide Prevention Officers (SPCs), community law enforcement, local emergency dispatch, hospital emergency room personnel, and telecommunication companies.
• Relays real-time information from the responder to emergency dispatch, law enforcement, and emergency medical personnel.
• Provides updates to the supervisory team on progress of ongoing rescues and alerts supervisory team immediately if there are any barriers to providing emergency services.
• Makes outbound calls to 911 dispatchers, emergency medical providers, and VAMCs to ensure that the Veteran was located, transported, or otherwise is receiving treatment as expected.
• Contacts community medical centers and VAMCs to verify that Veterans arrived at the facility based upon the agreed upon Facility Transport Plan.
• Notifies the supervisor if the Facility Transport Plan fails and initiates rescue as needed.
• Documents all contact attempts and escalates urgent or emergent contacts to the Supervisor.
• Utilizes multiple software programs and Internet search engines concurrently along with critical, creative thinking to locate imminently suicidal Veterans.
• Multitasks in high risk, high stress situations to expedite Veteran rescues.
• Locates Veterans using various internet resources as well as VA databases.
• Receives inbound call center administrative calls and/or calls from SPCs and responds to any questions.
• Relays information from local law enforcement and dispatch to VCL leadership to educate and advise leadership on changes/trends.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/16/2026.
• Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements.
• English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in basic written and spoken English.
• Social Services Aid and Assistant 0186 Series Individual Occupational Requirement: Must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-06.

Requirements

• Specialized Experience: Must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-06).
• Education: May substitute education for the required experience.
• Combination: Equivalent combination of specialized experience and graduate education may be considered.

Benefits

• Remote position: Selectees will work 100% of the time in a non-VA-owned space.
• Employee's workspace must be suitable for conducting business with reliable high-speed internet connectivity.
• Travel to the closest VA Medical Center or VA Outpatient Clinic for issuance of equipment as needed.