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The Social Services Assistant (SSA) provides worldwide support to Veterans and Veteran family members who are in crisis. The SSA is responsible for linking emergency services to Veterans and Veteran family members who are in immediate homicidal, medical or suicidal crisis. The SSA communicates and works side by side with responders that are engaged with suicidal callers to identify the Veteran, locate them and ultimately initiate emergency dispatch. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/20/2023. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. Selective Placement Factors (SPF) are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for the position. Applicants who do not meet the SPF are ineligible for further consideration. The Selective Placement Factor for this position is: Experience relaying real time information to emergency dispatch, law enforcement AND/OR medical personnel. In addition to the SPF requirement, you must meet the specialized experience requirement. You may meet the specialized experience requirement based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-06 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: serving as a group leader in community or residential recreation or training programs; serving as a counselor in a youth summer camp; serving as an instructor in a training program for the development of job skills; performing work that demonstrated the ability to be responsible for and to lead and train members of a job crew; serving as a group activities leader in the Armed Services; serving as a unit leader-monitor-proctor for a dormitory group in a boarding school or other residential facility; serving as an aid or assistant to professional or specialist staff in such fields as personnel (private or government), employment guidance in a vocational or academic institution, social service, or manpower development; serving as an aid or assistant to professional or associate staff engaged in work of a social services nature in private, public welfare, government program, or community organizations, or in voluntary activities; serving as an aid or assistant to professional or specialist staff working with individuals who are addicted to or abuse alcohol and/or drugs. Additional specialized experience includes developing internal and external resource/reference material; conducting one-to-one or group sessions; and utilizing strong relational and facilitation skills. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed at least one (1) full year of graduate level education or an internship in course matter that must include courses directly related to the work of the Social Services Assistant position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. The education portion must include graduate courses directly related to the work of the Lead Social Services Assistant position. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Communications Interpersonal Skills Manages and Organizes Information Technical Competence Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary; typically work is accomplished in an office type setting. However, there may be some walking, standing, bending and carrying of light items. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. ["This announcement opens September 12, 2023 and will close on September July 20, 2023. The first 100 applications received will receive first consideration. All applications received up to 11:59p.m. EST on the date in which 100 applications is reached will receive first consideration; any received after 11:59p.m. EST on the date in which 100 applications are received will not receive consideration unless otherwise requested by management. Additional applications will be reviewed in one day increments at management request. The Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention (OMHSP) is committed to developing and preserving a culture of diversity, inclusion and acceptance and encourages all qualified candidates to apply. The Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention (OMHSP) is an equal opportunity/ affirmative action employer with a strong commitment to diversity. In that spirit, we are interested in receiving applications from a broad spectrum of people. The Social Services Assistant demonstrates strong, clear and concise communication skills and a calm demeanor in high risk, high stress situations. The SSA is the sole point of contact for VA Suicide Prevention Officers (SPCs), community law enforcement, local emergency dispatch, hospital emergency room personnel and telecommunication companies. Major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Communicates with 911 dispatchers, emergency responders, and Mental Health mobile units to get emergency services to imminently suicidal individuals. 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 of police and other emergency responders for callers, as appropriate with the ability to understand the variety of resource options available nationally and internationally, with response teams. Relays real time information from the responder to emergency dispatch, law enforcement and emergency medical personnel. Provides updates to the supervisory team as needed on progress of ongoing rescues and alerts supervisory team immediately if there are any barriers to providing emergency services to those in crisis to include a failed rescue. Documents all contact attempts in Medora per VCL policy 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. Locates Veterans using various Internet resources as well as VA databases. Communicates with SPC's daily through email, IM and telephone calls. Receives inbound call center administrative calls and/or calls from SPCs and responds to any questions, escalating emergent situations to Supervisor. Ensures that the SPCs (from over 152 VAMCs nationwide) follow-up has been completed by reviewing consult documentation in Crisis Line/Call Center Web-Application and CPRS. Conducts follow-up chart checks to ensure Veterans' consults are provided to the appropriate VAMC. Provides Veteran dispositions to SPC's based on local emergency services assessment and provides dispositions for Facility Transport Plans. Educates local law enforcement and dispatch on telecommunication procedures to locate those in crisis. Assumes administrative and program tasks as needed. Incumbent must have the ability to multitask in high risk, high stress situations is necessary to expedite Veteran rescues. Work Schedule: The Veterans Crisis Line is a 24/7 call center. This position has a varied work schedule to include evenings, night shifts, weekends and holidays. Tour will be determined after final selection. Tour is subject to change based on program needs. Virtual: This is a REMOTE position. Position Description/PD#: Social Services Assistant/PD08160A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]

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