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Role Description

The employee will serve as the Social Science Program Specialist (Trainer), located in the Quality, Training, and Risk Management Department, Veterans Crisis Line (VCL), Veterans 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.

The Social Science Program Specialist, organizationally known as the Trainer, will develop and implement training materials under the direction of the Clinical Policy Manager and the Clinical Care Coordinator (CCC). The paramount qualification requirements of the incumbent are experience in crisis intervention and ability to provide training to employees based on best practice training and education principles. The incumbent will work with frontline staff to increase their skill and knowledge in documentation and crisis intervention techniques and must be able to assess a trainee's progress accurately and provide critical and positive report findings back to the Clinical Policy Manager. Additional responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Providing different types of training for various positions within the VCL program including Responders and Social Service Assistants (SSA).
• Facilitating new employee training, which typically lasts several weeks in a classroom setting, and one to several weeks as a preceptor shadowing to evaluate the application of learning and demonstration of the proper response and use of resources.
• Providing ongoing feedback to trainees to communicate areas that need improvement as well as areas of strength.
• Ongoing (e.g., monthly, quarterly) in-service professional development trainings and staff adherence to required annual refresher trainings.
• Development of the training curriculum, including the use of instructional tools ranging from PowerPoint presentations, face-to-face trainings, and e-learning technology.
• Role playing scenarios, teaching courses, and coordinating activities related to the program of instruction offered.
• Developing and updating course content and tests for training in a wide variety of VCL programs.
• Producing supplemental training materials to enhance learning (e.g., aids, handouts).
• Creating and maintaining the training plan for Responders, Social Service Assistants, and HSS Supervisors.
• Independently evaluating the quality of training curriculum and developing recommendations for course revisions and program changes.
• Providing recommendations for evaluating the training program through revision of measurement tools (i.e. surveys, tests).
• Evaluating the new employee's adherence to all training standards upon completion of training.

Qualifications

• Degree in behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position.
• Combination of education and experience that provided knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.
• Four (4) years of appropriate experience that demonstrated knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.
• Experience leading, training, and/or instructing personnel on crisis intervention response methods.
• Specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation.

Requirements

• Applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/17/2026.
• 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.
• Evidence of the Selective Placement Factor must be reflected on your resume with complete information.
• Experience in crisis intervention/mental health with an emphasis on suicidality or training/leading others in that area.
• Expertise in identifying thought patterns and risk factors associated with major mental illnesses.
• Consultation process and its place in crisis management to provide state-of-the-art care for complex issues.
• Utilizing software to create training materials and conducting training.

Benefits

• Flexible scheduling may be available after training.
• This is a 100% remote position.