Social Science Specialist (Crisis Responder)

Expand Show Other Jobs Job Saved Save Job Social Science Specialist (Crisis Responder) Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration Facebook X LinkedIn Share Application First Name Last Name Email address Captcha / Bot Check Copy from here

• to here

Click to hear these letters. What is this? The application opened in a new tab. You may close this popup. By using this feature you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. Details Posted: 06-May-26 Location: Anywhere in the U.S. (remote job), Categories Mental Health/Social Services Internal Number: 867872100

Summary

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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 05/12/2026. Basic Requirements

• 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
• See 38 U.S.C. Â
• 7403(f)
• 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
• The degree must be 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)
• OR - 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 (i.e. - above the high school level) 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)
• OR - 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
• Grade Determinations for Social Science Specialist (Crisis Responder) - GS-11: 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
• OR 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 (e.g. - psychology - social work - sociology - or family counseling)
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• In addition to meeting the specialized experience or education above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary - but requires extreme patience and controlling ones 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.

Duties

• Major duties of this Crisis Responder position include - but are not limited to - the followin