Project Director (Zero Suicide)

Position Summary:

The Zero Suicide Project Director serves as a member of the Leadership team of WestCare Tennessee and works to ensure the delivery of quality services to the WestCare Tennessee Zero Suicide program. The Project Director will provide direction and oversight to their staff regarding the community-based suicide prevention efforts to meet the needs of participants through outreach, suicide prevention services, and connection to community resources.

Essential Job Functions:

• Embraces and embodies the mission, vision, guiding principles, and goals of WestCare Tennessee.
• Serves as the primary contact to the Grants Project Officer.
• Uphold strict confidentiality of individual information.
• Responsible for implementation of all activities including oversight of project components, managing program budget, and daily operations.
• Able to implement existing, new, or additional programs that could comply with funding criteria.
• Responsible for implementation of WestCare Tennessee agency policies and staff adherence to agency polices for compliance in collaboration with the TN Regional Administrator.
• Hire program staff according to the grant application.
• Conduct staff orientation and training on a regular basis as well as professional and vocational improvements which shall include the WestCare Tennessee required eLearnings and other program related trainings.
• Supervises Zero Suicide staff in planning, implementation, and delivery of prevention, treatment, recovery and harm reduction services to eligible participants.
• Ensure employee reviews are performed in a timely manner.
• Ensure the program aligns with the TN Zero Suicide Strategy for Preventing Suicides.
• Review and approve the Individual Service Plan (ISP) for participants.
• Review and approve the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) with participants.
• Participates in the development of individualized resident care plans.
• Participates in clinical staffing decisions regarding the participants current strengths and resources and their need for additional resources.
• Develops a comprehensive social history and psychosocial assessment that includes the participants problems, strengths, and preferences, including cultural, religious, and ethnic background and implications for the care plan.
• Orients participants and families to the facility, its services, its limitations, and the participants rights.
• Completes mandatory documentation within timelines established by applicable regulations.
• Facilitates the social and psychological well-being of participants and their families.
• Mediates issues that arise among participants, families, and staff.
• Coordinates visits with facility mental health providers and makes resident referrals.
• Plans discharge and/or transfers to ensure appropriateness and continuity of care.
• Involves the entire facility in meeting Patients' psychosocial needs.
• Ensure that all shift duties are completed promptly and following WestCare procedures.
• Attend in-person and virtual program conferences and meetings, community meetings, and events as deemed necessary.
• Schedule weekly staff team meetings either virtually or in-person to discuss updates, successes, barriers or challenges to meeting grant requirements and plan service activities.
• Conduct monthly meetings with invited community leaders including grant partners to serve as your suicide prevention committee to maintain connections and receive recommendations in continuing to serve eligible participants.
• Assist in implementing a public health approach that blends community-based prevention with evidence-based clinical strategies through community efforts.
• Promote and provide health and wellness of eligible participants.
• Work directly with federal, state, and local representatives and other service agencies building lasting relationships to increase referrals and support for sustainability of services.
• Establish, develop and maintain positive working relationships with community partners that include the school system, law enforcement, local, federal, state, grantors, community stakeholders and other businesses and agencies.
• Serve as community contact person to conduct program presentations and updates building new relationships that will support the Zero Suicide grant activities and services.
• Maintain strong professional relationship boundaries with individuals served and organizations/ community agencies who refer individuals to WestCare Tennessee.
• Serve as a representative of WestCare Tennessee at community events, meetings, workshops and activities.
• Gather and compile appropriate materials to create Public Service Announcements (PSA) and media campaigns that promote the program goals and objectives and to work collaboratively with local radio and tv stations.
• Review weekly reports for scheduled activities/meetings from each staff confirming staff workplans align with grant performance measures and data collection requirements.
• Provide a weekly report to TN Regional Administrator reporting the programmatic progress to ensure overall success.
• Review all curricula, training resources and program material for culturally and linguistically appropriateness.
• Recruit and train community volunteers who may assist within the program.
• Gathers appropriate data to generate the required grant reporting in a timely manner.
• Assist in finding additional funding opportunities for maintaining and sustaining the program and activities.
• Prepare and submit monthly Zero Suicide activity reports to both Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and to the Regional Administrator of Tennessee using required data tracking systems or reporting forms.
• Monitor program expenditures to maintain proper inventory of supplies and equipment to ensure supply orders and program activities remain within budgetary limits.
• Work closely with Research Assistant, and WestCare Foundation Evaluation team regarding the collection of data and reporting of program outcomes.
• Perform additional tasks that support a productive office workflow as deemed necessary by the TN Regional Administrator.

Essential Qualifications:

            Certifications/Licenses:

• Valid driver’s license is required.
• Must be licensed by the TN Board of Social Work or actively licensed as a Licensed Professional Counselor or Medical professional preferred. Licenses will be verified.

Education:

• Masters Degree in Social Work from an accredited School of Social Work or Masters Degree in Counseling or Masters Degree in Psychology from an accredited School preferred.
• Current and/or previous experience in a supervised social work similar setting, collaborating directly with participants.

Experience and Competencies:

• Basic knowledge of veteran services, behavioral health, social services, judicial system, law enforcement or related industry.
• Able to collaborate with individuals in crisis.
• Excellent communication skills including public speaking and group facilitation/training.
• Some experience with performing outreach and marketing.
• Ability to exercise good judgment and discretion.
• Ability to work well in a team environment.
• Ability to adhere to the highest standard of ethical conduct and confidentiality.
• Professional appearance and demeanor.
• Must be culturally/linguistically sensitive to populations served.
• Research and evaluate data.
• Experience with using data tracking systems.
• Ability to work in different program systems in providing day to day operations.
• Ability to stay highly organized and maintain time management.
• Ability to utilize a computer and software that includes Microsoft 365.
• Regular and prompt attendance is required throughout employment.

Working Conditions:

• Work is primarily performed in a combination of an office and outdoor setting.
• Some travel will be required to trainings and conferences.
• Local travel is associated with participating in stakeholder meetings and other potential meetings to fulfill the requirements of the Zero Suicide program.

Essential Physical and Mental Demands of the Job

The employee must be able to perform the following essential duties and activities with or

without accommodation:

Physical Demands:

• Requires mobility and physical activity: Having an adequate range of body motion and mobility to work in an office or outdoor environment including standing and walking (even and uneven surfaces), sitting for extended periods of time, bending, twisting, reaching, balancing, occasional lifting and carrying of up to fifty pounds. Use of computer and telephone systems is required which includes coordination of eye and hand, and proper utilization by the hands (typing, writing, and working with files).
• Requires talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. Talking is required to impart oral information to employees, the public, and in those activities in

which the employee is required to convey detailed or important spoken instructions to others accurately, loudly, or promptly.

• Requires hearing: Hearing is required to receive and communicate detailed information through oral communication.
• Requires seeing: Clarity of vision including proper eyewear at 20 inches or less and at distance.
• The normal work routine involves no exposure to human blood, body fluids or tissues. However, exposure or potential exposure may be required as a condition of employment. Appropriate personal protective equipment will be readily available to every employee.

Mental Demands:

• Requires the ability to collect and analyze complex numerical and written data and verbal information to reach logical conclusions.
• Requires the ability to work and cooperate with co-workers, managers, and the public at all levels in order to exchange ideas, information, instructions, and opinions.