Suicide Prevention Field Coordinator - Part Time

The Missouri Institute of Mental Health

The Missouri Institute of Mental Health, a research institute at the University of Missouri-St. Louis has immediate openings for three part-time Suicide Prevention Field Coordinators to work on a statewide firearm suicide prevention initiative.

Suicide is a leading cause of death for all ages in Missouri. Sadly, suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 10 and 17 (CDC Wonder, Missouri, 2021). When it comes to the lethal method used for suicide, firearms are the most lethal and are the prevailing method for all suicide deaths. Two out of three suicide deaths in Missouri are by firearms. Missourians agree we must do something to prevent friends and family from dying in a suicide crisis. In the wake of COVID-19, economic challenges, the surge of new firearm sales, and the increase in mental health and suicidal ideation among young people, many Missourians feel helpless without the knowledge, training, or skills to intervene. Learning to recognize warning signs for suicide, ability to ask about suicidal ideation, and intervening to reduce access to firearms and common suicide methods in the home can save lives.

The Safer Homes Collaborative is a respected and trusted leader in lethal means safety for suicide prevention. We want to hire change makers who are equally passionate about gun safety, gun owner rights, and suicide prevention. Reaching communities through partnership, collaboration, training, policy, and cultural change is most effective when field coordinators are trusted messengers from the community and representative of the target populations. Field coordinator positions are in the Southwest, St. Louis Metro, and Southcentral Missouri.

Responsibilities

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Forge relationships with champions and influential figures within our specified groups, including employers, faith-based organizations, first responders, Service Members, Veterans, and their families (SMVF), and firearm owners. The primary goal of this partnership is to jointly engage in initiatives focused on enhancing suicide prevention through promoting safety measures related to lethal means.
• Establish effective communication with stakeholders, community partners, and firearm owners, underscoring the importance of their involvement in suicide prevention by minimizing the availability of firearms and commonly used lethal methods.
• Distribute educational materials to target populations about identifying individuals at risk for suicide and how they can prevent suicide by encouraging safe storage strategies.
• Deliver educational and instructional programs to target audiences to enhance their comprehension of the correlation between easy access to lethal means, the risk for suicide, and the safety measures that can delay, deter, and prevent suicide.
• Initiate phone conversations, face-to-face meetings, and subsequent follow-up calls to create and sustain connections with community collaborators and stakeholders.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Training, knowledge, comfort, and confidence with firearms and the gun-owning community.
• Ability to engage target populations (employers, faith-based organizations, first responders, SMVF, and firearm owners) in suicide prevention efforts and lethal means safety strategies.
• Training or experience in suicide prevention best practices and effective suicide prevention communication.
  

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. The University will not sponsor applicants for this position for employment visas.

Varies - generally 20 hours per week.

A Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience and at least 1 year of experience from which comparable knowledge and skills can be acquired is necessary

Applicants with the combination of experience handling firearms and serving the target populations (construction and manufacturing employers, faith-based organizations, first responders, SMVF, and firearm owners) will receive preferential consideration. Ideal candidates should possess cultural competence and reflect the diversity of the communities and populations in the region they are assigned to. Successful candidates can demonstrate a blend of professional experience and training in various areas, including sales and marketing, motivational interviewing, handling resistance and stigma to mental health challenges, substance misuse & suicide, suicide risk factors and warning signs, evidence-based suicide prevention & intervention, and best practices for lethal means safety.

Field Coordinators must reside in or near the designated catchment areas: Southwest Missouri - to cover Barton, Cedar, Hickory, Jasper, Dade, Polk, Dallas, Newton, Lawrence, Greene, Webster, McDonald, Barry, Stone, Christian & Taney counties; St. Louis Metro region - to cover St. Louis city/county, St. Charles, Jefferson, Franklin, Warren, Lincoln, and Washington counties; and Southcentral Missouri - to cover Laclede, Pulaski, Phelps, Crawford, Washington, Iron, Reynolds, Shannon, Oregon, Howell, Texas, Wright, Douglas, and Ozark counties.

Pay commensurate with education and experience.
Hiring Range: $17.96 - $25.57 Hourly
Grade: GGS-008
University Title: Research Specialist II

Applicants must combine all application materials (cover letter and resume into one PDF or Microsoft Word document and upload as a resume attachment. (Reference letters will be requested for finalists at a later date). Limit document name to 50 characters. Maximum size limit is 11MB. Do not include special characters (e.g., /, &, %, etc.) to the UMSL Job site: Http://umsl.jobs.
For questions about the application process, please call (314) 516-5805. If you are experiencing technical problems, please email umpshrsupport@umsystem.edu.

This position is not eligible for University benefits. Individuals in non benefit eligible positions may choose to participate in the Tax Deferred Annuity Plan (403b). For information about this plan, please visit the Faculty & Staff Benefits website at https://www.umsystem.edu/totalrewards/benefits

Values Commitment

We value the uniqueness of every individual and strive to ensure each person's success. Contributions from individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives promote intellectual pluralism and enable us to achieve the excellence that we seek in learning, research and engagement. This commitment makes our university a better place to work, learn and innovate. In your application materials, please discuss your experiences and expertise that support these values and enrich our missions of teaching, research and engagement.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of Missouri System is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Equal Opportunity is and shall be provided for all employees and applicants for employment on the basis of their demonstrated ability and competence without unlawful discrimination on the basis of their race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable state or federal law. This policy applies to all employment decisions including, but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, training, promotions, pay practices, benefits, disciplinary actions and terminations. For more information, visit https://www.umsystem.edu/ums/hr/eeo.

To request ADA accommodations, please email the Office of Human Resources at umslhr@umsl.edu.