Lead Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor - Substance Use Disorder

Full Job Description

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program.

You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment.

Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application.

Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

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.

Education Hold a master's or doctoral degree in: Clinical Mental Health Counseling; Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling; Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling; or a related field, from a program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

Examples of related mental health counseling fields include, but are not limited to Addiction Counseling; Community Counseling; Gerontology Counseling; Marital, Couple, and Family Counseling.

CACREP defines the date when graduates are considered to have graduated from a CACREP accredited program. Additional information may be obtained from http://www.cacrep.org/directory/.

NOTE: Traditional Rehabilitation counseling programs that are accredited by CACREP do not meet the LPMHC qualification standards as Traditional Rehabilitation counseling differs from Clinical Rehabilitation counseling.

Licensure: Persons hired or reassigned to LPMHC positions in the GS-0183 series in VHA must hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to independently practice as a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, which includes diagnosis and treatment.

NOTE: It is VHA policy that a LPMHC who does not yet have a license that allows independent practice must be supervised by a licensed independent practitioner of the same discipline who is a VA staff member and who has access to the electronic health record.

English Language Proficiency: LPMHCs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3.j May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations: Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, GS-12 Experience, Education, and Licensure: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least one year of progressively complex LPMHC experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level.

Senior LPMHCs must have five years of post-licensed experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressive professional competency and expertise and be licensed to provide clinical supervision to trainees or unlicensed LPMHCs.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-11 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: Advanced knowledge of and mastery of theories and modalities used in the specialized treatment of complex mental illness.

Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of veteran patients, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.

Ability to determine priority of services needed and provide specialized treatment.

Advanced and expert skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities for Veterans with complex needs.

This includes individual, group, and/or family counseling, or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial, and/or case management interventions used in the treatment of Veterans.

Ability to coordinate the delivery of specialized psychosocial services and programs. Ability to design system changes based on data.

Ability to provide subject matter consultation to colleagues and trainees on the psychosocial treatment of patients, rendering professional opinions based on experience, expertise and role modeling effective clinical skills.

Ability to teach, mentor staff and trainees, and provide supervision for licensure or for specialty certifications.

Ability to engage in written and oral communication with leadership/staff and community stakeholders regarding policies, procedures, practice guidelines, and issues pertaining to the practice of the profession.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12 Physical Requirements: The work is mostly sedentary. It typically requires sitting with sustained periods of concentration.

There will be some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of relatively light objects. The position may also require stooping, reaching, lifting, pulling, and other moderate exertion or strain.

Incumbent may occasionally have to walk some distance to a meeting or to provide clinical services in another location. Major Duties:

The Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor Coordinator (LPMHCCC) practices in the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Treatment Program, which serves a Veteran population with substance use and mental health problems.

The LPMHCC conducts biopsychosocial assessments, carries a caseload, provides case management, and provides individual and group therapy.

Duties include, but are not limited, to: CLINICAL FUNCTIONS (70%) Performs specialized treatment of complex substance abuse and mental illness for patients in substance use disorders treatment program, to include Outpatient, MAT (including opioid treatment), and in MH RRTP.

The patients present with a wide variety of healthcare needs including substance use history, complex medical issues and mental health issues. The incumbent practices at the independent level.

The LPMHCC provides assessment and treatment of Veteran patients within the approved scope of practice. Independently conducts psychosocial assessments and standardized evaluation for SUD.

They develop treatment plans in collaboration with the Veteran and family and with the interdisciplinary treatment team and engage in measurement-based care to facilitate optimal treatment outcomes.

The incumbent possess skills to offer evidence-based psychosocial interventions and to measure outcomes of interventions.

The incumbent is adept at providing services across modalities, to include virtual telehealth.

Possesses advanced knowledge and abilities to independently implement treatment, provide counseling or psychotherapy for individuals, families and groups using evidence-based treatments for SUD and co-morbid health issues.

Demonstrates the ability to teach and mentor staff and students in the special area of practice and to provide supervision for licensure or specialty certifications.

The incumbent clinically supervises unlicensed and/or dependently licensed staff.

Coordinates community-based services, including information and referral for additional services from other VA programs, other government programs, and community agency programs.

Independently identifies high-risk patients and provides case management services.

They provide crisis evaluation and intervention services, seeking to address the cause as well as the presenting complaint, coordinate family conferences and serve as liaison to family members.

The incumbent routinely screens for patient safety, including suicide risk and homicide and public safety risk, and provides intervention as clinically appropriate.

The incumbent has working knowledge and experience in use of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities and treatment procedures.

This includes acute, chronic and traumatic ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS (30%) Coordinates access, including same day access, for Veterans seeking services within the SUD program.

Works with the SUD staff in the accomplishment of routine team and unit activities. Conducts and coordinates SUD staff huddles and meetings.

Actively participates in SUD caseload management and assists staff with caseload management, including timely discharges, coordination of SUD care, and referrals between levels of care.

Monitors SUD compliance with all VA directives, local policies, accreditation standards, and governing bodies, including MBC, documentation standards, and scheduling practices.

Assists SUD Program Manager with monitoring program metrics and quality improvement processes, including completion of reports and action plans.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 8am-4:30pm Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 93083-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.

Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator, for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized