Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor

Full Job Description

The Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor is assigned to Mental Health Services at Altoona VA and surrounding locations.

Services include clinical assessment and diagnosis using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual and the American Society of Addiction Medicine criteria and providing treatment including individual, group or family psychotherapy, psychoeducation, crisis intervention, advocacy, and coordination of linkages to other VA or community service providers/agencies.

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

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.

Exception: VHA may waive the licensure requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure.

This exception only applies up to the full performance level. For grade levels at or above the full performance level, the candidate must be licensed.

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.

Grade Determinations: Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, GS-9 (Entry Level) Experience, Education, and Licensure: The GS-9 grade level is the entry grade level for LPMHCs with less than one year of experience(post-master's degree) or for LPMHCs at the master's or doctoral level) who are graduates not yet licensed at the independent practice level.

Unlicensed LPMHCs at the GS-9 grade level have completed the required education listed in paragraph 3.b., and are working toward completion of prerequisites for licensure.

In addition, the candidates must demonstrate the KSAs below.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the basic requirements, the candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: Ability to engage in intake and assessment, problem identification, diagnosis, treatment planning and implementation, continuum of care, evaluation and follow-up.

Knowledge of current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders in formulation of treatment goals and application of appropriate clinical interventions using professional counseling practices.

Basic knowledge of professional counseling practice with emphasis on human development principles through cognitive, affective, behavioral or systemic interventions, and strategies that address high risk behaviors, wellness, personal growth, and career development across the life span.

Ability to use a wide variety of individual, group, or family counseling interventions.

Ability to serve on an interdisciplinary team with focus on the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and relational functioning of individuals, groups and families and on the counseling approaches, strategies, and techniques that will best help patients function effectively.

Basic skill in the use of computer software applications for drafting documents, data management, maintaining accurate, timely and thorough clinical documentation and delivery of services, such as Telehealth.

Ability to learn and utilize software programs in use by VHA.

Knowledge and understanding of existing relevant statutes, case laws, ethical codes, and regulations affecting professional practice of counseling.

Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds.

Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, GS-11 (Full Performance Level) Experience, Education, and Licensure: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least one year of post-master's or post- doctoral degree mental health counseling experience (VA or non-VA experience) and must be licensed to practice at the independent practice level and demonstrate the KSAs below.

LPMHCs may provide clinical supervision over the clinical practice of an unlicensed LPMHC or LPMHC trainee.

Some state licenses do not license an individual to provide clinical supervision to trainees or unlicensed LPMHCs.

Please refer to specific state licensing laws regarding the requirements for providing clinical supervision.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-9 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: Ability to make professional evaluations, decisions, and recommendation for treatment planning and implementation.

Advanced knowledge and mastery of the fundamentals of the counseling process which includes defining patient/family problems and maintaining an effective counseling relationship.

Ability to provide subject matter consultation to colleagues and trainees on the counseling process within various specialty areas, build on the foundation of competence through regular meetings and discussions to explain assignments, review progress of cases and confer about the counseling perspectives and orientation.

Ability to provide complex crisis intervention and stabilization to patients who are in psychological distress. Requires independent judgment and skill.

Ability to establish goals/treatment through a collaborative process with the patient utilizing advanced counseling skills, including evidenced- based practices, screening, and psychosocial assessment.

Ability to use a wide variety of individual, group, or family counseling interventions.

Ability to fully utilize the current DSM in making diagnoses and formulation of treatment goals and application of appropriate clinical intervention using professional counseling practices.

Ability to develop and facilitate psychotherapy and psycho- education groups that include life skills, family support, and community integration. This may include evidence based psychotherapy.

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-11.

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-09 to GS-11.

Physical Requirements: The work requires sitting, bending, stooping, and walking consistently with the delivery of services in the office, hospital, and community.

The position may entail lifting of no more than 25 pounds on an occasional basis. Whenever possible, carts and dollies will be utilized as an alternative to lifting. Major Duties:

Major duties include, but are not limited to the following: The LPMHC completes thorough psychosocial assessments and includes pertinent information in all the required areas of functioning in order to determine appropriate diagnoses and other treatment-related conclusions.

LPMHC ensures that clinical assessments are found to be appropriate to the referral question and conclusions are found to be reasonably substantiated by interviews, observations, historical data, collateral data (i.e.

from outsides sources such as other treatment providers, family members, etc.) and other data when indicated.

The LPMHC provides a DSM diagnosis to determine the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and/or their families.

The LPMHC provides emergency/crisis interventions that are provided to Veterans in an effort to stabilize. LPMHC engages in rapid assessments and develops crisis management plans.

The LPMHC provides psychotherapy as individual, group &/or family interventions when clinically indicated/appropriate and when of therapeutic benefit to the recipients.

The LPMHC provides consultation to other treatment team and staff members regarding psychosocial needs of Veterans and/or their families and the impact of the identified psychosocial problems on the Veteran's health care planning, compliance with treatment, and discharge planning.

LPMHC establishes and maintains effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans and/or their families.

LPMHC possesses a thorough knowledge in use of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures, including acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology.

The LPMHC facilitates discharge planning through collaboration with Veterans and their families as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members to ensure that appropriate discharge plans are executed in a timely manner.

LPMHC provides consultation and education to Veterans and their families regarding community resources, VA benefits and specialty programs, and advance directives.

LPMHC provides case management services to Veterans and their families throughout the continuum of care. LPMHC adheres to VA regulations regarding documentation and completion of encounters.

The LPMHC possesses and demonstrates ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing with people from varied backgrounds. Performs other duties as required.

Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:30pm, Monday - Friday Telework: Ad-Hoc Telework Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 000000 / Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not authorized