Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor

Full Job Description

This incumbent functions as Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor in the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) treatment programs located at the Canandaigua VA Medical Center.

The position requires extensive work with veterans diagnosed with substance use disorders.

The SUD population of veterans will receive a variety of therapeutic services such as medication assisted therapy, addiction education, group therapy, psychoeducation, relapse prevention, case management and service coordination.

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: Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States.

(Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.g.). 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. 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 3 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 Grade Determinations: Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor GS 11: 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 in subparagraph (c) 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. Assignments. This is the full performance grade level for LPMHCs.

At this level they are licensed to independently practice professional counseling and to provide mental health services within the knowledge, theory, and training foundations of professional counseling.

LPMHCs may be assigned to any VHA area, consulting with peers and supervisors as appropriate. LPMHCs may be involved in program evaluation and/or research activities.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to meeting the basic requirement, the candidate must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: 1.

Ability to make professional evaluations, decisions, and recommendation for treatment planning and implementation. 2.

Advanced knowledge and mastery of the fundamentals of the counseling process which includes defining patient/family problems and maintaining an effective counseling relationship. 3.

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.

4. Ability to provide complex crisis intervention and stabilization to patients who are in psychological distress. Requires independent judgment and skill. 5.

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

6. Ability to use a wide variety of individual, group, or family counseling interventions. 7.

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. 8.

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 GS 11. 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. Major Duties:

Duties include but are not limited to: The incumbent will independently provide addiction screening/assessments, orientation/education, treatment planning and counseling in person or via telehealth.

They analyze problems and interpret and adapt guidelines such as policies, regulations, precedents, etc. for application to specific problems and recommend changes.

The incumbent will provide evidenced-based practices in programming and recovery plan development.

They provide psychoeducation for individuals, groups, families and couples either as leaders or co-leader.

Administer crisis intervention to patients in psychological distress handling emergencies within the scope of practice. They perform clinical supervision and oversight of patient care.

They handle the coordination of treatment, and management of acute and chronic substance use and mental health issues.

The incumbent will manage a caseload of patients with complex addictions, and mental and related physical problems.

Involve participants and their identified support systems in the treatment via education, treatment and planning.

They develop a diagnostic evaluation/summary of the client's substance abuse and coexisting conditions.

Utilize assessment and diagnostic evaluations to develop an individualized treatment plan; and incorporate assessments and psychological testing results from physical exams and urine toxicology data for use by a multidisciplinary treatment team to develop a treatment plan.

They make recommendations to the treatment team regarding readiness for discharge.

The incumbent is part of the team that formulates discharge plans and arranges referrals to community agencies and organizations.

They ascertain the employment history to include employment difficulties; and conduct an assessment for vocational services planning and housing support and provide community-based resources that assist with recovery.

Collaborate with other disciplines to compile data to ensure quality patient care and compliance with Joint Commission Standards and ensure current information is available.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 07:30am-4:00pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 21R84-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized