Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor Substance Use Disorder (SUD)

Full Job Description

Describe the nature, purpose and location of the work. The Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) practices in the VA Eastern Colorado Healthcare System (VAECHCS).

This position is assigned to the outpatient Substance Use Disorders (SUD) Clinic under the Mental Health Service.

The incumbent provides these services for Veterans in the full spectrum of outpatient SUD Services.

The Senior LPMHC will be assigned and independently manage more complex Veterans within their program area.

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.

English Language Proficiency: Psychologists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j.

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.

Grade Determinations: GS-12, Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor 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.

Preferred Experience: Cooccurring substance use disorders and mental health disorders psychotherapy or counseling experience.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is 12.

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is 12.

Physical Requirements: Physical demands of the work are generally minor, as the position requires sitting, standing, and walking.

The emotional demands can be stressful in working with high-risk for suicide veteran population and their families. A high level of self-awareness is essential.

Work, divided between office and clinical settings, is primarily sedentary. May require prolonged standing, moderate walking, and manual dexterity.

Requires carrying light items, such as books, files, or laptop computer. Major Duties:

Duties and skills needed to be successful in this position include, but are not limited to: Actively implements evidence-based treatments within the SUD Clinic.

In addition to the functions listed below, provides clinical oversight towards licensure in LPMHC or addictions counseling and/or actively represents the SUD Clinic in facility or VISN-level workgroups/committees.

Provides clinical consultation to other members of the workgroup, as needed.

Provides administrative and/or clinical coverage in the absence of the Program Manager, Detox/MAT Coordinator, or as other clinical needs indicate.

Completes all components of the intake and assessment process and develops a treatment plan pertaining to all assessed needs.

Provides same-day services, as needed, for Veterans enrolled in the SUD Clinic, including referring patients for emergency medical treatment, psychiatric medication evaluation, or non-medical detoxification as well as coordinating the admission of patients to the inpatient psychiatric unit of the nearest VA Medical Center or local non-VA facilities.

Provides a range of treatment services to Veterans with substance use and co-occurring disorders, including but not limited to individual, family, and group psychotherapy.

Group treatment includes psychoeducational as well as psychotherapeutic groups. The incumbent utilizes evidence-based treatment methods wherever possible.

They employ Motivational Interviewing skills and techniques, as clinically indicated, and applies, as clinically indicated, interventions based on both abstinence and harm reduction approaches to substance use disorders.

Assesses patient interest in and eligibility for medication assisted therapies and provides referrals for evaluation for these treatments.

Participates in triage services through the daily same-day access clinics and assists with drug and alcohol monitoring, as needed, in conjunction with psychosocial services.

Actively participates in staff meetings and team huddles regarding clinical, administrative, and staff development issues.

Maintains up-to-date charting in the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS), documenting all contacts with patients in accordance with local policies and procedures.

Actively participates in program planning and development, making recommendations for changes in policies and procedures as needed, as opportunities arise.

Takes responsibility for improving the skills of other professionals in the SUD Clinic, participating in the planning and executing of specific staff-development projects, attending seminars and other training events, and participating in the training programs of other disciplines (social work, psychology, psychiatry, nursing, addiction counseling) as requested.

General knowledge of Veterans' benefits and services relating to special program, service-connected compensation, and non-service-connected pension is required.

The incumbent facilitates referrals based upon veterans needs and eligibility. The Senior LPMHC performs other related duties as assigned.

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

Functional Statement #: 54773-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.

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