Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor

Full Job Description

The VISN Clinical Resource Hub (CRH) Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program Team (BHIP) Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor position is a VISN based position located in VISN 20.

This position falls under the general supervision of the VISN 20 CRH Mental Health Section Chief.

A Clinical Resource Hub (CRH) is a repository of clinical and administrative staff that serve Veterans Affairs facilities within the Veterans Integrated System Network VISN 20.

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: 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 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.

References: VA Handbook 5005 Major Duties:

Duties include but are not limited to the following: Maintains advanced level of skill and expertise to establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans and/or their families.

Independently works with Veterans and their families who are experiencing a wide range of complicated medical, psychiatric, emotional, behavioral, and psychosocial problems.

Completes a thorough psychosocial assessments to determine the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and/or their families.

The incumbent uses advanced knowledge and mastery of theories of physical and mental illness to independently develop a diagnosis, treatment plan, and recovery goals in collaboration with the veteran and or the veteran's family/caregivers.

Incumbent assists veteran to maximum use of treatment for attainment of the highest level of independence that is possible and practicable. (i.e.

choosing best EBP for symptoms and challenges.) Participates as a member of an BHIP treatment team and actively participate through collaboration with Veterans and family as well as interdisciplinary treatment team members, including but not limited to Psychiatrists, Nurse Practitioners, Psychologists, Social Workers, Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselors (LPMHC), RNs, Peer Support Specialists and Administrative Support staff, in the development and implementation of a treatment plan.

Possesses advanced knowledge and experience in use of mental health and substance abuse diagnoses and treatment procedures, including acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses.

Serves as a liaison between Veterans and/or their families and VA and community resources in order to ensure thorough delivery of services Possesses advanced knowledge and ability to independently implement treatment modalities, provide counseling and/or supportive groups for Veterans and families.

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.

Possesses advanced skills and knowledge to provide case management services to Veterans and their families throughout the continuum of care.

The incumbent will be able to appropriately utilize principles of human growth and development over the life span and will be able to assist Veterans in coping with the loss and grief experiences from disability and terminal illness.

Demonstrates advanced ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing with people from diverse backgrounds.

Independently assesses and takes the lead to provide emergency/crisis intervention services to outpatients experiencing acute psychological crises, helping to stabilize these individuals, assisting in the referral arrangements for transfer to a psychiatric facility for inpatient care if necessary and providing follow up care as needed.

Responsible for supporting the mission, policies, and procedures of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the appropriate Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), and the facility.

Serves on committees and work groups at the facility as deemed appropriate by the supervisor. Recognized as a leader and role model on his/her BHIP team and in the delivery of LPMHC services in TMH.

Furthers one's own professional growth through continuing education and remains informed of the most up to date evidenced based treatment practice especially within TMH.

Provides training, guidance, and orientation to less experienced providers and serves as a preceptor for trainees when appropriate.

Demonstrates knowledge and skill in the use of software applications for drafting documents and data management as well as other computer systems in use by the VHA.

Maintains a level of productivity and quality consistent with the complexity of the assignment and consistent with professional standards, Joint Commission standards, and facility standards.

Documents in the veteran's electronic medical record chart (CPRS) and completes a thorough assessment and treatment plan in Mental Health Suite.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, tour variable Telework: Telework eligible for highly qualified candidates only. Pending exemption for remote status: Under the 180-day Mid-Term Extensions (MTE).

This position could be approved for Mid-Term Extensions (MTE).

MTE allows for the facility leader to grant employees in the identified positions an extension up to 180-days to RTO; in which case approved positions would be approved locally to grant telework/remote for those 180-days.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized