Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor

Summary

The incumbent provides a range of social work services to veterans referred to and enrolled in the Outpatient Behavioral Health Clinic (BH) within Behavioral Health (BH) Service line supporting both the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary (BHIP) Team by assisting to process referrals of care to Mental Health and conducting Mental Health Intake visits.

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Duties

The incumbent will provide comprehensive psychosocial evaluation of each assigned referral, actively participate in the interdisciplinary treatment team. Duties will include:

Clinical Functions: The incumbent performs three primary clinical functions: comprehensive biopsychosocial intake assessment, suicide prevention case management, psychotherapy.

BHIP/Comprehensive Biopsychosocial Intake Assessment

• Participation as a member of a BHIP treatment team and actively participates through collaboration with Veterans and families 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, Pharmacists and Administrative Support staff, in the development and implementation of a treatment plan.
• Completes a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment of the concerns, needs, and preferences of the Veteran and their family or caregiver. The incumbent must be able to utilize this assessment in facilitating the Veteran's maximum use of treatment for attainment of the highest level of independence that is possible and practical.
  
  

Suicide Prevention Case Management

• Provides 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.
• Identifies and prioritizes the Veteran's and their family/caregiver's desired or expected goal(s) and outcome(s), as well as a resource assessment to identify available benefits, assistive options, and appropriate services and resources within and outside VHA.
• 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.
• Plans and implements a care plan, including safety plans through coordination and collaboration with the Veteran, the family, or caregivers, and VHA and community providers, facilitates proactive, patient-centric communication and information sharing between the Veteran or Servicemember, their family or caregiver, providers, and other care team members.
• Coordinates effective and timely referrals to ensure the appropriate level and type of care, working collaboratively with VA teams based in Spoke Sites, and other resources across VISN 20. The incumbent manages transitions of the Veteran to other VHA, DOD, other Federal, State, and local home, and community-based services (to include the Office of Community Care).
• 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.
• Coordinates effective and timely responses to Veterans Crisis Line calls and referrals.
  
  

Psychotherapy

• Uses a high level of skill in assessing and treating complicated psychosocial problems. Incumbent completes thorough psychosocial assessments when the Veteran is referred and will complete a thorough treatment plan when a Veteran engages in mental health services.
• Possesses a working knowledge and experience in use of mental health and substance abuse diagnoses and treatment procedures, including acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses, in the provision of psychotherapy with individuals, groups, couples, and families, crisis intervention, supportive counseling, referral for resources and benefits.
• Independently works with Veterans and their families who are experiencing a wide range of complicated mental, psychiatric, emotional, behavioral, and psychosocial problems.
  
  

Referral Management

• Serves as liaison between Behavioral Health and a variety of referral sources for the administration on day-to-day coordination of care issues.
• Responsible for monitoring and timely processing of referrals to BH Services within assigned work queue(s).
  
  

General clinical functions included in this role include:

• The incumbent serves on committees and work groups at the facility as deemed appropriate by the supervisor.
• The incumbent furthers one's own professional growth through continuing education and for ensuring continuing education appropriate to the area of assignment.
• The incumbent provides assistance with the orientation and learning of less experienced providers and to serve as a preceptor for trainees when appropriate.
  
  

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00-4:30PM

Telework: Available, Ad-Hoc

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.
  
  

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

Basic Requirements:

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  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/.
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  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.

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:

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 in subparagraph (c) below.

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 familial counseling interventions; demonstrates sensitivity to diversity and possesses multicultural counseling skills.
• 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.
  
  

Preferred Experience: One year working with veteran population, suicide prevention and/or crisis line services.



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.



Physical Requirements: light lifting and carrying (under 15 lbs), use of fingers, walking and standing (.5 hrs), far vision correctable, ability to see computer screen and utilize computer and mouse, hearing (aid may be permitted), emotional and mental stability, exposure to: outside and inside, excessive cold, dry atmospheric conditions, electrical energy, slippery or uneven walking surfaces, working closely with others, working alone.

Education


IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.



Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

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Jonathan M Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center

77 Wainwright Drive

Walla Walla, WA 99362

US