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Veterans Health Administration is Hiring a Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor Near Oklahoma, OK

Qualifications:

Basic Requirements:

English Language Proficiency. Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselors must be proficient in spoken and written English

United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

Education: To qualify for an appointment as a Sr. LPMHC all applicants must:

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.

Licensure. Persons hired or reassigned to LPMHC positions in the GS-0101 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. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, GS-12

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Ability to coordinate the delivery of specialized psychosocial services and programs. Ability to design system changes based on data.
4. 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.
5. Ability to teach, mentor staff and trainees, and provide supervision for licensure or for specialty certifications.
6. 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.

This position is a GS-12 which is above the full performance level.

References: VA Handbook 5005/106 Part II, Appendix G43

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019

Responsibilities:

The incumbent of this position serves as a Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) within the Oklahoma City VA Health Care System (OKC VA HCS) (635). As a Senior LPMHC, the position is licensed to independently practice professional counseling and to provide mental health services within the knowledge, theory, and training foundations of professional counseling. Senior LPMHCs may be assigned to any VHA area, consulting with peers and supervisors as appropriate. Senior LPMHCs may be involved in program evaluation and/or research activities. Senior LPMHCs provide treatment to patients with complex needs including multiple mental health diagnoses, and numerous psychosocial issues, using independent judgment. LPMHCs at this level provide clinical consultation to less experienced staff which may include coordinating crisis situations. Senior LPMHCs will provide clinical supervision to LPMHC staff and/or LPMHC trainees, and may serve as the subject matter expert for the discipline. Senior LPMHCs develop behavioral health related training curriculum and often conduct trainings for clinical staff. LPMHCs model ethical and professional behaviors and standards to include multicultural awareness. Senior LPMHCs meet routinely with interprofessional team members and leadership to communicate about program and patient issues for in depth problem solving.

Major duties and responsibilities of the position:

Clinical Responsibilities (100% of time):

• Diagnoses mental disorders.
• Treats Veterans with complex needs including multiple mental health diagnoses, and numerous psychosocial issues, using independent judgment, using a variety of modalities, including: individual, family and group counseling, triage/crisis management, and other interventions such as community based interventions. Advanced psychotherapy is provided as needed.
• Conducts initial intakes/biopsychosocial assessments and treatment planning in accordance with Joint Commission/VA requirements and service/clinic-level SOP.
• Practices measurement-based care using the Collect, Share, Act model, in accordance with Joint Commission/VA requirements and service/clinic-level SOP.
• Consults with OKC VA Health Care System staff on a wide variety of patient care issues.
• Consults with referring provider/team and other OKC VA HCS mental health staff, as necessary, on a wide variety of patient care issues.
• Participates in regularly scheduled Program/Clinic team meeting(s).
• Evaluates and makes disposition of patients to treatment programs in the OKC VA Health Care System, as well as referral to community programs and vocational placement. Serves as a consultant to other staff in evaluating and assisting Veterans with complex vocational problems. Places consults for Veterans when clinically indicated.
• Ensures documentation is completed timely in accordance with the facility medical bylaws.
• Ensures coding is in accordance with the OMHSP MH Coding Guidelines.
• Places RTCs in accordance with VHA directives and scheduling guidelines to ensure accurate patient appointment scheduling.
• Obtains PMDB training in accordance with workplace setting per the annual Workplace Behavioral Risk Assessment.
• Develops behavioral health related training curriculum and often conduct trainings for clinical staff.
• Provides clinical consultation to less experienced staff.
• Provides clinical supervision to unlicensed LPMHC staff and/or LPMHC trainees.
• May serve as the subject matter expert for the discipline.
• May be involved in program evaluation and/or research activities.
• Assists with other activities as assigned by OKC VA Health Care System Management.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Irregular tours and/or Saturday work may be required.
Compressed/Flexible: May be available
Telework: Telework may be eligible in accordance with agency policy
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health CounselorPD58307-0 and PD000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Job Summary