What are the responsibilities and job description for the Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor position at Charles George VA Medical Center?
This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount up to $200,000 & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply
Basic Requirements:
LPMHCs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3.j.
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).
An LPMHC employed in VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard (4/3/2018) who did not meet all the basic requirements in this standard may not be promoted beyond the full performance level (GS-11) or be newly placed in supervisory or managerial positions until meeting the full qualification requirements.
Grade Determinations: GS-11
Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, GS-11 (Full Performance Level)
(a) 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.
(b) 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. 7
(c) 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:
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.
Preferred Experience: 3-5 years of outpatient, mental health experience; experience in case management.
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: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
Duties include:
Clinical Responsibilities:
Telework: AD-HOC
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact Mr.Onnie Green, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Qualifications:
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.
- 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. Must hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to independently practice as a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, which includes diagnosis and treatment.
LPMHCs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3.j.
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).
An LPMHC employed in VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard (4/3/2018) who did not meet all the basic requirements in this standard may not be promoted beyond the full performance level (GS-11) or be newly placed in supervisory or managerial positions until meeting the full qualification requirements.
Grade Determinations: GS-11
Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, GS-11 (Full Performance Level)
(a) 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.
(b) 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. 7
(c) 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:
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.
Preferred Experience: 3-5 years of outpatient, mental health experience; experience in case management.
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: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
Responsibilities:
The Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) is assigned as a member of the CBOC Mental Health Services at the WNC VA Health Care System in Franklin, NC. Incumbent provides a full range of evaluation and psychotherapeutic clinical services to Veterans with challenging and complex psychiatric and substance abuse problems, family members and caregivers, including evaluations and screenings, individual and group therapy, evidence-based therapies, psycho-education, case management, treatment planning, consultation, crisis management, and administrative duties as assigned.Duties include:
Clinical Responsibilities:
- Provides a full range of evaluation services and diagnoses mental disorders, particularly for complex or unusually difficult patients many of whom have psychiatric and medical problems.
- Provides education to patients, family members, and significant others.
- Provides evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions, including individual, family, and group psychotherapy
- Provides consultation to professional staff within the CBOC and to community providers, concerning clinical assessment findings and appropriate treatment plans for patients with psychological and psychiatric problems.
- Develops, implements, and documents the psychotherapeutic treatment plan for Veterans with psychological and psychiatric problems patients receiving services within the CBOC Mental Health Service.
- Provides case management and support to Veterans with psychiatric and psychological problems.
- Works collaboratively and cooperatively with an interdisciplinary treatment team to provide services to Veterans with psychiatric and psychological problems.
- Assumes complete professional responsibility for his/her clinical assessment findings, patient care decisions, and documentation.
- Adheres to operational policies and procedures established by the VA, supervisors and program for the treatment team.
- Facilitates liaisons with other health care programs in order to effectively coordinate services. Complies with national and local performance measures, including timely health care screening and completion of clinical reminders for all patients.
- Complies with all CPRS documentation procedures and workload entry, including timeliness standards for documentation and proper patient check out procedures (e.g., entering diagnostic and procedure codes).
- Attends and participates in administrative and informational meetings held by supervisors and program treatment team.
- Assists supervisor in the design, development, and implementation of clinical programs for a team of treatment providers.
- Assists the supervisor in the execution of ongoing program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement projects to monitor the effectiveness of the program.
- Provides clinical supervision to assigned trainees and peer specialists.
- Provides leadership guidance and consultation to staffs of units to which assigned.
- Serves as a consultant to other medical center staff and trainees and assist in their formulation of the psychological characteristics and appropriate treatment expectations regarding their patients.
- Participates in program monitors and outcome measurements within programs assigned using a data-driven quality assurance processes.
- If assigned, participates in research programs, designed to provide information regarding program planning and relevant treatment approaches.
- Assists in preparation of grant proposals, as assigned.
- Serves on Medical Center or Healthcare System, VISN, and/or National VA committees or task forces as assigned.
- Represents Mental Health on teams and committees at the Medical Center or Healthcare System as assigned.
- Represents the Medical Center or Healthcare System at professional/program community group/events and committees as assigned.
- Other Duties assigned.
Telework: AD-HOC
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact Mr.Onnie Green, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Salary : $85,473 - $200,000