Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor - Transition Coordinator

The Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) Transition Coordinator (TC) is a Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (MH RRTP) Lead whose primary responsibilities are to provide clinical evidence-based services and interventions; program development; caregiver, Veteran, and staff education; community outreach; resource development; continuous quality improvement activities; and evaluation/consultation.

Qualifications:

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 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. NOTE: It is VHA policy that a LPMHC who does not yet have a license that allows independent practice must be supervised by a licensed independent practitioner of the same discipline who is a VA staff member and who has access to the electronic health record.
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

Grade Determinations:

Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor - Program Coordinator GS-12

Experience, Education, and Licensure: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Experience must have been in a major specialty treatment program area such as, but not limited to, Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), mental health intensive case management (MHICM), or other areas of equivalent scope and complexity. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency.

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. In depth knowledge of the program coordinated, and demonstrated knowledge and ability to write policies procedures and or practice guidelines for the program.
2. Ability to make key decisions in the hiring and identification of top candidates.
3. Ability to provide leadership in facilitating the process of coordinating program consults, assessments, admissions, care assignments and discharges.
4. Ability to provide subject matter consultation to other colleagues and trainees within the field of counseling working on an interdisciplinary team.

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-12.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Responsibilities:

Duties include, but are not limited, to:

Clinical Functions:

• Provides comprehensive clinical and case management for MH RRTP, to include clinical assessment, psychotherapy (group and individual), and screenings and admissions.
• Collaborates with the multidisciplinary treatment team, and Veteran's family/support system to facilitate recovery.
• Provides a full range of clinical service within the Counseling Scope of Practice and within a whole health, evidence-based framework to Veterans who are experiencing a range of mental health, substance use, medical and social problems.
• Provides clinical consultation and supervision to other clinical staff, counselors who are not yet licensed, and/or counseling trainees/students, as assigned.
• Operates a motor vehicle and transports patients off-site as required.

Program Development:

• Actively participates in program planning and development, advising the supervisor of shifting Veteran care needs and identifying the need for policy or procedure changes. Coordinates and monitors MH RRTP daily clinical operations, to the assigned MH RRTP track of care, which may include Substance Use Disorder (SUD), Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and Domiciliary Care for Homeless Veterans (DCHV).
• Participates in and serves on facility, VISN, and National committees, work groups, and task forces, as directed by the supervisor.
• Assists the MH RRTP Program Manager and/or Medical Director with clinical metrics, such as the MH RRTP Annual Performance Improvement Plan, MH RRTP Veteran and Staff Standdown, and other outreach activities.
• Aids with the orientation and learning of less experienced counselors and staff and may be assigned as a clinical supervisor for counselors who are not independently licensed and/or counseling students.
• Other duties as assigned.

NOTE: It is required that this individual be able to operate a motor vehicle as this position is expected to transport patients off-site as part of their duties.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 8:00am-4:30pm
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 93248-0
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Salary : $92,841