Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC)
What you'd do
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.
Major duties
This Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor position is located within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Kernersville Health Care Center located in Kernersville, NC, VISN 6.This position is assigned to Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) section within Mental Health. This position is a member of Mental Health/ Behavioral Services and embedded into Primary Care (PC) clinics providing the full range of psychological services to Veterans referred by the clinic staff members including brief assessment, diagnosis and (where appropriate) referral for specialized psychiatric services; brief individual, family or couples counseling, time-limited psychotherapy or psychoeducational groups and consultation for the PC team in the clinical management of their patients. In addition, this position will work within the Behavioral Health Laboratory (BHL) to assist in the delivery of specific evidence-based services to PC patients.Duties include bur are not limited to: Completes brief functional assessments and includes pertinent information in all the required areas of functioning in order to determine appropriate diagnoses and other treatment-related conclusions. Functional assessments are found to be appropriate to the referral question. Conclusions are found to be reasonably substantiated by interviews, observations, historical data, collateral data (i.e. from outsides sources such as other treatment providers, family members, etc.) and other data when indicated. Provides a DSM diagnosis to determine the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and/or their families. 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 practicable. Provides emergency/crisis interventions that are provided to Veterans in an effort to stabilize. Provides psychotherapy as individual, group &/or family interventions when clinically indicated/appropriate and when of therapeutic benefit to the recipients. Is willing to be successfully trained and implement Evidenced Based Psychotherapies. The interventions are provided with emphasis on development of a positive and appropriate therapeutic relationship which is sensitive to the clinical, cultural, developmental, and spiritual needs of Veterans. The interventions are empirically supported and/or are theoretically appropriate. Treatment is arranged in appropriate intervals of time over an appropriate span of time. 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. Assessments and interventions provided are reflected in the treatment plan and include Veteran and/or family involvement with goals, interventions and discharge plans that are realistic, achievable, and understandable. Establishes and maintains effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans and/or their families. Works independently with Veterans and their families who are experiencing a wide range of complicated medical, psychiatric, emotional, behavioral, and psychosocial problems. 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. Provides consultation and education to Veterans and their families regarding community resources, VA benefits and specialty programs, and advance directives. This includes the incumbent's knowledge of the process for accessing and/or coordinating community-based services, including information and referral for additional services from other VA programs, other government programs, and community programs. This involves coordination of Veteran and family involvement in the development of a recovery-oriented treatment plan. Regularly and effectively participates in multidisciplinary team meetings as required by the supervisor. Provides clinical services to Veterans in a variety of formats including face to face, phone, CVT, and VVC as clinically appropriate. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 8:00 AM- 4:30 PM Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact James Grimm, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
What you need to qualify
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. 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. 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 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.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. 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. 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 family counseling interventions. 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: At least one year conducting biopsychosocial assessments of patients' needs in a healthcare setting. Experience in working with a multidisciplinary treatment team (at least 1 year). Experience in providing EBP's (evidenced based psychotherapies). At least one year experience working with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, PTSD. At least one year experience in electronic medical record documentation of health and behavioral issues. Experience working with the Veteran and/or military population. Experience working with patients in crisis and facilitating safety planning. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.The full performance level of this vacancy isGS-11.Physical Requirements: The clinician needs to be mobile in that the job requires: sitting, walking, standing, and bending. This position is primarily sedentary, and requires sitting, walking, standing, and bending. Work is typically performed in an adequately lighted and climate-controlled office and/or home space.
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