Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor
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
The Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (SLPMHC) for whom this functional statement applies serves as a clinical member of the Mental Health Service Line at the Alexandria VA Health Care System (AVAHCS), Alexandria, Louisiana. Primary responsibilities include conducting comprehensive biopsychosocial assessments; delivering evidence-based clinical interventions to Veterans and families experiencing mental health conditions, substance use disorders, homelessness, interpersonal conflict, trauma-related concerns (including MST and PTSD), depression, anxiety, and other psychosocial stressors Duties include but not limited to: Provides comprehensive clinical assessments, diagnostic impressions within licensure scope, and evaluation of complex mental health presentations including co-occurring substance use, medical, and psychiatric conditions. Provides education to Veterans, families, and significant others on mental health conditions and treatment options. Provides individual, family, conjoint, and group counseling within LPMHC scope of practice. Delivers evidence-based, recovery-oriented interventions appropriate to licensure and privileging. Provides crisis intervention, risk assessment, safety planning, stabilization, and follow-up. Adheres to operational policies, clinical practice guidelines, and interdisciplinary team procedures. Coordinates care with other VA programs and external agencies as clinically appropriate. Complies with national and local performance measures, clinical reminders, and workload expectations. Maintains advanced knowledge of mental health and substance use treatment, trauma-informed care, relapse prevention, case management, and psychosocial rehabilitation. Independently provides crisis intervention, including assessment and management of suicidal or homicidal risk. Responds to and triages consults, ensuring timely access to appropriate care. Conducts biopsychosocial assessments addressing mental health, substance use, trauma history, medical concerns, strengths, and psychosocial needs. Develops, implements, and revises treatment plans reflecting measurable, recovery-oriented goals. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm (subject to change based on facility needs) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 01023F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
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. Candidates 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. Licensure. Persons hired or reassigned to LPMHC positions in the GS-01 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: (KSAs must be clearly reflected in resume under description of duties in order to be found qualified for this position/grade level). 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 (KSAs). In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-11 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: 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. 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 interventions used in the treatment of Veterans. Ability to coordinate the delivery of specialized psychosocial services and programs. Ability to design system changes based on data. 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. Ability to teach, mentor staff and trainees, and provide supervision for licensure or for specialty certifications. 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. Preferred Experience: Treatment of Veterans and/or VA experience 2-years experience providing psychotherapy and service related to alcohol and/or substance use Experience with couples and family therapy 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: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, puling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment. Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.
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