Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (ICMHRS)

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

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. Additional information may be obtained from http://www.cacrep.org/directory/. NOTE: Traditional Rehabilitation counseling programs 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-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.
• 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 3j

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:

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:

• 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 psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial, and/or case management 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.

References: VA Handbook 5005106, Part II, Appendix G43, Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor Qualification Standard, GS-0183, Veteran Health Administration, dated April 3, 2018.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is a GS-12

Physical Requirements: Hearing required (Aid permitted).

Responsibilities:

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; Tour of duty Subject to change to meet the needs of the Agency
Telework: Authorized; if approved, would be on a regularly scheduled basis but this is not a remote position.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Contact V21CCOEEDRP@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

The VA Northern California Health Care System (VA NCHCS) Intensive Community Mental Health Recovery Services (ICMHRS) Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) is located in the Mental Health Product Line. The primary responsibilities of this position are to provide individualized intensive case management services to assigned Veterans and significant others, consistent with the goals and methods of ICMHRS team and the VA Mental Health Initiative and with all relevant Medical Center policies and procedures.

Duties for the position include but are not limited to:

• Respond to consults sent to the ICMHRS program by interviewing the Veteran utilizing questionnaires and other measurement devices while assessing the veteran' s emotional, functional, and psychological condition. Presents the findings to the ICMHRS team to determine rejection or acceptance into the ICMHRS program.
• Function as case manager for Veterans in the ICMHRS program to facilitate independent community living by coordinating mental health and community care.
• Participate in development of a recovery plan for each ICMHRS Veteran with measurable goals outlined based on relevant psychological, medical, and psychiatric information with the principles of treatment matching.
• Assist ICMHRS Veterans in the preparation of materials needed for applications to various agencies for entitlements and follow application process until a determination has been made.
• Serve as the major consultant for information on negotiating the complex processes Veterans encounter when interacting with government and community agencies.
• Collaborate with members of the ICMHRS team and other professional specialty clinics to provide comprehensive care to ICMHRS vets.
• Conduct individual and family clinical interventions to facilitate the identification of substance abuse, psychiatric illness, and social needs as treatment issues.
• Serve as therapist in treatment groups, individual psychotherapy, and family therapy as needed. Best practices, practice guidelines and evidence-based treatment protocols are utilized to the extent feasible in all therapeutic interventions.
• Assess learning needs regarding substance abuse, psychiatric and medical disorders. Provides psychoeducation when needed.
• Provide assistance with ensuring ICMHRS Veterans have access to medication management.
• Conduct home visits and community visits to ICMHRS Veterans to maintain and encourage community living.
• Collaborate with Adult Board and Care homes where ICMHRS Veterans reside to facilitate community living in the least restrictive environment and to provide support services for the homes.
• Prepare and submit legal documentation for the petition of various legal orders such as guardianship, conservatorship, protective orders, commitment and alternative treatment orders. Provide expert testimony in court settings as needed.
• Provide direct teaching services to staff and others as appropriate.
• Document the Veteran's progress in progress notes. Documents significant events as needed. Information is to be entered into the CPRS system.
• Be responsible to stay abreast of current theory and treatment modalities by reading professional journals, attending conferences, clinic seminars and teleconferences, and materials given out by staff and Mental Health Service.
• Participates as required and requested in orientation, training and staff development programs.
• Maintains a valid driver's license and clean driving record. The incumbent's driving record will be reviewed through the California Department of Motor Vehicle's Employer Pull Notice (EPN) program annually.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and may be posted up to September 30, 2024. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be December 21, 2023, with subsequent cut-off dates on the 1st and 15th of each month. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled.