Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor

Summary Oklahoma City VA Health Care System – Mental Health Service – is recruiting One Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor to care for our Veterans. Qualifications Applicants pending completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Complete all application requirements detailed in the “Required Documents” section of this announcement. Basic Requirements Citizenship: Non‑citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy Education: 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 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 Failure to Obtain License: In all cases – LPMHCs must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure starting from the date of their appointment. Failure to become licensed within three years from date of appointment will result in removal from the GS‑0183 LPMHC series and may result in termination of employment Loss of Licensure: Once licensed – LPMHCs must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted license to independently practice mental health counseling. Loss of licensure will result in removal from the GS‑0183 LPMHC occupation and may result in termination of employment English Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f) Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: GS‑12 Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (Above the Full Performance Level) Experience, Education, and Licensure: Candidates must have 1 year of post‑master's or post‑doctoral degree mental health counseling experience (VA or non‑VA), be licensed to practice at the independent practice level, and demonstrate the KSAs in subparagraph (c) below Senior LPMHCs must have 5 years of post‑licensed experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, and be licensed to provide clinical supervision to trainees or unlicensed LPMHCs Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Ability to make professional evaluations, decisions, and recommendation for treatment planning and implementation (GS‑11 KSAs) Advanced knowledge and mastery of the fundamentals of the counseling process, including 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, and review progress of cases Ability to provide complex crisis intervention and stabilization to patients who are in psychological distress Requires independent judgment and skill Ability to establish goals and 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) Advanced knowledge 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 (individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy, and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management interventions) 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 Physical Requirements Work is sedentary with some lifting/carrying ( Reaching above shoulder Frequent use of computer (4‑7 hours per day) Sitting (4‑7 hours per day) Walking (up to 6 hours per day) Standing (up to 6 hours per day)Infrequent climbing/descending of stairs Some bending Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously Correctable near‑sighted and far‑sighted vision Hearing (Aid permitted) Carrying of light items such as papers, books, laptop, and/or small objects Must be able to sit/stand for long periods of time Position may require driving/travel Basic Life Support (BLS) course is a position requirement unless approved for a waiver. Duties Diagnoses mental disorders Treats Veterans with complex needs including multiple mental health diagnoses and numerous psychosocial issues using independent judgment and a variety of modalities (individual, family, and group counseling, triage/crisis management, and other interventions such as community‑based interventions) Advanced psychotherapy is provided as needed Conducts initial intakes, biopsychosocial assessments, and treatment planning in accordance with Joint Commission/VA requirements and service/clinic‑level SOP Practices measurement‑based care using the Collect‑Share‑Act model in accordance with Joint Commission/VA requirements and service/clinic‑level SOP Consults with OKC VA Health Care System staff on a wide variety of patient care issues Consults with referring provider/team and other OKC VA HCS mental health staff as necessary on a wide variety of patient care issues Participates in regularly scheduled program/clinic team meetings Evaluates and makes disposition of patients to treatment programs in the OKC VA Health Care System— as well as referral to community programs and vocational placement Serves as a consultant to other staff in evaluating and assisting Veterans with complex vocational problems Ensures documentation is completed timely in accordance with facility medical bylaws Ensures coding is in accordance with the OMHSP MH Coding Guidelines Places RTCs in accordance with VHA directives and scheduling guidelines to ensure accurate patient appointment scheduling Obtains PMDB training in accordance with workplace setting per the annual Workplace Behavioral Risk Assessment Develops behavioral health–related training curriculum and often conducts trainings for clinical staff Provides clinical consultation to less experienced staff Provides clinical supervision to unlicensed LPMHC staff and/or LPMHC trainees May serve as the subject matter expert for the discipline May be involved in program evaluation and/or research activities Assists with other activities as assigned by OKC VA Health Care System Management Work schedule: Full‑time – Monday – Friday – 8:00 am – 4:30 pm. Telework: as determined by agency policy – Situational (Ad‑hoc) Reference For more information on this qualification standard, please visit #J-18808-Ljbffr U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs