Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (Mental Health Therapist) BHIP

Summary

The Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor position provides outpatient mental health treatment to Veterans who are connected with the Syracuse VAMC and its Community Based Outpatient clinics (CBOCs). This position is located at the Ithaca VA Community Based Clinic.

Learn more about this agency

Duties

Help

The Outpatient BHIP LPMHC Therapist at the GS-11 level provides advanced, recovery-oriented psychotherapy to Veterans-individually and as couples-to support the stabilization and management of psychiatric symptoms. The incumbent independently conducts comprehensive psychosocial and mental health assessments, delivers crisis intervention services, provides advocacy, and coordinates referrals to appropriate VA or community providers. Clinical services are offered through both telehealth and in-person modalities to ensure timely and consistent access to care.

At this level of practice, the therapist exercises independent clinical judgment and collaborates closely with Veterans, their natural supports, and interdisciplinary treatment team members to develop, implement, and monitor evidence-based, person-centered treatment plans. The incumbent contributes to a comprehensive continuum of mental health services designed to promote recovery, enhance functioning, and improve overall well-being.

Lists the major duties and responsibilities of the position:

• Collaborate with Veterans and their support systems to determine appropriate mental health treatment options.- Complete psychosocial assessments with the interdisciplinary team, considering all available treatment modalities
• Use knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses and terminology to communicate effectively with healthcare providers.
• Understand treatment procedures for psychiatric conditions and common medications.
• Apply evidence-based therapies (e.g., ACT, CBT, CPT, PE) and facilitate inpatient groups
• Contribute to treatment planning and goal setting with Veterans, families, and clinical staff.
• Perform rapid assessments and create crisis management plans for potential psychiatric admission or residential care.
• Work with other service providers to reassess needs, make referrals, and involve surrogate decision makers when appropriate
• Support discharge planning to ensure smooth transitions between levels of care.
• Communicate clearly in writing and verbally; document interventions in the electronic health record.
• Review provider notes to identify strengths and challenges for comprehensive care.
• Provide consultation on psychosocial factors affecting treatment and coordinate care across services
• Support continuity of care during transfers and understand Veterans' benefits to guide referrals
• Perform other duties as needed to support organizational and Veteran needs.
• Participate in professional peer review, case conferences, and ongoing evaluation of practice.

Work Schedule : Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm

Compressed/Flexible :Not Available

Telework : Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 00000

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

Note: This position may be filled by a Psychologist, Social Worker or Licensed Mental Health Professional (LPMHC). These three positions are advertised separately on USAJobs. If you are interested in any position, please apply to the respective job announcement.

This vacancy is a multi-disciplinary announcement.

If you are a Psychologist and are interested in applying, please apply here

f you are a Social Worker and are interested in applying, please apply here

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

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. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.g.).
• 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 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).

Preferred Experience: One year of post-master's experience as a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor.

Grade Determinations

:GS-11 Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (Full Performance Level)(a) Experience, Education, and Licensure. In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least 1 year of post-master's degree mental health counseling experience; OR

In addition to the basic requirements, a doctoral degree in mental health counseling, or a related field may be substituted for the required 1 year of professional mental health counseling experience.

Reference: VA Handbook 5005/50, part II, Appendix G43 For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11.

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit:

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Help

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.