Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor

Summary 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. Program 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 The basic requirements for employment as a LPMHC are prescribed by statute in 38 U.S.C. 7402(b)(11) To qualify for appointment as a LPMHC all applicants must: Citizenship – Be a citizen of the United States (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 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. 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. In addition to the basic requirements for employment – the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates 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 Assignments – Senior LPMHCs provide treatment to patients with complex needs including multiple mental health diagnoses and numerous psychosocial issues – using independent judgment LPMHCs at this level provide clinical consultation to less experienced staff which may include coordinating crisis situations Senior LPMHCs will provide clinical supervision to LPMHC staff and/or LPMHC trainees – and may serve as the subject matter expert for the discipline Senior LPMHCs develop behavioral health related training curriculum and often conduct trainings for clinical staff LPMHCs model ethical and professional behaviors and standards to include multicultural awareness Senior LPMHCs meet routinely with inter‑professional team members and leadership to communicate about program and patient issues for in‑depth problem solving Senior LPMHCs collaborate with internal and external stakeholders and frequently serve as a liaison This assignment is to be relatively few in number based on the size of the facility/service and applying sound position management This assignment must represent substantial additional responsibility over and above that required at the full performance grade level and cannot be used as the full performance level of this occupation 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 Preferred Experience – Prefer experience working within interdisciplinary teams – brief evidence‑based interventions and brief/focused assessments Reference – For more information on this qualification standard – please visit 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 – See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. Duties The Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor is located in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) – Southeast Network (VISN 7) – VA Augusta Health Care System (VAAHCS) in Augusta, GA located in the Mental Health Service The Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) serves as an independently licensed clinician within the Primary Care‑Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) program Duties include – but are not limited to: Independently performs focused, functional biopsychosocial assessments for Veterans in primary care Provides brief, evidence‑based interventions for common PCMHI conditions (depression, anxiety, stress, insomnia, health behavior change, etc.) Uses measurement‑based care for assessment, monitoring, and treatment decisions Manages warm handoffs and provides same‑day brief interventions Works closely with Primary Care Providers, nurses, and team members for shared treatment planning and coordinated care Provides real‑time behavioral health consultation to primary care staff Participates in interdisciplinary team huddles, case conferences, and collaborative problem‑solving Facilitates timely referrals to specialty mental health programs Provides brief follow‑up or bridge care to ensure continuity Coordinates transitions across services and ensures communication of clinical information Independently conducts suicide risk assessments, violence risk evaluations, and safety planning Provides crisis stabilization and coordinates emergency care when needed Completes timely and accurate documentation following VA‑Joint Commission and CARF standards Adheres to national PCMHI standards, guidelines, and measurement‑based care requirements Participates in PCMHI program development, quality improvement, and data monitoring activities Contributes to training and education for primary care and mental health staff Maintains professional competencies and ongoing continuing education Work Schedule – Monday – Friday – 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM Recruitment Incentive (Sign‑on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive Contact View email address on click.appcast.io for questions/assistance Learn more – Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases Paid Time Off – 37–50 days of annual paid time off per year (13–26 days of annual leave – 13 days of sick leave – 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Parental Leave – After 12 months of employment – up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth – adoption – or foster care placement of a child Child Care Subsidy – After 60 days of employment – full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66 Retirement – Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long‑term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not Available Virtual – This is not a virtual position Functional Statement # 60550F – Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized. #J-18808-Ljbffr