Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor Program Manager

Summary

The Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) is assigned as a Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) Program Manager in the Primary Mental Health section of the Mental Health Service (MHS) within the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System (ECHCS). The incumbent provides oversight of BHIP teams to ensure effective and efficient delivery of recovery-oriented mental health services for Veteran patients and their families in accordance with the mission of VA ECHCS.

Learn more about this agency

Duties

Help

• As a BHIP Program Manager, the LPMHC assists in planning, establishing, and implementing policies and procedures, developing individual or group goals and objectives, as well as monitoring, operating, evaluating, coordinating, and overseeing the multidisciplinary staff of their assigned BHIP team(s). Provides program management and oversight of interdisciplinary BHIP team(s).
• Maintains administrative supervisory responsibility of all direct reports and Team Lead responsibility of all other members of their BHIP team(s).
• Oversees the implementation of BHIP services, including ensuring that appropriate processes/procedures are followed, Veteran care needs are addressed, and Veteran complaints are addressed.
• Identifies procedural issues related to BHIP treatment and care coordination and works toward process improvement in coordination with the other BHIP Program Coordinators, Program Managers and the Section Chief.
• Ensures the multidisciplinary staff under their supervision are aware of and adhere to all current directives and handbooks of the Veterans Affairs Administration, meet current applicable Joint Commission standards, state licensure standards, and VA-OIG oversight requirements.
• Oversees and/or ensures that appropriate processes are identified and followed related to BHIP sub-programs, such as psychological testing and groups. Develops and maintains high-quality team functioning and processes while meeting all Environment of Care and programmatic requirements.
• Works closely with the Primary Mental Health Section Chief, Mental Health Service leadership, other Mental Health program leadership, and other services through the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System.
• Fosters a cohesive interdisciplinary team environment. Oversees quality control issues and performance measures in collaboration with the Primary Mental Health Section Chief and throughout VA ECHCS. Assists the Section Chief in overseeing compliance with the successful execution of Mental Health Performance Measures, SAIL, workload, VERA capture, Veteran patient satisfaction, and quality assurance.
• Utilizes the service recovery model with Veteran patients who express dissatisfaction or concerns regarding their mental health care as requested; provides consultation for all mental health clinicians regarding the clinical care of complex cases.
• Provides overarching supervision, including annual performance ratings, for direct report employees, including Psychologists, Social Workers, and Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselors (LPMHC).
• Provides Team Lead oversight of all members of the BHIP team(s), including non-direct report staff, such as Psychiatrists, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Clinical Pharmacists, Nurses, and Peer Support Specialists.
• Clearly communicates established guidelines and performance expectations for staff through the formal employee performance management system.
• Develops functional statements and performance standards.
• Observes workers' performance, demonstrates and conducts work performance critiques.
• Provides informal feedback and periodically evaluates employee performance. Identifies training needs of employees and arranges training as appropriate.
• Works to resolve informal complaints and grievances; develops work improvement plans recommending personnel actions as necessary.

Work Schedule : Monday-Friday 8 AM - 4:30 PM

Telework : Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 554-51370-A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

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.
• 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).

Grade Determinations : Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (Program Manager), GS-13

• Experience, Education and Licensure: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. The experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-12 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs below:

1. Ability to make judgments and decisions associated with program management.
2. Ability to monitor program outcomes using data driven quality assurance process.
3. Ability to develop productivity standards appropriate to each service provided.
4. Ability to manage a wide range of programs which include the operation and management of key clinical, training or administrative programs.

Preferred Experience: Experience providing outpatient mental health treatment through BHIP, Mental Health/BHIP supervisory experience, Clinical experience providing evidence based psychotherapy .

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13.

Physical Requirements: Physical demands of the work are generally minor, as the position requires sitting, standing, and walking. The emotional demands can be stressful in working with high-risk for suicide veteran population and their families. A high level of self-awareness is essential. Work is primarily sedentary. May require prolonged standing, moderate walking, and manual dexterity. Requires carrying light items, such as books, files, or laptop computer

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.