Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor

SummaryThis Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor/BHIP-SOS position is located within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) - Veterans Health Administration (VHA) - Fredericksburg Health Care Center (FxHCC) located in Fredericksburg - Virginia - VISN 6. This position is aligned with the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) Outpatient Services.QualificationsApplicants 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 RequirementsUnited States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA PolicyEnglish 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.jEducation: Hold a master's or doctoral degree in: Clinical Mental Health CounselingClinical Rehabilitation CounselingClinical Mental Health Counseling and Clinical Rehabilitation Counselingor 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 CounselingCommunity CounselingGerontology CounselingMarital - Couple - and Family CounselingCACREP defines the date when graduates are considered to have graduated from a CACREP accredited programAdditional information may be obtained from http://www.cacrep.org/directory/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 counselingLicensure: 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 treatmentNOTE: 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidatesLicensed Professional Mental Health Counselor - GS-11 (Full Performance Level) Experience - Education - and Licensure: In addition to the basic requirements - candidates must have at least one year of post-master's or post- doctoral degree mental health counseling experience (VA or non-VA experience) and must be licensed to practice at the independent practice level and demonstrate the KSAs in subparagraph (c) belowLPMHCs may provide clinical supervision over the clinical practice of an unlicensed LPMHC or LPMHC traineeSome state licenses do not license an individual to provide clinical supervision to trainees or unlicensed LPMHCsPlease refer to specific state licensing laws regarding the requirements for providing clinical supervisionDemonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-9 grade level - the candidate must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: Ability to make professional evaluations - decisions - and recommendation for treatment planning and implementationAdvanced knowledge and mastery of the fundamentals of the counseling process which includes defining patient/family problems and maintaining an effective counseling relationshipAbility 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 to explain assignments - review progress of cases and confer about the counseling perspectives and orientationAbility to provide complex crisis intervention and stabilization to patients who are in psychological distressRequires independent judgment and skillAbility to establish goals/treatment through a collaborative process with the patient utilizing advanced counseling skills - including evidenced- based practices - screening - and psychosocial assessmentAbility to use a wide variety of individual - group - or family counseling interventionsAbility to fully utilize the current DSM in making diagnoses and formulation of treatment goals and application of appropriate clinical intervention using professional counseling practicesAbility to develop and facilitate psychotherapy and psycho- education groups that include life skills - family support - and community integrationThis may include evidence based psychotherapyPreferred Experience: At least one year conducting biopsychosocial assessments of patients' needs in a healthcare settingExperience in working with a multidisciplinary treatment team (at least 1 year)Experience in providing EBP's (evidenced based psychotherapies)At least one year experience working with mental health issues such as depression - anxiety - PTSDAt least one year experience in electronic medical record documentation of health and behavioral issuesExperience working with the Veteran and/or military populationExperience working with patients in crisis and facilitating safety planningReference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11Physical Requirements: The clinician needs to be mobile in that the job requires: sitting - walking - standing - and bendingThis position is primarily sedentary - and requires sitting - walking - standing - and bendingWork is typically performed in an adequately lighted and climate-controlled office and/or home space.DutiesThis is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until 9/30/2026Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at biweekly intervalsThe Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor/BHIP-SOS position is located within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) - Veterans Health Administration (VHA) - Fredericksburg Health Care Center (FxHCC) located in Fredericksburg - Virginia - VISN 6This position is aligned with the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) Outpatient ServicesDuties include: Independently performs case finding functions and outreach - identifying and screening patients for psychosocial needsPossesses the knowledge and ability to independently implement treatment modalities - provide counseling or psychotherapy for individuals - families - and groupsIndependently conducts psychosocial assessmentsDevelops treatment plans in collaboration with the veteran/family and with the interdisciplinary treatment team if applicableCoordinates community-based services - including information and referral for additional services from other VA programs - other government programs and community agency programsIndependently identifies high-risk patients and provides crisis intervention services - seeking to address the cause as well as the presenting complaint - coordinates family conferences and serves as liaison to family membersProvides support for those Veterans on the High Risk for Suicide listHas working knowledge and experience in use of medical and mental health diagnoses - disabilities - and treatment proceduresThis includes acute - chronic - and traumatic illnesses/injuries - common medications and their effects/side effects - and medical terminologyDevelops patient education materials/modules and assists with Veteran Peer and Family activities as assignedIndependently provides consultation services to other staff regarding the psychosocial needs of Veterans and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and adherence to treatment planAbility to evaluate own practice through professional peer review - case conferences and other organizational meansAble to communicate effectively - both orally and in writing - with people from varied backgroundsPerforms other related duties as assigned - including but not limited to assisting the SOS clinicWork Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Ad-Hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual positionFunctional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized