Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Pensacola (FL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 98,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Pensacola, FL seeks a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) to provide ambulatory care to Veterans and their families.

The clinician will evaluate clinical status, develop and implement treatment plans, and deliver individual, group, and family counseling as part of an interdisciplinary team. Applicants must hold a CACREP-accredited degree, possess a full license to practice, be proficient in English, and comply with VA licensure and

Qualifications

• Master's or doctoral degree in CACREP-accredited program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling or related field.
• Full, current, unrestricted license to independently practice as LPMHC (with VA licensure exception if eligible).
• United States Citizenship or waiver per VA policy; English proficiency required.
• Experience in outpatient mental health and ability to work on an interdisciplinary team.

Responsibilities

• Engage in intake, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning.
• Provide individual, group, or family counseling and crisis intervention as needed.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary team to coordinate care and referrals.
• Develop and implement treatment plans with ongoing evaluation and follow-up.
• Maintain accurate clinical documentation and utilize Telehealth and VA systems.

Skills

Intake & assessment

Diagnosis & treatment planning

DSM knowledge

Multicultural counseling

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Documentation (EHR)

Telehealth delivery

Software literacy

Communication skills

Education

CACREP-accredited master’s or doctoral in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Tools

Telehealth software

VA software systems

Job description

The Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) provides ambulatory care services to mentally ill and/or substance abusing Veterans and their significant others. Veterans receiving services may have concurrent psychiatric disorders, personality disorders, substance use disorders, medical conditions, and multiple psychosocial stressors. Thus, the biopsychosocial status of many of the mental health patients may be severely compromised.

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 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 counseling. (TRANSCRIPT MUST BE PROVIDED WITH APPLICATION)
• 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.
  • Exception. VHA may waive the licensure requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure. This exception only applies up to the full performance level. For grade levels at or above the full performance level, the candidate must be licensed.
• 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.

Grade Level Requirements

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) below. LPMHCs may provide clinical supervision over the clinical practice of an unlicensed LPMHC or LPMHC trainee. Some state licenses do not license an individual to provide clinical supervision to trainees or unlicensed LPMHCs. Please refer to specific state licensing laws regarding the requirements for providing clinical supervision.

GS-09 Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• 1. Ability to engage in intake and assessment, problem identification, diagnosis, treatment planning and implementation, continuum of care, evaluation and follow-up.
• 2. Knowledge of current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders in formulation of treatment goals and application of appropriate clinical interventions using professional counseling practices.
• 3. Basic knowledge of professional counseling practice with emphasis on human development principles through cognitive, affective, behavioral or systemic interventions, and strategies that address high risk behaviors, wellness, personal growth, and career development across the life span.
• 4. Ability to use a wide variety of individual, group, or family counseling interventions; demonstrates sensitivity to diversity and possesses multicultural counseling skills.
• 5. Ability to serve on an interdisciplinary team with focus on the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and relational functioning of individuals, groups and families and on the counseling approaches, strategies, and techniques that will best help patients function effectively.
• 6. Basic skill in the use of computer software applications for drafting documents, data management, maintaining accurate, timely and thorough clinical documentation and delivery of services, such as Telehealth.
• 7. Ability to learn and utilize software programs in use by VHA.
• 8. Knowledge and understanding of existing relevant statutes, case laws, ethical codes, and regulations affecting professional practice of counseling.
• 9. Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds.

GS-11 Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• 1. Ability to make professional evaluations, decisions, and recommendation for treatment planning and implementation.
• 2. Advanced knowledge and mastery of the fundamentals of the counseling process which includes defining patient/family problems and maintaining an effective counseling relationship.
• 3. 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 to explain assignments, review progress of cases and confer about the counseling perspectives and orientation.
• 4. Ability to provide complex crisis intervention and stabilization to patients who are in psychological distress. Requires independent judgment and skill.
• 5. Ability to establish goals/treatment through a collaborative process with the patient utilizing advanced counseling skills, including evidenced- based practices, screening, and psychosocial assessment.
• 6. Ability to use a wide variety of individual, group, or familial counseling interventions; demonstrates sensitivity to diversity and possesses multicultural counseling skills.
• 7. 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.
• 8. 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.

Preferred Experience

• Assess and address patient needs in treatment planning
• Proficient in individual, group, couples, and family therapy
• 2+ years' experience in outpatient Mental Health and/or Primary Care Mental Health Integration

Reference

For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

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

Physical Requirements

Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, puling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment.

Work Environment

Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.