Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (BHIP)

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Spokane (WA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

EDRP eligibility

Job summary

US Department of Veterans Affairs in Spokane, WA seeks a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor at GS-9/11 level. The role emphasizes intake, assessment, diagnosis and treatment planning within a Veterans-centered care team. Requires CACREP-accredited education and licensing or eligibility.

Opportunities to provide Telehealth services and participate in interdisciplinary care are available. The position supports professional development, adherence to DSM standards, and patient-centered

Qualifications

• Master's or doctoral degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling or CACREP-accredited program.
• Licensed to practice independently or eligible for licensure in the relevant state.
• English language proficiency as required by VA policy.

Responsibilities

• Engage in intake, assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning and ongoing follow-up.
• Provide counseling services within an interdisciplinary team.
• Maintain accurate, timely clinical documentation and use Telehealth when appropriate.
• Apply DSM-based formulations and evidence-based interventions.
• Collaborate to develop and implement care plans and referrals.

Skills

Intake & assessment

DSM knowledge

Counseling interventions

Multicultural counseling

Interdisciplinary teamwork

Telehealth

Clinical documentation

Regulatory knowledge

Effective communication

Education

Master's or doctoral CACREP-accredited program

Tools

Telehealth software

EHR/clinical documentation systems

Job description

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS

• 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; 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.
• Licensure. Persons hired or reassigned to LPMHC positions in the GS-0101 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.
  • 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. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

GRADE DETERMINATIONS

Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, GS-9 (Entry Level): Experience, Education, and Licensure.

The GS-9 grade level is the entry grade level for LPMHCs with less than one year of experience (post‑master's degree) or for LPMHCs at the master's or doctoral level who are graduates not yet licensed at the independent practice level. Unlicensed LPMHCs at the GS-9 grade level have completed the required education listed above, and are working toward completion of prerequisites for licensure. In addition, the candidates must demonstrate the KSAs below.

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.

Licensed 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 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.

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

Experience with Veterans.

REFERENCE

For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://department.va.gov/employees/va-qualifications-standards/

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The grade at which an applicant may be hired is GS-9 to GS-11.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

There are no physical requirements for this occupation per OCHCO Communications email to VA Handbook 5019, updated on 4/17/2026.