Summary 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. Responsibilities RELOCATION INCENTIVE MAY BE AUTHORIZED. Clinical Responsibilities Screening/Assessment: Independently assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans identifying the Veteran's strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, psychosocial acuity, Mental Health symptoms according to DSM-5-TR, problem identification, diagnosis, treatment planning, implementation, evaluation, and follow-up. Fully utilize the current DSM in making diagnoses (of all MH diagnosis) and formulation of treatment goals and application of appropriate clinical interventions. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnoses and treatment within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. Deliver services both in person and via video technology. Treatment Planning/Interventions: Has specialized knowledge of a wide variety of individual, group, or family counseling interventions. LPMHC will be able to provide advanced therapy and consultation for PTSD, depression, anxiety and other major MH disorders using EBPs. Provide complex crisis intervention and stabilization to patients who are in psychological distress. Ability to assess and safety plan for suicidality. Use Measurement Based Care (MBC) measures to evaluate initial and ongoing treatment needs and episodes of care, utilizing the continuum of care model. Demonstrate advanced 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. Conduct case management services for Veterans enrolled BHIP Psychology Services, to include but not limited to: coordination of care with other clinics/programs/facilities, provision of resources/education, completing clinical reminders, administering measurement based care, and managing emergent Veteran needs within the clinic. Ability to provide advanced consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients in the service delivery area as well as to the APU, Med Floor and BHS; and role model effective advanced clinical practice skills. Possess knowledge and understanding of existing relevant statutes, case laws, ethical codes, and regulations. Has an ability to expand clinical knowledge in the Mental Health Counselor profession and to write policies, procedures and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the service delivery area. Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds. Comply with all EHRM documentation procedures, including timeliness standards for documentation, completion of recommendations, and proper patient check-out procedures (e.g., entering diagnostic and procedure codes). Maintain appropriate records and follow-up data on patients who are their responsibility. Academic/Teaching/Training May provide clinical supervision of non-licensed and licensed MHCs to assist with clinical skill development, and may serve as the subject matter expert for the discipline. Attend annual training programs sponsored by the VISN, VAMC and other APA recognized training programs to enhance knowledge, skills, and abilities in area of specialization. Provide leadership, direction, orientation, coaching, in-service training, staff development, and continuing education programs for assigned Mental Health Counselor staff. Administrative Responsibilities Provide recommendations to supervisors of any clinical changes to policy and procedure and ability to design system changes based on data. Communicate assignments with milestones, priorities, expected outcomes, deadlines, and timeframes for completing assignments. Address program issues under review and problems to be resolved by providing advice on work methods, practices and procedures. Assist BHIP Program Manager with quality management, improvement, and compliance with accreditation organizations and VA standards, CARF, JACHO, SAMSHA data. Assist with management of referrals from BHIP Psychology services clinic and coordination of care between clinics, as well as case management of dually diagnosed higher-needs Veterans. Assist with coordination of care with civilian and VA residential treatment centers for placement of Veterans and discharge planning back to the Mann-Grandstaff catchment area. Serve on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility, VISN and national level, or in the community as deemed appropriate by the supervisor. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May Be Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements 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. You may be required to serve a trial period. 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-11 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: 1. 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. 2. 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. 3. Ability to coordinate the delivery of specialized psychosocial services and programs. Ability to design system changes based on data. 4. 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. 5. Ability to teach, mentor staff and trainees, and provide supervision for licensure or for specialty certifications. 6. 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: Experience with veterans 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-12. Physical Requirements: Light lifting (under 15 pounds), use of fingers, able to see computer screen, and hearing (aid may be permitted). Environmental factors include working closely with others and working alone. 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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or 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.