Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor - Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP)

About the role

The incumbent will practice in outpatient mental health as part of the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) team. The incumbent will provide direct patient care by offering psychotherapy to veterans.

The incumbent will determine needs of veterans and family members and actively participate in the treatment planning process. They will work with a team of other disciplines as part of the treatment process.

Responsibilities

• Conduct psychosocial assessments to determine needs of veterans and family members
• Participate in the treatment planning process with other disciplines
• Carefully coordinate and refer care with other disciplines and ensure the treatment plan is executed in a timely and appropriate manner
• Provide individual, family, and group therapy as appropriate
• Consult with veterans and families on community resources, advance directives, and VA benefits
• Act as a liaison between VA and community resources, including marketing and public relations duties as needed
• Supervise the practice of social work students or less experienced social workers as appropriate
• Maintain data and statistical compilations to comply with TJC, VA, and medical center policies and procedures
• Document interventions and activities in the patient's clinical record using CPRS and ensure appropriate hand-off when transferring of patient care
• Provide psychosocial treatment to a wide variety of individuals from diverse backgrounds
• Assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members and formulate and implement a treatment plan
• Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds
• Independently assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members and formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the patient's problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and assistance needed
• Collaborate with the patient, family, and interdisciplinary treatment team

Requirements

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.
• 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
• 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
• The Human Resources Office will provide the unlicensed LPMHC in writing the requirement to obtain licensure, the date by which the license must be acquired, and the consequences for not becoming licensed by the deadline
• The written notice must be provided prior to the entrance on duty date
• Grade Determinations: Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor - GS-9: 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 KSA below
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities: In addition to the basic requirements, the candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below

Qualifications

• Experience: At least one year of post-master's or post-doctoral degree mental health counseling experience (VA or non-VA experience)
• Licensure: Must be licensed to practice at the independent practice level
• Demonstrated 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 recommendations for treatment planning and implementation
• Advanced knowledge and mastery of the fundamentals of the counseling process which includes defining patient/family problems and maintaining an effective counseling relationship
• Provide subject matter consultation to colleagues and trainees on the counseling process within various specialty areas
• Provide complex crisis intervention and stabilization to patients who are in psychological distress
• Requires independent judgment and skill
• Develop and facilitate psychotherapy and psycho-education groups that include life skills, family support, and community integration
• Full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11

Skills

Basic skill in the use of computer software applications for drafting documents, data management, and tracking

Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services

Benefits

Not specified

Pay

Not specified

Schedule

Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm