Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor

Summary This position is located within the (VHA) - VA Augusta Health Care System Mental Health Service - in the Substance Use Recovery Center (SURC). The Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) practices independently at the advanced licensure level and provides professional counseling - diagnostic evaluations - treatment planning - and recovery-oriented interventions to Veterans experiencing substance use disorders (SUD) and co-occurring mental health conditions. Qualifications Applicants 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 Requirements United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA PolicyEducationHold 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 havefrom 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 counselingLicensurePersons 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: GS-183-12-Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor Experience - Education - and LicensureIn addition to the basic requirements - candidates must have at least one year of progressively complex LPMHC experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade levelSenior 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 LPMHCsDemonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and AbilitiesIn 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 illnessAbility 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 practiceAbility to determine priority of services needed and provide specialized treatment2.Advanced and expert skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities for Veterans with complex needsThis includes individual - group - and/or family counseling - or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial - and/or case management interventions used in the treatment of Veterans3.Ability to coordinate the delivery of specialized psychosocial services and programsAbility to design system changes based on data4.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 skills5.Ability to teach - mentor staff and trainees - and provide supervision for licensure or for specialty certifications6.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 professionPreferred Experience: Experience working in substance use - interdisciplinary teams - brief evidence-based interventions - and brief/focused assessmentsReference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/Physical Requirements: Please refer to VA Handbook 5019 Duties Duties to include but not limited to: Independently provides specialized counseling services for Veterans with SUD - co-occurring mental health diagnoses - and complex psychosocial needsDelivers recovery-focused interventions aimed at increasing motivation - enhancing coping skills - reducing use - preventing relapse - and supporting long-term recoveryUses advanced clinical judgment to assess withdrawal risk - overdose risk - trauma exposure - psychosocial instability - legal issues - and other factors that impact recoveryConducts detailed biopsychosocial assessments including substance use history - treatment experiences - strengths - barriers - and readiness for changeProvides diagnostic impressions within LPMHC professional scope - integrating co-occurring mental health and SUD considerationsEvaluates complex multiple causation (psychological - social - medical - environmental) to determine individualized treatment needsDevelops individualized treatment plans encompassing relapse-prevention strategies - recovery goals - risk-mitigation plans - counseling modalities - and interdisciplinary coordinationDetermines appropriate use of VA and community resources - including detoxification services - residential SUD programs - psychosocial rehabilitation - MAT support - peer services - and sober-living environmentsProvides consultation and recommendations to interdisciplinary team members - community partners - and other clinical providers regarding assessment findings and care strategies Provides individual - group - and family counseling using evidence-based modalities for SUD (MI - CBT-SUD - harm-reduction approaches - contingency management where appropriate - relapse-prevention curricula)Facilitates structured SUD groups - psychoeducation classes - early recovery skills groups - and therapeutic workshopsEncourages Veterans and families to explore concerns - evaluate consequences of substance use - consider alternatives - and develop plans for recoveryCoordinates referrals to community or VA resources such as halfway houses - shelters - residential treatment facilities - and vocational/educational programsParticipates in SURC program development - evaluation of treatment effectiveness - creation of clinical guidelines - and improvement of service deliveryUses outcome measures - practice-based evidence - peer review - and case-conference participation to evaluate and improve clinical practiceAdjusts treatment plans based on ongoing assessment - clinical response - and changing Veteran needsEducates Veterans and family/significant others on substance use - mental health conditions - relapse prevention strategies - coping skills - and recovery planningProvides orientation and training to new LPMHCs - Social Workers - and interdisciplinary team membersServes as a mentor to less-experienced counselors and provides clinical support to trainees - interns - and studentsEducates interdisciplinary staff on psychosocial dynamics - SUD impact - recovery principles - and counseling approachesIndependently documents assessments - diagnostics - treatment plans - process notes - safety plans - case consultations - referrals - and follow-up care in electronic and paper formats according to VA and clinic standardsEnsures documentation reflects expert diagnosis - ethical counseling practices - and clear justification for treatment decisionsWork Schedule: Monday-Friday - 8:00am-4:30pmsubject to change based upon agency needs