Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor - Associate Chief of Staff, Behavioral Health

Veterans Health Administration • Butler, PA

7h • Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Chief of Staff, Behavioral Health leads a multidisciplinary team delivering behavioral health care to veterans and oversees Behavioral Health Services at the Butler VA Medical Center. The service includes outpatient mental health services at the main facility and satellite clinics, residential MHRRTP programs, and services and staff within Social Work Services and Psychology Services.

The role is ultimately responsible for day-to-day operation of the Behavioral Health Service line, managing clinical programs and coordinating quality, timely, customer-focused, and cost-effective care. The incumbent oversees compliance with VHA directives and Joint Commission, OIG, and CARF requirements; monitors quality, performance, productivity, access, and suicide-prevention measures; and develops policies, procedures, and action plans. The position also manages staffing, recruitment, performance, supervision, staff development, budget, and training opportunities, and represents the service in facility, VISN, and national committees and workgroups.

The position is scheduled Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Flexible or compressed scheduling is unavailable. Ad-hoc telework is available, but this is not a virtual position. Relocation or recruitment incentives may be authorized for highly qualified candidates; permanent change of station is not authorized.

Candidates must meet VA requirements for the Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor GS-14 grade, including applicable education, licensure, experience, and demonstrated knowledge, skills, and abilities. The full performance level is GS-14.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated VA exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Master's or doctoral degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling, both fields, or a related field from a CACREP-accredited program.
• Full, current, and unrestricted license to independently practice as a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, including diagnosis and treatment.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• At least one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to GS-13, in addition to the basic education and licensure requirements.
• Demonstrated advanced practice skills in administration, with progressively greater professional competency and judgment.
• Ability to make program-management judgments and decisions; monitor outcomes through data-driven quality assurance; and develop productivity standards appropriate to each service.
• Ability to manage a wide range of programs, including key clinical, training, or administrative programs.
• Advanced knowledge and skill in managing multidisciplinary mental health programs at complex facilities or across multiple sites, including supervision, consultation, negotiation, and monitoring.
• Broad knowledge of mental health counseling practice to develop, maintain, and oversee programs across settings.
• Ability to advise medical center directors, VISN personnel, or national program managers on policy implementation, qualification standards, counseling practice, and competency in alignment with organizational goals.
• Advanced knowledge of evidence-based practices and mental health practice guidelines across professional areas, and ability to guide staff in appropriate treatment interventions.
• Ability to influence high-level officials to adopt and follow performance measures, monitoring, and policy guidelines.
• Meet applicable pre-employment screening and appointment requirements, including background/security investigation, pre-employment physical examination, and drug screening when applicable to a testing-designated position.
• Complete the required online onboarding and application documentation; provide acceptable identification for pre-employment requirements.
• Register for Selective Service if applicable to males born after December 31, 1959.
• Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program as a VA Health Care Personnel requirement.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to written certification for continued employment upon completion.

Nice To Haves

• Leadership and management of complex healthcare operations.
• Experience mentoring and developing staff.
• Strategic planning experience.
• Demonstrated excellence in teaching and clinical practice.

Responsibilities

• Lead a multidisciplinary staff in delivering behavioral health care to veterans and oversee Behavioral Health Services at the Butler VAMC, including outpatient clinics, satellite clinics, residential MHRRTP programs, Social Work Services, and Psychology Services.
• Manage the day-to-day operation of the Behavioral Health Service line and develop and manage clinical programs to meet current and anticipated patient-care requirements.
• Oversee and coordinate activities that support quality, customer-focused, cost-effective, and timely services, including coordination with other areas as appropriate.
• Ensure patient-care activities comply with VHA directives and Joint Commission, OIG, and CARF professional requirements.
• Analyze clinically appropriate data to monitor and optimize quality, performance, and productivity; develop action plans when performance measures do not meet expectations.
• Set priorities, delegate tasks, meet action-item deadlines, and identify and address organizational problems and needs.
• Model and promote trauma-informed care, including advocating for consideration of trauma in care delivery, physical environments, and policy development.
• Develop and implement departmental policies and procedures; ensure SOPs align with Butler VAMC and VHA requirements and provide feedback to VISN on policy implementation.
• Review and update scopes of practice, functional statements, position descriptions, and competencies for clinical and administrative staff.
• Ensure adequate staffing; interview and select applicants; monitor and evaluate performance; coordinate recruitment, hiring, and orientation with HR; and assign mentors to new employees.
• Lead BH Council meetings and monthly interdisciplinary staff meetings.
• Monitor compliance with suicide-prevention directives, including chart reviews and dashboards for screening and safety-planning requirements; educate clinical leaders on emerging suicide-prevention changes.
• Promote physical and psychological safety for staff and collaborate with clinical staff to solve problems.
• Participate in required facility committees, task forces, executive bodies, and VISN and national committees and workgroups.
• Develop and manage the departmental budget with assistance from Fiscal budgeting.
• Monitor timely access to services and guide Medical Support Assistants on scheduling new and transfer patients.
• Ensure VA and accreditation requirements are met and provide written responses to action items, congressional complaints, and White House complaints.
• Serve as a backup Service Line Patient Advocate and address customer complaints promptly and fully.
• Ensure staff competencies and provide clinical consultation and supervision to Behavioral Health staff and, as appropriate, staff in other departments.
• Provide direct clinical and administrative supervision to program supervisors, general therapists, and suicide-prevention staff; serve as second-line supervisor to service-line staff.
• Perform some administrative supervisory duties for physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, and assist the COS line with additional supervisory duties.
• Demonstrate commitment to EEO principles in decisions, including hiring practices.
• Ensure availability of preceptors and clinically appropriate programming for undergraduate, graduate, PhD/PsyD, and medical students.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package is available to the employee and family, subject to position and eligibility rules.
• Selected applicants may request credit for prior federal or military service toward annual leave accrual; approval is required and not guaranteed.
• Relocation or recruitment incentives may be authorized for highly qualified candidates.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior