Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (BHIP/Outpatient)

Veterans Health Administration•Chesapeake County, VA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

This position is with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Hampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences Service Line, North Battlefield VA Clinic, aligned with BHIP/Outpatient Services. Clinical services may also be provided at other VA outpatient clinic locations in the region. The counselor provides psychosocial assessments and individual, couples, family, and group therapy, and may provide services specific to substance use disorders. Depending on grade and qualifications, the position may involve supervised entry-level practice or independent full-performance practice. The full-performance level is GS-11; candidates may be selected at GS-9 through GS-11. The role also includes administrative and team responsibilities, such as following program and clinic procedures, participating in meetings and committees, maintaining clinical documentation, and taking part in training, education, and administrative activities. The work schedule is 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Telework and virtual work are not available. The work is primarily sedentary and is performed mainly in a well-lit, temperature-controlled office environment.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship, except that non-citizens may be appointed when recruitment of qualified citizens is not possible under VA policy.
Proficiency in spoken and written English.
A master's or doctoral degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling, both fields, or a related field from a CACREP-accredited program.
A full, current, unrestricted license to independently practice as a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, including diagnosis and treatment, for positions at or above the full-performance level. A limited waiver may apply at the entry level under the stated conditions.
For GS-9: less than one year of post-master’s experience, or completion of the required degree while not yet licensed for independent practice; unlicensed employees must be working toward licensure prerequisites.
For GS-11: at least one year of post-master’s or post-doctoral mental health counseling experience and a license for independent practice.
Ability to engage in intake, assessment, problem identification, diagnosis, treatment planning and implementation, continuity of care, evaluation, and follow-up.
Knowledge of the current DSM and its use in treatment goals and clinical interventions.
Knowledge of professional counseling practices, human development, and interventions addressing high-risk behaviors, wellness, personal growth, and career development across the lifespan.
Ability to use a wide variety of individual, group, or family counseling interventions and to serve on an interdisciplinary team.
Computer skills for drafting documents, managing data, maintaining accurate and timely clinical documentation, and delivering services; ability to learn and use VHA software.
Knowledge of relevant statutes, case law, ethical codes, and regulations affecting counseling practice.
Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with people from varied backgrounds.
For GS-11, ability to make professional evaluations and treatment recommendations; advanced counseling-process knowledge; provide consultation to colleagues and trainees; provide complex crisis intervention and stabilization; collaboratively establish treatment goals using advanced and evidence-based counseling skills; demonstrate multicultural counseling skills; use the DSM for diagnoses and treatment planning; and develop and facilitate psychotherapy or psychoeducation groups.
Meet applicable background and security investigation requirements, onboarding and identification requirements, seasonal influenza vaccination requirements, and any trial-period conditions.
Physical ability to perform primarily sedentary work, with occasional lifting of 10–20 pounds and some tasks involving standing, bending, stooping, kneeling, climbing stairs, and lifting up to 25 pounds.

Responsibilities

Identify and screen patients for psychosocial needs through case finding and outreach.
Conduct psychosocial assessments and develop treatment plans with veterans, families, and interdisciplinary treatment teams as applicable.
Provide counseling and psychotherapy to individuals, families, and groups, and offer psychosocial interventions while measuring outcomes.
Coordinate community-based services and provide information and referrals to VA, government, and community programs.
Identify high-risk patients and provide crisis intervention, including addressing underlying causes, coordinating family conferences, and serving as a liaison to family members.
Use knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, treatment procedures, illnesses and injuries, medications and their effects or side effects, and medical terminology.
Develop patient education materials or modules and assist with Veteran Peer and Family activities as assigned.
Consult with other staff about veterans’ psychosocial needs and how psychosocial problems affect health care and treatment-plan adherence.
Use word-processing, data-management, and other computer systems, particularly systems used by VHA, and maintain clinical documentation.
Follow operational policies and procedures for the treatment team, assigned program or clinic, CBOC Service Line, BHIP, and Mental Health.
Attend administrative and informational meetings and participate in mental health training, education, and administrative activities.
Participate in committee assignments, including Performance Improvement, Peer Review, and Performance Measures.
At GS-11, provide independent counseling and mental health services within professional counseling knowledge, theory, and training; may consult with peers and supervisors and participate in program evaluation or research.
At GS-9, provide mental health counseling services under supervision and work toward licensure prerequisites.