Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (OPMH)

Veterans Health Administration • Carbondale, IL

18h • Onsite

About The Position

The Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) provides counseling and mental health services to Veterans and, when appropriate, their families. The counselor conducts psychosocial assessments, uses DSM diagnoses to identify functioning and treatment needs, provides crisis assessment and stabilization, and delivers individual, group, couples, or family psychotherapy when clinically indicated. The position includes implementing evidence-based psychotherapies, collaborating with interdisciplinary teams, coordinating referrals and discharge planning, and educating Veterans and families about VA benefits and community resources.

The counselor is expected to document direct Veteran care for at least 80% of the time allotted to direct care in the weekly profile and complete notes and encounters within 24 hours. Other duties include completing assigned trainings and provider assessments, supervising students or less experienced staff as appropriate, and maintaining effective therapeutic relationships while working with people experiencing complex medical, psychiatric, behavioral, emotional, and psychosocial problems.

The position is scheduled Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A tour of duty may also include early mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, nights, and participation in an on-call rotation to meet Veteran care needs. Telework and virtual work are not available. The position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program, subject to eligibility and approval; awards may be up to $200,000 for one to five years.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated VA exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Master’s or doctoral degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling, both fields, or a related field from a CACREP-accredited program; transcript must be provided with the application.
• Full, current, and unrestricted license to independently practice as a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, including diagnosis and treatment, for appointment or reassignment to the GS-0183 series in VHA.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Ability to conduct intake and assessment, identify problems, diagnose, plan and implement treatment, coordinate continuum of care, and evaluate 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 individual, group, and family counseling interventions; sensitivity to diversity and multicultural counseling skills.
• Ability to serve on an interdisciplinary team and apply counseling approaches that support effective functioning of individuals, groups, and families.
• Basic computer software skills for drafting documents, data management, clinical documentation, and service delivery, including Telehealth; ability to learn and use VHA software.
• Knowledge of statutes, case law, ethical codes, and regulations relevant to professional counseling practice.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with people from varied backgrounds.
• For GS-11 consideration: at least one year of post-master’s or post-doctoral mental health counseling experience and independent-practice licensure.
• For GS-11 consideration: ability to make professional evaluations, decisions, and treatment recommendations; mastery of the counseling process; ability to consult with colleagues and trainees; ability to provide complex crisis intervention and stabilization; ability to collaboratively establish treatment goals using advanced counseling skills and evidence-based practices; ability to use diverse counseling interventions and the DSM; and ability to develop and facilitate psychotherapy and psychoeducation groups.
• Meet applicable pre-employment, onboarding, background/security, identification, and physical-evaluation requirements; seasonal influenza vaccination is required for VA Health Care Personnel.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period, as applicable.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the announcement’s Required Documents section.

Nice To Haves

• At least two years of experience as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor.
• Current competency using evidence-based practice with adult patients in a mental health setting.
• Completed training in at least one evidence-based treatment intervention for mental health diagnoses.
• Grandfathering provision may apply to current VHA employees in this occupation who meet the applicable criteria.

Responsibilities

• Conduct thorough psychosocial assessments and document relevant areas of functioning to support diagnoses and treatment-related conclusions.
• Provide DSM diagnoses and assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and/or their families.
• Provide emergency and crisis interventions, rapid assessments, stabilization, and crisis management plans; arrange appropriate transfer of care and referrals based on need.
• Provide individual, group, couples, and/or family psychotherapy when clinically indicated and therapeutically beneficial.
• Successfully complete training in and implement evidence-based psychotherapies.
• Consult with treatment team and staff about Veterans’ psychosocial needs and how identified problems affect health care planning, treatment compliance, and discharge planning.
• Document direct Veteran care for at least 80% of the time allotted to direct care in the clinician’s weekly profile.
• Establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans and/or their families.
• Work independently with Veterans and families experiencing complex medical, psychiatric, emotional, behavioral, and psychosocial problems.
• Facilitate timely discharge planning with Veterans, families, and interdisciplinary treatment team members.
• Educate Veterans and families about community resources, VA benefits, specialty programs, and advance directives.
• Coordinate access to community-based services and make referrals to VA, government, and community programs or agencies.
• Coordinate Veteran and family involvement in recovery-oriented treatment planning.
• Maintain knowledge of Veteran benefits, services, community resources, and referral processes.
• Supervise mental health or human-service students, other appropriate students, or less experienced staff as appropriate.
• Complete clinical notes and encounters within 24 hours, assigned Talent Management System trainings, and Ongoing Professional Practice Examination assessments for other providers by assigned due dates.
• Participate in an on-call rotation and, as needed, tours that include early mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, or nights.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to eligibility and approval, with a potential award of up to $200,000 over one to five years.
• Federal employee benefits package; specific benefits and eligibility depend on position type and hiring-agency details.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to prior request and approval.

What This Job Offers

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