Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (OPMH)

Veterans Health Administration • Carbondale, IL

7h • Onsite

About The Position

The Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor provides counseling and mental health services to Veterans and, as appropriate, their families. The counselor conducts psychosocial assessments, assigns DSM diagnoses, develops treatment plans, and provides individual, group, family, or couples psychotherapy when clinically indicated. The position includes crisis assessment, intervention, and stabilization, along with coordination of transfers and referrals to appropriate VA or community resources.

The counselor collaborates with Veterans, families, and interdisciplinary treatment teams on recovery-oriented care and discharge planning; advises colleagues on psychosocial needs; and educates Veterans and families about benefits, community resources, specialty programs, and advance directives. The role also includes maintaining clinical documentation and completing notes and encounters within 24 hours, required training and provider assessments by assigned deadlines, and supervising students or less experienced staff as appropriate. Direct Veteran care documentation must account for at least 80% of the time allocated to direct care in the clinician's weekly profile.

The regular schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The counselor may also be responsible for 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 authorized for the Education Debt Reduction Program, subject to eligibility and program approval; reimbursement may be up to $200,000 over one to five years.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, except where appointment of a non-citizen is permitted under VA policy when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• 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 doctoral degree does not substitute for the master's degree requirement.
• Provide transcripts with the application.
• Hold a full, current, 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 post-master's or post-doctoral mental health counseling experience.
• Demonstrate the specified GS-11 knowledge, skills, and abilities in treatment planning, counseling, crisis intervention, collaborative goal setting, evidence-based practices, assessment, diverse counseling interventions, DSM diagnosis, and psychotherapy or psychoeducation groups.
• Meet applicable Selective Service registration requirements for males born after December 31, 1959.
• Pass a background/security investigation and pre-employment physical evaluation.
• Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Complete the online onboarding process and required application documentation.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period.
• Complete notes and encounters within 24 hours and assigned trainings and provider assessments by their due dates.
• Be available for potential early morning, evening, weekend, holiday, and night duties and participation in the on-call rotation.

Nice To Haves

• Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor with at least two years of experience and 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.

Responsibilities

• Conduct thorough psychosocial assessments and document relevant areas of functioning to support diagnoses and treatment-related conclusions.
• Provide DSM diagnoses to determine Veterans' and families' psychosocial functioning and needs.
• Provide emergency and crisis interventions, rapid assessments, stabilization, and crisis management plans.
• Arrange transfers of care and referrals to VA resources or community agencies appropriate to the Veteran's needs.
• Provide individual, group, family, or couples psychotherapy when clinically indicated and therapeutically beneficial.
• Complete training and implement evidence-based psychotherapies.
• Consult with treatment team members and staff regarding psychosocial needs and their effects on health care planning, treatment compliance, and discharge planning.
• Document direct Veteran care, with documentation accounting for at least 80% of the time allotted to direct care in the weekly profile.
• Establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans and their families.
• Work independently with Veterans and families experiencing complex medical, psychiatric, emotional, behavioral, and psychosocial problems.
• Facilitate timely discharge planning in collaboration with Veterans, families, and interdisciplinary treatment team members.
• Educate Veterans and families about community resources, VA benefits and specialty programs, and advance directives.
• Coordinate access to community-based services and referrals to VA, government, and community programs, including developing recovery-oriented treatment plans with Veterans and families.
• 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 notes and encounters within 24 hours, assigned Talent Management System trainings, and Ongoing Professional Practice Examination assessments for other providers by their due dates.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) student loan reimbursement, subject to eligibility and approval, with awards up to $200,000 over one to five years.
• Federal employee benefits package; specific benefits depend on position eligibility.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual for prior work or military service, subject to prior request and approval.

What This Job Offers

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