Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor

Veterans Health Administration • Shreveport, LA

12d

About The Position

The Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) works in the Mental Health Service line as part of the Substance Use Disorder Services clinical team. The counselor independently provides advanced-level clinical psychosocial and case management services to eligible Veterans and their family members. The role includes assessing complex clinical situations and risks, identifying needs and strengths, determining treatment options, and making independent professional recommendations for intervention. The position is based in an office/clinic setting and involves coordinating specialized psychosocial services, consulting with colleagues and trainees, and supporting staff development and supervision.

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program, subject to VHA eligibility requirements and approval. Applications must be submitted within four months of appointment. The award amount may be up to $200,000, with an eligibility period of one to five years, as determined by the program office. Former EDRP participants are ineligible. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and may change based on facility needs. Telework is available; this is not a virtual position. Relocation and recruitment incentives and permanent change of station benefits are not authorized.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, except that non-citizens may be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with 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, and unrestricted license to independently practice as a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, including diagnosis and treatment, unless qualifying under the applicable grandfathering provision.
• At least one year of progressively complex LPMHC experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level.
• Five years of post-licensed experience demonstrating advanced practice skills, judgment, progressive professional competency, and expertise.
• Licensure to provide clinical supervision to trainees or unlicensed LPMHCs.
• Advanced knowledge of and mastery of theories and modalities for specialized treatment of complex mental illness.
• Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation into differential diagnosis and treatment, including psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
• Ability to determine service priorities and provide specialized treatment.
• Advanced and expert skill in specialized interventions and treatment modalities for Veterans with complex needs, including individual, group, and/or family counseling or other Veteran treatment interventions.
• Ability to coordinate specialized psychosocial services and programs.
• Ability to design system changes based on data.
• Ability to provide subject matter consultation and professional opinions to colleagues and trainees, informed by experience and expertise, while modeling effective clinical skills.
• Ability to teach, mentor staff and trainees, and supervise for licensure or specialty certifications.
• Ability to communicate in writing and orally with leadership, staff, and community stakeholders regarding professional policies, procedures, practice guidelines, and issues.
• Must complete required application materials and pre-employment requirements, including a background/security investigation and pre-employment physical evaluation.
• Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program and serve a one- or two-year trial period.

Nice To Haves

• General mental health experience.
• Substance abuse experience.

Responsibilities

• Interview Veterans and/or their family members or significant others to establish facts about the patient's situation, presenting problems, and causes.
• Interpret and explain VA treatment and benefit programs related to identified problems.
• Review subjective and objective data and make clinical assessments identifying patient needs and strengths.
• Use advanced clinical training and experience to interpret data, identify viable treatment options, and summarize findings to provide insight.
• Review individual and environmental risk factors and assess acuity of need for services.
• Evaluate patient circumstances and clinical presentation independently and, where appropriate, in collaboration with others.
• Assess risk factors and develop preliminary disposition plans that identify patient and staff responsibilities.
• Complete assessments of serious and complicated cases involving psychiatric illness, acute psychological reactions to stressors, catastrophic medical conditions, dementia, and other high-risk diagnoses.
• Make independent professional decisions and recommendations for patient and professional intervention based on accurate risk assessment.
• Coordinate delivery of specialized psychosocial services and programs.
• Provide subject matter consultation to colleagues and trainees on psychosocial treatment.
• Teach and mentor staff and trainees, and provide supervision for licensure or specialty certifications.
• Communicate with leadership, staff, and community stakeholders about policies, procedures, practice guidelines, and professional practice issues.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program student loan reimbursement, subject to eligibility and approval, with awards up to $200,000 and an eligibility period of one to five years.
• Federal employee benefits package for eligible employees and their families.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior federal or military service, subject to request and approval before appointment.

What This Job Offers

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