Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor

Veterans Health Administration • Augusta, GA

5d

About The Position

This position is within the Substance Use Recovery Center (SURC) of the VA Augusta Health Care System Mental Health Service. The Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor practices independently at the advanced licensure level, providing professional counseling, diagnostic evaluations, treatment planning, and recovery-oriented interventions to Veterans with substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions.

The counselor provides specialized, evidence-based treatment and assesses complex clinical and psychosocial factors that affect recovery. The role also includes coordinating VA and community resources, advising interdisciplinary colleagues, contributing to program development and service evaluation, mentoring and training staff and trainees, and maintaining complete clinical documentation in accordance with VA and clinic standards.

The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and is subject to change based on agency needs. The position requires a master's or doctoral degree in a qualifying counseling field and a full, current, unrestricted license for independent practice as an LPMHC. Senior-level qualifications include at least one year of progressively complex LPMHC experience equivalent to GS-11, five years of post-licensed experience, and licensure to provide clinical supervision to trainees or unlicensed LPMHCs.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship; non-citizens may be appointed only when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Master's or doctoral degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling, a combined Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling program, or a related field from a CACREP-accredited program.
• Full, current, unrestricted license to independently practice as a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, including diagnosis and treatment.
• 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 and judgment, progressive professional competency, and expertise.
• Licensed to provide clinical supervision to trainees or unlicensed LPMHCs.
• Demonstrate advanced knowledge of theories and modalities for specialized treatment of complex mental illness and ability to incorporate multiple causes into differential diagnosis and treatment.
• Demonstrate ability to make psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice, prioritize services, and provide specialized treatment.
• Demonstrate expert skill in specialized interventions and modalities for Veterans with complex needs, including individual, group, or family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced psychosocial or case-management interventions.
• Demonstrate ability to coordinate specialized psychosocial services and programs and design system changes based on data.
• Demonstrate ability to provide subject-matter consultation to colleagues and trainees and render professional opinions based on experience and expertise.
• Demonstrate ability to teach, mentor staff and trainees, and provide supervision for licensure or specialty certifications.
• Demonstrate ability to communicate in writing and orally with leadership, staff, and community stakeholders about policies, procedures, practice guidelines, and professional practice issues.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• Must pass a pre-employment physical evaluation and required background/security investigation.
• Must participate in the Department of Veterans Affairs seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Must complete required application and onboarding processes and provide acceptable identification for pre-employment requirements.
• Must serve a two-year trial period, subject to evaluation and written certification for continued employment.
• Only education recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited institutions may be used to qualify; foreign education requires a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency and transcript.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must register with Selective Service.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in substance use treatment.
• Experience working on interdisciplinary teams.
• Experience with brief evidence-based interventions.
• Experience conducting brief or focused assessments.
• Current VHA employees in this occupation who meet the criteria may qualify under the VA Qualification Standard's Grandfathering Provision.

Responsibilities

• Independently provide specialized counseling to Veterans with substance use disorders, co-occurring mental health diagnoses, and complex psychosocial needs.
• Deliver recovery-focused interventions to increase motivation, strengthen coping skills, reduce substance use, prevent relapse, and support long-term recovery.
• Assess withdrawal and overdose risks, trauma exposure, psychosocial instability, legal issues, and other factors affecting recovery.
• Conduct detailed biopsychosocial assessments, including substance use history, treatment experiences, strengths, barriers, and readiness for change.
• Develop diagnostic impressions within professional scope, accounting for co-occurring mental health and substance use considerations.
• Evaluate psychological, social, medical, and environmental causes to determine individualized treatment needs.
• Create individualized treatment plans that include recovery goals, relapse-prevention strategies, risk mitigation, counseling modalities, and interdisciplinary coordination.
• Determine appropriate VA and community resources, including detoxification, residential substance use treatment, psychosocial rehabilitation, medication-assisted treatment support, peer services, and sober-living environments.
• Consult with interdisciplinary team members, community partners, and clinical providers about assessment findings and care strategies.
• Provide individual, group, and family counseling using evidence-based substance use treatment modalities, including motivational interviewing, CBT-SUD, harm-reduction approaches, contingency management where appropriate, and relapse-prevention curricula.
• Facilitate structured substance use groups, psychoeducation classes, early recovery skills groups, and therapeutic workshops.
• Support Veterans and families in examining concerns and consequences of substance use, considering alternatives, and developing recovery plans.
• Coordinate referrals to VA and community resources such as halfway houses, shelters, residential treatment facilities, and vocational or educational programs.
• Participate in SURC program development, treatment-effectiveness evaluation, clinical guideline creation, and service-delivery improvement.
• Use outcome measures, practice-based evidence, peer review, and case conferences to evaluate and improve clinical practice.
• Adjust treatment plans in response to ongoing assessment, clinical results, and changing Veteran needs.
• Educate Veterans and family members or significant others about substance use, mental health conditions, relapse prevention, coping skills, and recovery planning.
• Orient and train new LPMHCs, Social Workers, and interdisciplinary team members.
• Mentor less-experienced counselors and provide clinical support to trainees, interns, and students.
• Educate interdisciplinary staff about psychosocial dynamics, the effects of substance use, recovery principles, and counseling approaches.
• Independently document assessments, diagnostics, treatment plans, process notes, safety plans, consultations, referrals, and follow-up care in electronic and paper formats according to VA and clinic standards.
• Ensure documentation reflects expert diagnosis, ethical counseling practices, and clear justification for treatment decisions.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package available to the employee and family, subject to position type and eligibility.
• Selected applicants may qualify for approved annual-leave accrual credit based on prior federal work or military service experience.

What This Job Offers

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