Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor-Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI)

Veterans Health Administration • Palm Bay, FL

17h • Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor works in Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) at the VA Orlando Healthcare System. The role provides evidence-based mental health care for primary care patients experiencing emotional and psychiatric concerns, including depression, anxiety disorders, and alcohol misuse. The counselor works as part of an interdisciplinary team integrated within Primary Care and supports coordinated mental health services and collaborative care.

The position includes diagnostic and evaluation services, brief evidence-based interventions, patient and family education, and consultation to primary care providers. The Senior Counselor helps implement the integrated care model, supports primary care provider decision-making, provides clinical supervision and training, contributes to program monitoring and outcome evaluation, and maintains current knowledge of PCMHI developments. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telework is occasional and situational; this is not a virtual position.

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to program requirements and approval. The potential award is up to $200,000, with an eligibility period of one to five years.

Requirements

• Be a U.S. citizen, except where appointment of a non-citizen is permitted under VA policy when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Be proficient in spoken and written English.
• Hold a 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.
• Hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to independently practice as a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, including diagnosis and treatment.
• Have at least five years of post-licensed experience, including at least one year equivalent to the GS-11 grade level.
• Be licensed to provide clinical supervision to trainees or unlicensed LPMHCs.
• Demonstrate the required GS-11 and GS-12 knowledge, skills, and abilities, including advanced assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, counseling interventions, crisis intervention, specialized treatment, care coordination, consultation, teaching, mentoring, supervision, communication, and data-informed system improvement.
• Meet VA pre-employment requirements, including applicable drug screening, background/security investigation, onboarding, physical examination, and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements.
• Meet Selective Service registration requirements, if applicable.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period if appointed.

Nice To Haves

• Experience delivering integrated behavioral health services in primary care settings, working effectively on an interdisciplinary care team, and contributing to collaborative treatment planning and coordinated patient care.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the senior counselor on an interdisciplinary team integrated within Primary Care, emphasizing coordinated mental health services.
• Conduct diagnostic and evaluation services appropriate for primary care, including assessment of emotional, behavioral, and cognitive concerns.
• Deliver psychological interventions within the counselor’s training and best practices, emphasizing brief, evidence-based treatments effective in primary care.
• Provide patient and family education tailored to primary care needs and specific mental or behavioral health concerns.
• Consult with primary care providers to help reduce health-risk behaviors and promote preventive care.
• Support primary care provider decision-making, reinforce provider-patient relationships, and enhance treatment effectiveness.
• Lead implementation of the integrated care and collaborative practice model, keeping patients with their primary care provider for comprehensive care when clinically appropriate.
• Provide clinical supervision to LPMHC staff and/or trainees.
• Develop behavioral health training curriculum as requested and conduct training for clinical staff.
• Support team building as needed.
• Contribute to program monitoring and outcome evaluation to improve population health outcomes across general and disease-specific primary care groups.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of developments in PCMHI.

Benefits

• Eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program, with a potential award of up to $200,000 for an eligibility period of one to five years, subject to eligibility and program approval.
• Federal employee benefits package available, with benefits eligibility depending on position type.

What This Job Offers

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