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

Veterans Health Administration • White City, OR

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor provides Primary Care Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) services to Veterans in a primary care setting. The role delivers diagnostic and evaluation services, including evaluation of emotional and behavioral concerns and suicide assessment, along with brief, evidence-based psychological interventions suited to primary care. The counselor develops, implements, and documents treatment plans for an assigned caseload, completes clinical reminders promptly, and supports patient and family education. The role also consults with primary care providers to support clinical decisions and strengthen provider-patient working relationships, with an emphasis on enabling Veterans to receive appropriate care through their primary care provider when clinically suitable.

The position includes clinical supervision of trainees, unlicensed staff, and/or students, as well as administrative duties such as scheduling, responding to Veteran calls and secure messages, writing reports, and attending organizational meetings. The counselor completes VA National PCMHI Competency Training and maintains competency and fidelity to the PCMHI model through ongoing review of relevant data and metrics. The position supports training program development and improvement, assists the PCMHI Coordinator with clinical program design and implementation, contributes to program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement, coordinates services with other health care programs, and complies with national and local performance measures.

The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Ad-hoc telework may be available at the supervisor’s discretion; this is not a virtual position. Full-time service at a Grants Pass or K-Falls Community-Based Outpatient Clinic may be requested. The position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program, subject to program requirements and approval. Relocation and recruitment incentives and permanent change of station are not authorized.

Requirements

• Master's or doctoral degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling, a combined program, or a related field from a CACREP-accredited program.
• Full, current, unrestricted licensure 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, judgment, progressive professional competency, and expertise.
• Licensed to provide clinical supervision to trainees or unlicensed LPMHCs.
• Demonstrated advanced knowledge of theories and modalities for specialized treatment of complex mental illness, including differential diagnosis, treatment planning, and prioritization of services.
• Demonstrated advanced skills in specialized interventions and treatment modalities for Veterans with complex needs, including counseling or psychotherapy and psychosocial or case-management interventions.
• Ability to coordinate specialized psychosocial services and programs and design system changes based on data.
• Ability to provide subject-matter consultation to colleagues and trainees on psychosocial treatment and render professional opinions based on experience and expertise.
• Ability to teach, mentor staff and trainees, and provide supervision for licensure or specialty certifications.
• Ability to communicate orally and in writing with leadership, staff, and community stakeholders about professional policies, procedures, practice guidelines, and issues.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• U.S. citizenship, except that non-citizens may be appointed when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Meet applicable background and security requirements, onboarding requirements, influenza vaccination requirements, and application-document requirements.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period, as required.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working in a primary care setting or prior experience addressing same-day mental health needs or crisis management.

Responsibilities

• Provide diagnostic and evaluation services appropriate to primary care, including evaluation of emotional and behavioral problems and suicide assessment.
• Provide psychological interventions consistent with training and expertise, emphasizing brief, evidence-based approaches effective in primary care.
• Develop, implement, and document treatment plans for an assigned caseload, including prompt completion of clinical reminders.
• Facilitate patient and family education appropriate to primary care and presenting mental or behavioral health concerns.
• Consult with primary care providers to support decision-making, build on provider interventions, and improve provider-patient working relationships.
• Provide interventions that support Veterans remaining with their primary care provider for health care when clinically appropriate.
• Supervise trainees conducting direct clinical care and provide primary clinical supervision to unlicensed staff and/or students; provide other supervision as directed by the Training Director.
• Perform administrative duties, including scheduling Veterans, returning calls and secure messages, writing reports, and attending organizational meetings.
• Complete VA National PCMHI Competency Training and maintain competency and fidelity to the PCMHI model through ongoing review of relevant data and metrics.
• Participate in development and ongoing improvement of training programs and relevant training meetings.
• Assist the PCMHI Coordinator in designing, developing, and implementing clinical programs for a treatment-provider team.
• Assist with program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement projects to monitor clinical program effectiveness.
• Coordinate services through liaison with other health care programs.
• Comply with national and local performance measures, including timely health care screening and completion of clinical reminders.
• May provide full-time service at a Grants Pass or K-Falls Community-Based Outpatient Clinic.

Benefits

• Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), subject to eligibility, application, and program approval; award amounts may be up to $200,000.
• Federal employee benefits package; specific benefit eligibility depends on position type and agency policies.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual for prior work or military service, subject to request and approval.

What This Job Offers

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