Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor

Veterans Health Administration • Monroe, LA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor provides mental health services and care coordination to Veterans and their families, working collaboratively with an assigned Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) team. The position emphasizes care coordination as its primary function, including needs assessment, chart reviews, case management as needed, discharge planning, and outreach. The counselor uses advanced clinical skills and specialized interventions to support Veterans with complex needs, promote recovery, and ensure continuity of care.

The counselor independently assesses Veterans, develops and implements measurable treatment plans, monitors clinical outcomes and treatment adherence, and supports Veterans through discharge from care when goals are achieved. The role includes crisis assessment and safety planning, education for Veterans, families, and staff, consultation with colleagues, and coordination with internal and external resources. The position is based in an office/clinic setting. The schedule is 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, subject to facility needs. Telework is available; this is not a virtual position. Relocation and recruitment incentives and permanent change of station are not authorized. The position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program, subject to eligibility, application, and program approval; awards may be up to $200,000 for one to five years.

Requirements

• Master’s or doctoral degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling, a combined field, 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, unless qualifying under the applicable grandfathering provision.
• At least one year of progressively complex LPMHC experience equivalent to GS-11.
• 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.
• Advanced knowledge of theories and modalities used to treat complex mental illness.
• Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment, including making 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.
• 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, and model effective clinical skills.
• Ability to teach, mentor, and supervise staff and trainees for licensure or specialty certifications.
• Ability to communicate in writing and orally with leadership, staff, and community stakeholders about policies, procedures, practice guidelines, and professional issues.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception under VA policy for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Must pass a pre-employment physical evaluation and background/security investigation; males born after December 31, 1959, must meet Selective Service registration requirements.
• Must participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program and complete application and onboarding requirements.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period.

Nice To Haves

• Experience or skill in patient engagement, crisis response, interdisciplinary collaboration, recovery-oriented practice, and adaptability.
• Data-informed clinical decision-making skills.
• Knowledge of community and VA resources.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the assigned BHIP team through interdisciplinary consultation to meet Veteran needs and support optimal clinical care.
• Coordinate care, including care management and case management as needed, for Veterans and families throughout the continuum of care.
• Communicate across care lines to facilitate continuity of care and provide additional support between visits.
• Provide specialized interventions and treatment modalities for Veterans with complex needs, including individual, group, and/or family counseling or psychotherapy, psychosocial interventions, and case management.
• Provide services within accepted standards of practice, prioritizing care coordination activities such as needs assessment, chart reviews, case management, discharge planning, and outreach.
• Complete care coordination needs assessments and recovery biopsychosocial assessments to determine needs, preferences, and a generalized care plan.
• Discuss measurement-based care and SMART goals with Veterans and administer applicable tools.
• Independently formulate and implement treatment plans with measurable, achievable goals that address Veterans’ needs, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and psychosocial acuity.
• Discharge Veterans from care when identified goals are achieved, integrating internal and external support resources.
• Monitor treatment adherence, medication side effects, and clinical outcomes.
• Assess at-risk Veterans in crisis, identify immediate needs, evaluate risk, and initiate safety plans as appropriate.
• Educate Veterans and staff about the BHIP model and related initiatives, including MBC, MHTC, and FLOW.
• Participate in treatment and discharge planning with Veterans and the BHIP team.
• Educate Veterans and family members about mental health care, treatment plans, self-management resources, and psychoeducation to support adherence and relapse prevention.
• Advocate for Veterans as needed to help ensure comprehensive, seamless mental health services.
• Link Veterans with services, resources, and opportunities to maximize recovery, independence, health, and well-being.
• Provide professional advice and consultation related to clinical mental and behavioral health.
• Coordinate specialized psychosocial services and programs; provide subject-matter consultation to colleagues and trainees.
• Teach and mentor staff and trainees and provide supervision for licensure or specialty certifications.
• Engage in written and oral communication with leadership, staff, and community stakeholders about professional policies, procedures, practice guidelines, and issues.

Benefits

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

What This Job Offers

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