Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor

Veterans Health Administration • Oklahoma City, OK

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Oklahoma City VA Health Care System is recruiting a Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. This multidisciplinary position is at the GS-12 level, above the full performance level. The counselor independently practices professional counseling and provides mental health services within the knowledge, theory, and training foundations of the profession. The role may be assigned to any VHA area and may include program evaluation or research activities.

The Senior LPMHC treats Veterans with complex mental health and psychosocial needs using independent judgment and a range of counseling and psychotherapy approaches. The position provides consultation to less experienced staff, clinical supervision to LPMHC staff and trainees, and may serve as the discipline’s subject matter expert. The counselor may develop behavioral health training curricula and conduct training for clinical staff, models ethical and professional conduct including multicultural awareness, and routinely collaborates with interprofessional teams and leadership to address program and patient issues.

The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Compressed or flexible scheduling is not available. Telework is available on a situational, ad hoc basis; this is not a virtual position. Relocation assistance and a recruitment incentive are not authorized.

Requirements

• Master’s or doctoral degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling, a combination of those fields, 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 post-master’s or post-doctoral mental health counseling experience.
• At least 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 ability to make professional evaluations, decisions, and recommendations for treatment planning and implementation.
• Advanced knowledge of counseling processes, including defining patient and family problems and maintaining effective counseling relationships.
• Ability to consult with colleagues and trainees about counseling processes and specialty areas, including discussing assignments and reviewing case progress.
• Ability to provide complex crisis intervention and stabilization using independent judgment and skill.
• Ability to collaboratively establish treatment goals with patients using advanced counseling skills, evidence-based practices, screening, and psychosocial assessment.
• Ability to use a wide range of individual, group, and family counseling interventions.
• Ability to use the current DSM for diagnosis and treatment-goal formulation and to apply appropriate clinical interventions within professional counseling practice.
• Ability to develop and facilitate psychotherapy and psychoeducation groups, including life-skills, family-support, and community-integration groups.
• Advanced knowledge of theories and modalities used to treat complex mental illness.
• Ability to account for multiple causes in 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 counseling, psychotherapy, psychosocial interventions, and case management.
• Ability to coordinate specialized psychosocial services and programs and design system changes based on data.
• Ability to provide subject matter consultation and professional opinions to colleagues and trainees, and to model effective clinical skills.
• Ability to teach and 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 policies, procedures, practice guidelines, and professional practice issues.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated non-citizen appointment exception.
• Must satisfy applicable background and security investigation requirements and complete onboarding requirements.
• Must participate in the VA seasonal influenza vaccination program.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period and receive written certification to continue employment after the trial period.
• Physical requirements are governed by VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Nice To Haves

• BHIP experience is preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

• Diagnose mental disorders and provide treatment to Veterans with complex needs, including multiple mental health diagnoses and psychosocial issues, using independent judgment.
• Provide individual, family, and group counseling, triage and crisis management, community-based interventions, and advanced psychotherapy as needed.
• Conduct initial intakes and biopsychosocial assessments, and develop treatment plans in accordance with Joint Commission and VA requirements and applicable service or clinic procedures.
• Practice measurement-based care using the Collect, Share, Act model.
• Consult with OKC VA Health Care System staff, referring providers, teams, and mental health staff on patient care issues.
• Participate in regularly scheduled program or clinic team meetings.
• Evaluate and determine patient dispositions to VA treatment programs, community programs, or vocational placement; consult on complex vocational problems and place clinically indicated consults.
• Complete documentation promptly in accordance with facility medical bylaws and ensure coding follows OMHSP Mental Health Coding Guidelines.
• Place return-to-clinic requests in accordance with VHA directives and scheduling guidelines.
• Obtain PMDB training as required for the workplace setting under the annual Workplace Behavioral Risk Assessment.
• Develop behavioral health training curricula and conduct training for clinical staff.
• Provide clinical consultation to less experienced staff, including coordinating crisis situations when needed.
• Provide clinical supervision to unlicensed LPMHC staff and/or LPMHC trainees.
• Serve as a subject matter expert for the counseling discipline when assigned.
• Participate in program evaluation or research activities when assigned.
• Meet routinely with interprofessional team members and leadership to communicate and resolve program and patient issues.
• Assist with other activities as assigned by OKC VA Health Care System management.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package for employees and their families.
• Potential credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work or military service, subject to request and approval before appointment and not guaranteed.

What This Job Offers

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