Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (BHIP)

Veterans Health Administration • West Palm Beach, FL

8d • Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor is assigned to the Mental Health Service and is responsible for planning, developing, and implementing counseling activities in the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP), including clinical care and case management services, as needed. The incumbent will independently provide a full range of clinical services including diagnosis, screening, assessment, treatment planning, psychotherapy (individual and group) and case management services to a variety of client populations including Veterans with trauma-related symptoms, substance abuse/ dependence histories, severe mental illness, cognitive impairment, homelessness, and legal difficulties. They will manage an individual caseload, provide individual and group therapy, and support program development for BHIP. The role also involves providing clinical coverage for BHIP clinicians when needed, performing as a member of an interdisciplinary team, and offering evidence-based clinical interventions while measuring outcomes. The counselor must possess working knowledge of mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures, including acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses, and have a thorough knowledge of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V-TR). They will develop, implement, and document psychotherapeutic treatment plans, perform mental status examinations and risk evaluations, and serve as a liaison between veterans, their families, the VA, and community resources. Ongoing assessments and treatment plan updates are required, along with facilitating discharge planning. Consultation services to other staff regarding psychosocial needs and the impact of psychosocial problems on healthcare are also part of the role. The Senior LPMHC will act as a subject matter expert to colleagues, provide cross coverage when needed, and comply with CPRS documentation procedures and timeliness standards. Maintaining ongoing communication with team members, supervisors, and the Mental Health Clinic Program Manager, as well as maintaining productivity and quality consistent with standards, are essential. Attendance and participation in administrative and informational meetings are also required.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Must pass a background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements.
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement.
• Must hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to independently practice as a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, which includes diagnosis and treatment.
• Hold a master's or doctoral degree in: Clinical Mental Health Counseling; Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling; Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling; or a related field, from a program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
• At least one year of progressively complex LPMHC experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level.
• Five years of post-licensed experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressive professional competency and expertise.
• Licensed to provide clinical supervision to trainees or unlicensed LPMHCs.
• Ability to make professional evaluations, decisions, and recommendations for treatment planning and implementation.
• Advanced knowledge and mastery of the fundamentals of the counseling process.
• Ability to provide subject matter consultation to colleagues and trainees on the counseling process.
• Ability to provide complex crisis intervention and stabilization to patients who are in psychological distress.
• Ability to establish goals/treatment through a collaborative process with the patient utilizing advanced counseling skills, including evidenced-based practices, screening, and psychosocial assessment.
• Ability to use a wide variety of individual, group, or family counseling interventions.
• Ability to fully utilize the current DSM in making diagnoses and formulation of treatment goals and application of appropriate clinical intervention using professional counseling practices.
• Ability to develop and facilitate psychotherapy and psycho-education groups.
• Advanced knowledge of and mastery of theories and modalities used in the specialized treatment of complex mental illness.
• Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of veteran patients, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
• Ability to determine priority of services needed and provide specialized treatment.
• Advanced and expert skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities for Veterans with complex needs.
• Ability to coordinate the delivery of specialized psychosocial services and programs.
• Ability to design system changes based on data.
• Ability to teach, mentor staff and trainees, and provide supervision for licensure or for specialty certifications.
• Ability to engage in written and oral communication with leadership/staff and community stakeholders regarding policies, procedures, practice guidelines, and issues pertaining to the practice of the profession.

Nice To Haves

• Traditional Rehabilitation counseling programs that are accredited by CACREP do not meet the LPMHC qualification standards as Traditional Rehabilitation counseling differs from Clinical Rehabilitation counseling.

Responsibilities

• Plan, develop, and implement counseling activities in the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP).
• Provide clinical care and case management services.
• Independently provide a full range of clinical services including diagnosis, screening, assessment, treatment planning, psychotherapy (individual and group) and case management services.
• Manage an individual caseload of clients.
• Provide individual and group therapy.
• Support program development for BHIP.
• Provide clinical coverage for BHIP clinicians when needed.
• Perform as a member of an interdisciplinary team and work collaboratively to develop a treatment plan.
• Offer evidence-based clinical interventions and measure outcomes.
• Develop, implement, and document the psychotherapeutic treatment plan for an assigned caseload of patients.
• Independently perform mental status examinations and risk id evaluations including suicide and homicide risk evaluations.
• Serve as a liaison between veterans and/or their families, the VA and community resources.
• Conduct ongoing assessments and update treatment plans as clinically indicated.
• Facilitate discharge planning through collaboration with the BHIP team, veterans and/or their families, VA partners, and community partners.
• Provide consultation services to other staff regarding the psychosocial needs of veterans and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and adherence to the treatment plan.
• Serve as a subject matter expert to colleagues on the BHIP Team, providing professional opinions and support for psychosocial treatment when consulted.
• Consult with and/or refer to other disciplines for treatment outside purview and expertise.
• Complete assessments, have clinical understanding of complex diverse populations, and work independently with little oversight and supervision.
• Provide cross coverage when needed across the Mental Health & Behavioral Science (MH&BS) as well as other collaborative duties as assigned.
• Comply with CPRS documentation procedures, including timeliness standards for documentation.
• Maintain ongoing communication with BHIP treatment team members, supervisor, and Mental Health Clinic Program Manager.
• Maintain a level of productivity and quality consistent with the complexity of the assignment and consistent with Mental Health Counseling standards, Joint Commission standards, and facility standards.
• Attend and participate in administrative and informational meetings.

Benefits

• A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package.
• As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.
• Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.

What This Job Offers

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