Counselor Jobs

About The Position

Requirements

• 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, subject to applicable qualification provisions.
• Full, current, and 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.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• Ability to make professional evaluations, decisions, and treatment-planning and implementation recommendations.
• Advanced knowledge of the counseling process, including defining patient and family problems and maintaining an effective counseling relationship.
• Ability to provide consultation to colleagues and trainees on counseling processes and specialty areas.
• Ability to provide complex crisis intervention and stabilization using independent judgment and skill.
• Ability to establish treatment goals collaboratively with patients using advanced counseling skills, evidence-based practices, screening, and psychosocial assessment.
• Ability to use a wide variety of individual, group, and family counseling interventions.
• Ability to use the current DSM to make diagnoses, formulate treatment goals, and apply appropriate clinical interventions.
• Ability to develop and facilitate psychotherapy and psychoeducation groups.
• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception under VA policy.
• Must meet applicable background and security investigation requirements and complete the required onboarding and application documentation.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA Health Care Personnel.
• Must serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to written certification for continued employment.
• Traditional Rehabilitation Counseling programs do not satisfy the stated education requirement for this position.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate patients and diagnose mental disorders, including complex or unusually difficult cases involving psychiatric and medical problems.
• Educate patients, family members, and significant others.
• Provide evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions, including individual, family, and group psychotherapy.
• Develop, implement, and document psychotherapeutic treatment plans for Veterans receiving CBOC Mental Health Service care.
• Provide case management and support to Veterans with psychiatric and psychological problems.
• Work collaboratively with an interdisciplinary treatment team to provide services to Veterans.
• Provide complex crisis intervention and stabilization to patients in psychological distress.
• Establish treatment goals collaboratively with patients using screening, psychosocial assessment, and evidence-based practices.
• Use individual, group, and family counseling interventions and apply the current DSM to diagnosis, treatment goals, and clinical interventions.
• Develop and facilitate psychotherapy and psychoeducation groups, potentially covering life skills, family support, and community integration.
• Provide subject-matter consultation to colleagues and trainees on counseling processes within specialty areas.
• May participate in program evaluation or research activities.
• May provide clinical supervision to an unlicensed LPMHC or LPMHC trainee when permitted by state licensing requirements.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package is available to the employee and family, subject to position and eligibility rules.
• Selected applicants may request consideration of prior federal or military service for annual leave accrual credit; approval is not guaranteed.