Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• Education 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)
• Examples of related mental health counseling fields include, but are not limited to Addiction Counseling
• Community Counseling
• Gerontology Counseling
• Marital, Couple, and Family Counseling
• CACREP defines the date when graduates are considered to have graduated from a CACREP accredited program
• Additional information may be obtained from http://www.cacrep.org/directory/
• NOTE: 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
• Licensure: Persons hired or reassigned to LPMHC positions in the GS-0183 series in VHA must hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to independently practice as a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, which includes diagnosis and treatment
• NOTE: It is VHA policy that a LPMHC who does not yet have a license that allows independent practice must be supervised by a licensed independent practitioner of the same discipline who is a VA staff member and who has access to the electronic health record
• English Language Proficiency" LPMHCs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3.j
• Grade Determinations: Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, GS-12 Experience, Education, and Licensure: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level
• Experience must have been in a major specialty treatment program area such as, but not limited to, Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), mental health intensive case management (MHICM), or other areas of equivalent scope and complexity
• Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-11 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: 1
• In depth knowledge of the program coordinated, and demonstrated knowledge and ability to write policies procedures and or practice guidelines for the program
• 2
• Ability to make key decisions in the hiring and identification of top candidates
• 3
• Ability to provide leadership in facilitating the process of coordinating program consults, assessments, admissions, care assignments and discharges
• 4
• Ability to provide subject matter consultation to other colleagues and trainees within the field of counseling working on an interdisciplinary team
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12
• Physical Requirements: The social work duties include sedentary and ambulation (walking) throughout the medical center and in the community according to the demands of daily tasks
• Light carrying, less than 15 pounds-may be required as part of duties related to storing or moving files
• Working around moving objects or vehicles is required as part of daily ambulating within the medical center around patients who use motorized scooters and wheelchairs
• Working along duties requires working along at intervals during the day (i.e., documenting progress notes, completing phone calls, etc.)
• Reaching above the shoulder- may be required during daily tasks to access files located in overhead cabinets
• Walking- required approximately 3-4 hours daily associated with walking from assigned office to outpatient clinics and other medical center departments as needed to complete duties of the position
• Standing required approximately 3-4 hours daily associated with walking from assigned office to outpatient clinics and other departments within the medical center as needed to complete duties of the position and filing patient records as needed
• It is required that this individual be able to operate a motor vehicle as this position and it is expected that the incumbent transport patients off-site as part of their duties
• Work will take place in- and outdoors thus exposing them to the natural elements of the weather
• The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders
• The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs
• May be exposed to infected patients and/or contaminated materials and will be required to take appropriate safety and protective measures.