This position will be part of the Mental Health Service at the Chillicothe VA Medical Center and will play a non-supervisory lead role in the context of the Mental Health Clinic's Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) Team in the provision of specialty outpatient care to Veterans. The position requires working with Veterans from all eras diagnosed with mental illnesses.

Duties

Duties and responsibilities include but not limited to: CLINICAL FUNCTIONS (70%) Independently conducts psychosocial assessments. Develops treatment plans in collaboration with the Veteran/family and with the interdisciplinary treatment team. Possesses the skills to offer psychosocial interventions and measures outcomes to interventions. Able to coordinate community-based services, including information and referral for additional services from other VA programs, other government programs and community agency programs. Participates in scheduling, triaging, and monitoring the flow of patients in the MHC and assisting with admissions of MHC patients to inpatient psychiatry unit when indicated. Recognizes emergency situations, summons appropriate help and responds appropriately including provision of case management services, liaison to family members and crisis intervention services. Has working knowledge and experience in use of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities and treatment procedures. This includes acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses/injuries, common medications and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology. General duties include, but are not limited to the following: assessment and referral services; design and preparation of diagnostic assessments; providing entry-level services for Veterans of all service eras; formulating and providing individual and group treatments; preparing initial and updated treatment plans; crisis management; case management; and planning for follow-up care after completion of treatment. The incumbent provides ethical individual, group and family mental health services to eligible combat and non-combat Veterans experiencing mental health symptoms. Adheres to Trauma Informed Care principles assuming the existence of a trauma history along with resilience. Participates in Measurement Based Care. May participate in Tele-mental-health or similar activities in order to provide service for Veterans who are located a prohibitive distance from VA facilities. For all clinical duties, the incumbent works in the Outpatient Division of the Mental Health Careline (MHCL). They participate in interdisciplinary team meetings for Veterans enrolled in Outpatient Mental Health Services. They interface with other departments and provide consultation services to medical center and CBOC staff on a wide variety of patient care issues, particularly related to identifying mental health concerns and social determinant needs of Veterans from all eras of service. The incumbent conducts evidence-based diagnostic assessment, and/or provides one or more evidence-based psychotherapies. Participation in any mental health training recognized with broad support by a reputable governing board or body of mental health practitioners as efficacious would meet this standard. Gaining certification or specialization in one or more evidence-based therapies is highly encouraged within the first year. Special circumstances will be taken into account. Proper credentialing and licensure will assure the incumbent will operate independently in all areas. ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS (30%) The BHIP team lead Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor has the following administrative responsibilities: a. Coordinates same day access for Veterans established within the BHIP Team. b. Works with the BHIP Team in the accomplishment of routine Team and unit activities. c. Conducts BHIP team huddles/ meetings d. Actively participates in the team panel management and identifies stable patients to be referred back (discharge) to the PACT teams. e. Reviews DSS reports frequently as needed to identify patients needing biopsychosocial assessments/assessment updates, treatment plans and treatment plan updates. f. Collaborates with the team RN or LPN in keeping track of secure messaging from Veterans. g. Completes customer services tasks such as patient advocate entries and other formal and informal complaints. h. Functions as a case manager for Veterans in the BHIP team with multiple missed opportunities, including "no-shows", to determine the best method to manage the patients' patterns of repetitive cancellations and no-shows .i. Conducts chart audits/reviews at required intervals to monitor fidelity to BHIP model of care and optimum panel management .j. Assumes responsibility and accountability as delegated in the BHIP Team and the MHC, under the direct or indirect supervision of the Clinic Coordinator. Other duties as assigned. Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 92129-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENTS. a. Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.g.). b. 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. c. Licensure. Persons hired or reassigned to LPMHC positions in the GS-0101 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. (1) Exception. VHA may waive the licensure requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure. This exception only applies up to the full performance level. For grade levels at or above the full performance level, the candidate must be licensed. (2) The appointing official may waive the requirement of licensure for a period not to exceed 3 years for a LPMHC that provides care under the clinical supervision of a licensed LPMHC who is at or above the full performance level. This exception only applies at the entry level (GS-9). For grade levels at or above the full performance level, the candidate must be licensed. The Human Resources Office will provide the unlicensed LPMHC in writing the requirement to obtain licensure, the date by which the license must be acquired, and the consequences for not becoming licensed by the deadline. The written notice must be provided prior to the entrance on duty date. (3) Failure to Obtain License. In all cases, LPMHCs must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure starting from the date of their appointment. Failure to become licensed within three years from date of appointment will result in removal from the GS-0101 LPMHC series and may result in termination of employment. (4) Loss of Licensure. Once licensed, LPMHCs must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted license to independently practice mental health counseling, which includes diagnosis and treatment. Loss of licensure will result in removal from the GS-0101 LPMHC occupation and may result in termination of employment. d. Grandfather Provision. All persons employed in VHA in as LPMHC on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held, including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: (1) Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance level, or demoted within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the full performance level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. (2) Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels. (3) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. (4) If an employee who was retained (grandfathered) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. (5) Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS The work is sometimes sedentary. Typically, the employee will sit to perform administrative work. However, other position duties include physical requirements which include but not limited to, long periods of walking; standing; bending; crouching, reaching and lifting of a variety of moderately heavy items, carrying of light items such as papers, books, small parts; or driving an automobile, etc. No special physical demands are required to perform the work. English Language Proficiency. LPMHCs must be proficient in spoken andwritten English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3.j. GRADE REQUIREMENTS. 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 LPMHC experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Senior LPMHCs must have five years of post-licensed experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressive professional competency and expertise and be licensed to provide clinical supervision to trainees or unlicensed LPMHCs. Assignments. Senior LPMHCs provide treatment to patients with complex needs including multiple mental health diagnoses, and numerous psychosocial issues, using independent judgment. Senior LPMHCs will provide clinical supervision to LPMHC staff and/or LPMHC trainees, and may serve as the subject matter expert for the discipline. Senior LPMHCs develop behavioral health related training curriculum and often conduct trainings for clinical staff. 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. Advanced knowledge of and mastery of theories and modalities used in the specialized treatment of complex mental illness. 2. Advanced and expert skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities for Veterans with complex needs. 3. Ability to coordinate the delivery of specialized psychosocial services and programs. Ability to design system changes based on data. 4. Ability to provide subject matter consultation to colleagues and trainees on the psychosocial treatment of patients, rendering professional opinions based on experience, expertise and role modeling effective clinical skills. 5. Ability to teach, mentor staff and trainees, and provide supervision for licensure or for specialty certifications. 6. 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.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Chillicothe VA Medical Center 17273 State Route 104 Chillicothe, OH 45601 US
• Name: Nicole Huyghe
• Phone: 989-392-9239
• Email: [email protected]