The Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor position is under the Mental Health and Behavioral Science Service at Delray Beach Clinic. They conduct interviews and counseling with clients and families and provides psychological assessment and treatment to clients and their families.

Duties

Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor interventions include crisis intervention, short and long-term individual therapy, and group therapy. Refers clients to other programs and professionals, as needed. Provides consultation to other team members conducting interviews, counseling, and therapy. Provides assessment to those patients who need diagnostic clarification. Additional duties include but not limited to: Completes comprehensive psychosocial assessments directed toward identification of problem areas and the development of a recovery-oriented treatment plan in collaboration with multidisciplinary treatment team. Develops an individualized patient-centered treatment plan that reflects a course of therapeutic intervention that addresses the needs identified in the assessment. The course of treatment will be reflected in progress notes completed upon each significant contact with the veteran. Utilizes measurement-based care to track therapeutic progress at selected intervals. Refers patients to the appropriate VA and community resources. Provides crisis management services when necessary. Provides a full range of therapeutic interventions including individual, group, couples, and family counseling techniques that are evidence based in the treatment of problems and demonstrate good clinical practice. Willingly accepts additional and special assignments that are necessary to meet program goals or Veteran needs. Will comply with all regulations of the Veterans Health Administration. Clinical documentation will comply with service policies. All clinical documentation required by the Medical Center will be completed in a timely and accurate manner. Assists in the design, development, and implementation of clinical activities within the MH&BS service, to include program development. Adheres to operational policies and procedures established for the MH&BS. Attend and participate in administrative and clinical staff meetings. Relationships with management, co-workers, patients, and the general public are consistently courteous, respectful, and cooperative in nature. Will display a cooperative attitude and will effectively work together to implement the Organization's mission and goals. Ensure productivity is maintained at the established level for the program for which he/she is responsible. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, with rotating tours of duty as needed. Telework: Yes - as determined by the agency policy. Remote: Remote may be authorized for highly qualified candidates upon review and approval by management. Functional Statement #: Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (Substance Abuse Program) Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational, or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. 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. 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 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 treat. Exception: VHA may waive the licensure requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure. For grade levels at or above the full performance level GS-11, the candidate must be licensed. 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). 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: See: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005/106, Part II, Appendix G43, Qualification Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor Standard. Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, GS-9 (Entry Level) Experience, Education, and Licensure. The GS-9 grade level is the entry grade level for LPMHCs with less than one year of experience (post-master's degree) or for LPMHCs at the master's or doctoral level) who are graduates not yet licensed at the independent practice level. Unlicensed LPMHCs at the GS-9 grade level have completed the required education listed above and are working toward completion of prerequisites for licensure. In addition, the candidates must demonstrate the KSAs. Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, GS-11 (Full Performance Level) Experience, Education, and Licensure. In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least one year of post-master's or post- doctoral degree mental health counseling experience (VA or non-VA experience) and must be licensed to practice at the independent practice level and demonstrate the KSAs in subparagraph (c) below. LPMHCs may provide clinical supervision over the clinical practice of an unlicensed LPMHC or LPMHC trainee. Some state licenses do not license an individual to provide clinical supervision to trainees or unlicensed LPMHCs. Please refer to specific state licensing laws regarding the requirements for providing clinical supervision. In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-9 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate all the KSAs below: 1. Ability to make professional evaluations, decisions, and recommendation for treatment planning and implementation. 2. Advanced knowledge and mastery of the fundamentals of the counseling process which includes defining patient/family problems and maintaining an effective counseling relationship. 3. Ability to provide subject matter consultation to colleagues and trainees on the counseling process within various specialty areas, build on the foundation of competence through regular meetings and discussions to explain assignments, review progress of cases and confer about the counseling perspectives and orientation. 4. Ability to provide complex crisis intervention and stabilization to patients who are in psychological distress. Requires independent judgment and skill. 5. Ability to establish goals/treatment through a collaborative process with the patient utilizing advanced counseling skills, including evidenced- based practices, screening, and psychosocial assessment. 6. Ability to use a wide variety of individual, group, or familial counseling interventions; demonstrates sensitivity to diversity and possesses multicultural counseling skills. 7. 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. 8. Ability to develop and facilitate psychotherapy and psycho- education groups that include life skills, family support, and community integration. This may include evidence-based psychotherapy. References: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005/106, Part II, Appendix G43, Qualification Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor Standard. The Full Performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. Physical Requirements: Work is mostly sedentary and may frequently involve numerous hours working at a computer workstation and on the telephone conducting interviews and providing follow-up care. Some flexibility in work hours is required including early evening/morning appointments and possible Saturday hours as clinical care expands to meet these demands.

Education

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.

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application.

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 West Palm Beach VA Medical Center 7305 North Military Trail West Palm Beach, FL 33410 US
• Name: Kathryn Miller
• Phone: 407-793-6273
• Email: [email protected]