Job opening: Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor-(HCHV ELIGIBILITY SPECIALIST)
Salary: $68 781 - 108 180 per year
Published at: Sep 06 2023
Employment Type: Full-time
This position is located in the Homeless Program, Social Work Service, in Eugene. Position is located in Eugene Downtown Clinic (EDC) but may also be onsite at Eugene Health Care Center (HCC). The incumbent will identify and engage homeless Veterans and provide them with direct services independently and/or develop and connect homeless Veterans to the services and resources that will enable them to secure safe, affordable, quality permanent housing.
Duties
Delivery of these services requires knowledge, skills and experience in resource identification and access with VA medical, mental health, substance abuse, and other specialty clinical providers, as well as community collaboration; understanding of HUD regulations, interpretation and repair strategies to successfully overcome housing acceptance barriers including negative housing histories, bad credit and criminal records, and the preparation of appeal presentations. The direct services are delivered within a creative provider-consumer partnership that emphasizes a trauma/recovery model, promoting personal mastery.
FUNCTIONS OR SCOPE OF ASSIGNED DUTIES:
The LPMHC independently performs outreach and facilitates eligibility determination by securing military discharge papers when necessary and facilitating enrollment for care with VA eligibility staff and determining HCHV eligibility in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 2002(1) and The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, as amended by S. 896 The Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act of 2009.
The LPMHC independently conducts psychosocial assessments and develops treatment plans in collaboration with the Veteran/family and with the interdisciplinary treatment team. The social worker possesses the knowledge and skills to independently implement treatment modalities and provide counseling or psychotherapy for individuals, families and groups. The social worker possesses the skills to perform psychosocial interventions and measure outcome results.
The LPMHC is proficient in coordinating community-based services, including information and referral for additional services from other VA programs, other government programs and community agency programs. The social worker independently identifies high risk patients and provides case management services. The social worker provides crisis intervention services, seeking to address the cause as well as presenting complaint, engaging family and other support systems as appropriate. The social worker has functional knowledge and experience in the use of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities and treatment procedures, including acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses and /injuries, common medications and their effects, side effects, and medical terminology.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 0800-1630
Telework: Available, Per Manager's approval
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
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.
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.
May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).
Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.
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 in paragraph 3.b., and are working toward completion of prerequisites for licensure. In addition, the candidates must demonstrate the KSAs in subparagraph (c) below.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the basic requirements, the candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:
1. Ability to engage in intake and assessment, problem identification, diagnosis, treatment planning and implementation, continuum of care, evaluation and follow-up.
2. Knowledge of current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders in formulation of treatment goals and application of appropriate clinical interventions using professional counseling practices.
3. Basic knowledge of professional counseling practice with emphasis on human development principles through cognitive, affective, behavioral or systemic interventions, and strategies that address high risk behaviors, wellness, personal growth, and career development across the life span.
4. Ability to use a wide variety of individual, group, or family counseling interventions; demonstrates sensitivity to diversity and possesses multicultural counseling skills.
5. Ability to serve on an interdisciplinary team with focus on the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and relational functioning of individuals, groups and families and on the counseling approaches, strategies, and techniques that will best help patients function effectively.
6. Basic skill in the use of computer software applications for drafting documents, data management, maintaining accurate, timely and thorough clinical documentation and delivery of services, such as Telehealth.
7. Ability to learn and utilize software programs in use by VHA.
8. Knowledge and understanding of existing relevant statutes, case laws, ethical codes, and regulations affecting professional practice of counseling.
9. Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds.
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.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-9 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate all of 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.
Preferred Experience: Must possess valid driver's license and qualify to drive a government vehicle. This position requires either Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) or Licensed Clinical Social Worker certification per the GS 09-11 standards.
References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/106 PART II APPENDIX G43
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to GS-11.
Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
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 Roseburg VA Medical Center
913 Northwest Garden Valley Boulevard
Roseburg, OR 97471
US
- Name: Caleb Stone
- Phone: 208-422-1315
- Email: [email protected]
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