West Palm Beach is looking for Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor who will be working with Suicide Prevention within Mental Health Services. They are committed to implement the Mental Health Stepped Care Model at our main facility and support provided to the Community Based Outpatient Clinics. In addition to providing direct patient care.

Duties

The principal role of the PCMHI/Suicide Prevention LMHC is to assist in the identification of veterans designated as high risk for suicide and provide services for Veterans in our CBOC catchment area. Additional Duties include but not limited to: The PCMHI/Suicide Prevention LMHC will act as the transitional coordinator of care for new patients assigned to any of our Community Based Outpatient Clinic patients during acute phases of suicidality. Provides crisis management services when necessary. PCMHI/Suicide Prevention LMHC will also complete outreach to patients in our rural areas and engage them into treatment. Completes Measurement-Based Care using (BHL) with identified Veterans. BHL a software that incorporates standardized algorithms to guide treatment recommendations and support evidence-based decision making and coordination of care. Completes structured diagnostic and clinical assessments for participants. This requires knowledge of medical terminology, diagnostic categories, and chart review. Reviews assessments completed by others, and obtains missing information from providers, patients, and medical records. Reviews care with the PCMHI - Provider with Prescribing Privileges (PwPP) consultant and PCP with modifications of the plan as recommended (Supporting prescribers between sessions). The incumbent must have a thorough working knowledge of VISTA/CPRS. Must keep abreast of the various changes made within these programs and is responsible for maintaining the integrity of access to these clinical records Contacts patients through written correspondence and telephone calls, and conducts follow up interviews. This requires substantial communication skills and the ability to remain organized. Creates and maintains forms, surveys, instruments, and materials for proper coordination of the different treatment modules available through the BHL. Provides psycho-education and direct advice regarding symptoms of depression, anxiety and alcohol misuse to patients. This includes the development of an appropriate treatment plan for patients and the ability to communicate that plan to the patient's provider. The incumbent communicates evaluations & recommendations to PCP & PCMHI Team members. Ability to independently assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of patients and their family members and to formulate and implement a treatment plan, identifying the patient's problems, strengths, weaknesses, coping skills and assistance needed, in collaboration with the patient, family and interdisciplinary treatment team. Assist with Veterans Crisis Call Consults in our rural areas to support overall suicide prevention. Provides brief interventions using evidence-based interventions such as behavioral activation, motivational interviewing, problem-solving, and other focused treatment strategies. Familiarity with a variety of treatments for depression, PTSD, alcohol misuse and anxiety. Basic knowledge of psychosocial treatment modalities and, under supervision, ability to implement treatment modalities in working with individuals families, and groups to achieve treatment goals. Provides counseling and/or psychotherapy services to individuals, couples, and families in collaboration with multidisciplinary mental health staff to serve Veterans as needed or assigned. Ability to work with and communicate with a variety of clinicians including primary care providers and mental health providers. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, staff, and representatives of community agencies. Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds. Provides group counseling services in collaboration with multidisciplinary mental health staff for all High Risk for Suicide Veterans seeking mental health treatment. Consults with Medical Center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues. Willingly accepts additional and special assignments that are necessary to meet program goals or Veteran needs. 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. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor 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. 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. 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: (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. Grade Determinations: In addition to meeting the basic requirements stated above, the following qualifications criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates. GS-12 Senior Social Worker candidates must have the following: 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. In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-11 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate all the KSAs below: 1. Advanced knowledge of and mastery of theories and modalities used in the specialized treatment of complex mental illness. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of veteran patients, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. Ability to determine priority of services needed and provide specialized treatment. 2. Advanced and expert skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities for Veterans with complex needs. This includes individual, group, and/or family counseling, or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial, and/or case management interventions used in the treatment of Veterans. 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. 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-12. 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 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 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]