The Billings VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic, CBOC, located in Billings, MT is currently recruiting for either a GS-9/11 Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, a GS 9/11 Marriage Family Therapist, or a GS 9/11 Social Worker to be part of our dynamic Outpatient Mental Health-Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program!

Duties

Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor-Outpatient Mental Health-Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program duties include, but aren't limited to the following: Provides services to Veterans, their families, and the interdisciplinary team regarding evaluation, identification, and treatment of psycho-social concerns and psychiatric diagnoses in the outpatient behavioral health setting. Duties include outpatient mental health services and crisis response to veterans with the full spectrum of mental health disorders including Serious Mental Illness, PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, other mental health diagnoses and substance use disorders. Assists patients and families who are experiencing a basic emotional, medical, and social problems utilizing individual, group, and family counseling skills; Supervisor provides close supervision and guidance for more complex problems, e.g., the ability to 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. Has basic knowledge of psychosocial treatment modalities and uses judgment and skill to demonstrate supportive, problem solving, or crisis intervention techniques and can implement treatment modalities by working with individuals, families, and groups to achieve treatment goals under supervision. Has advanced knowledge of and mastery of theories and modalities used in the specialized treatment of complex physical and 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 for services and provide specialized treatment services. Has advanced and expert skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations. Can provide subject matter consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients treated in the specialty area, rendering professional opinions based on experience and expertise and role modeling effective social work practice skills. Ability to teach and mentor staff and students in the specialty area of practice and to provide supervision for licensure or for specialty certifications. Is responsible to the Administrative Supervisor of the program area assigned but practices independently, exercising initiative and independent judgment in day-to-day activities. Demonstrates I-Care values when interacting with all internal and external customers. Maintains current knowledge of and practices according to The Joint Commission requirements. Protects printed and electronic files containing sensitive data according to Federal privacy Act and confidentiality statutes. Follows regulations and instructions regarding release of sensitive and protected patient/ employee information. May serve on committees, workgroups, and/or task forces, etc. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm Telework: May be available for the highly qualified applicant Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: PD09-436B-58141-O, 11-436B-58142-O Recruitment/Relocation Incentives: Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

Applicants pending education/certification/licensure requirement completion may be referred & tentatively selected but can't be hired until all requirements are met Basic Requirements US Citizen Non-citizens may only be appointed when it's not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to VA Policy English Language Proficiency Applicants must be proficient in spoken/written English Education. Hold a master's or doctoral degree in: Clinical Mental Health Counseling; Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling; Clinical Mental Health Counseling & Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling; or related field, from program accredited by Council on Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs, CACREP. Examples of related mental health counseling fields include, but aren't limited to Addiction Counseling; Community Counseling; Gerontology Counseling; Marital, Couple, & Family Counseling. CACREP defines date when graduates have graduated from CACREP accredited program. More information may be obtained from http://www.cacrep.org/directory/. NOTE Traditional Rehabilitation counseling programs accredited by CACREP don't meet LPMHC qualification standards as Traditional Rehabilitation counseling differs from Clinical Rehabilitation counseling. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in VA Qualification Standard for this occupation-only applicable to current VHA employees who are in occupation & meet criteria Licensure. Persons hired/reassigned to LPMHC positions in GS-0183 series in VHA must hold full, current & unrestricted license to independently practice as Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselors, including diagnosis & treatment NOTE It's VHA policy LPMHCs who don't yet have licenses to allow independent practice must be supervised by licensed independent practitioners of same discipline who are VA staff members & who have access to electronic health records Exception VHA may waive licensure requirements for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending state prerequisites completion for licensure Exception only applies up to full performance level. For grade GS-11 or above candidates must be licensed Appointing official may waive licensure requirements for period not to exceed 3 years for LPMHCs that provide care under clinical supervision of licensed LPMHCs who are at/above full performance level. Exception only applies at entry level, GS-9. For GS-11s or above, Candidate must be licensed. The Human Resources Office will provide unlicensed LPMHC license requirements in writing, give deadline they must have their license, & consequences for not becoming licensed by deadline. Written notice must be given prior to entrance on duty date. Failure to Obtain License All LPMHCs must actively pursue/meet state prerequisites for licensure starting from appointment date. Failure to become licensed w/in 3 years from appointment date will result in removal from GS-0183 LPMHC series & may result in employment termination Loss of Licensure. Once licensed, LPMHCs must maintain a full, valid & unrestricted license to independently practice mental health counseling, which includes diagnosis & treatment. Loss of licensure will result in removal from GS-0183 LPMHC series & may result in employment termination Grandfather Provision. All persons employed in VHA in as LPMHCs on qualification standard effective are considered to have met all qualification requirements for grade held, including positive education & licensure/certification/registration that are part of occupation basic requirements. For employees who don't meet all basic requirements required in standard, but who met qualifications applicable to position at time they were appointed to it, following provisions apply: (1) Such employees in occupation that requires licensure, may be reassigned, promoted up to & including full performance level or demoted w/in occupation, but may not be promoted beyond full performance level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. (2) Such employees in occupation that requires licensure/certification/registration only at higher grade levels must meet licensure/certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels. (3) Employees who are appointed on temporary basis prior to qualification standard effective date may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet standard basic requirements (4) If employee who was retained, grandfathered under this provision leaves occupation, employee loses protected status & must meet full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at reentry time to occupation. (5) Employees initially grandfathered into occupation who subsequently obtain additional education &/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all qualification standard basic requirements must maintain required credentials as condition of employment in occupation. Grade Determination Requirements: In addition to basic requirements for employment, following criteria must be met when determining candidates' grade. GS-9 Experience, Education & Licensure GS-9 grade level is entry grade level for LPMHCs w/ less than 1 year experience, post-master's degree or for LPMHCs at master's or doctoral level who are graduates not yet licensed at independent practice level. Unlicensed LPMHCs at GS-9 grade level have completed required education listed in basic requirements & in progress of completing the prerequisites for licensure. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills & Abilities, KSAs. Candidates must demonstrate all KSAs below in addition to basic requirements: 1) Ability to engage in intake & assessment, problem identification, diagnosis, treatment planning & implementation, continuum of care, evaluation & follow-up 2) Knowledge of current Diagnostic & Statistical Manual, DSM of Mental Disorders in formulation of treatment goals & application of appropriate clinical interventions using professional counseling practices 3) Basic knowledge of professional counseling practice w/ emphasis on human development principles through cognitive, affective, behavioral or systemic interventions & strategies that address high risk behaviors, wellness, personal growth & career development across life spans 4) Ability to use wide variety of individual, group, or family counseling interventions; demonstrates sensitivity to diversity & possesses multicultural counseling skills 5) Ability to serve on interdisciplinary teams that focus on intrapersonal, interpersonal & relational functioning of individuals, groups & families & on counseling approaches, strategies & techniques that will best help patients function effectively 6) Using basic computer software applications skills to draft documents, manage data, maintain accurate, timely & thorough clinical documentation, & service delivery, such as Telehealth 7) Ability to learn & utilize VHA software programs 8) Knowledge & understanding of existing relevant statutes, case laws, ethical codes & regulations affecting counseling professional practices 9) Ability to communicate effectively, both orally & in writing, w/ people from varied backgrounds GS-11 Experience, Education & Licensure Candidates must have at least 1 year post-master's or post- doctoral degree mental health counseling experience, VA or non-VA experience, & must be licensed to practice at independent practice level in addition to basic requirements. LPMHCs may provide clinical supervision over clinical practice of unlicensed LPMHC/LPMHC trainee. Some state licenses don't license individuals to provide clinical supervision to trainees/unlicensed LPMHCs. Refer to specific state licensing laws regarding requirements for providing clinical supervision. & Candidates must demonstrate all KSAs below in addition to meeting KSAs for GS-9 grade level Qualification standards continued in Additional Information Section

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Transcripts can be unofficial, must include the following information: your name, the school's entire name/location, course/class name, date course/class taken, grade received for the course/class, amount of credits earned for the course/class, date degree conferred, (if applicable), (name of degree received, (if applicable).

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 Fort Harrison VA Medical Center 3687 Veterans Drive Fort Harrison, MT 59636 US
• Name: Jeannie Wright
• Phone: (970) 263-6272
• Email: [email protected]