The position is located within the Mental Health Service at the Lexington VA Health Care System in Morehead, KY. The Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) provides a full range of psychological assessment services and diagnoses mental disorders, particularly for complex or unusually difficult patients, many of whom have psychiatric and medical problems.

Duties

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Major duties include, but are not limited to: Provides a full range of psychological assessment services and diagnoses mental disorders, particularly for complex or unusually difficult patients many of whom have psychiatric and medical problems health. Provides education to patients, family members, and significant others. Provides comprehensive evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions, including individual, family, and group psychotherapy, including by telemental health. Provides consultation to professional staff within the VA Medical Center and to community providers concerning clinical assessment findings and appropriate treatment plans for patients. Develops, implements, and documents the psychotherapeutic treatment plan for as an assigned caseload of patients, including prompt completion of clinical reminders. Functions independently at the VA Medical Center and assumes complete professional responsibility for his/her clinical assessment findings, patient care decisions, and documentation. Interviews Veterans and their family members/significant others to establish facts about the Veteran's situation, presenting pro6Ienis and their causes, and the impact of such problems on the veteran's functioning and health as part of a comprehensive psychiatric assessment. Reviews all data, subjective and objective, and makes a clinical assessment, identifying needs and strengths. Possesses the ability to serve veterans who tend to have frequent and severe crises, lack family or an adequate community support network, be poor at self ­monitoring, frequently fail to comply with instructions and treatment, have significant deficits in coping skills and require continuing professional psychological support. Independently evaluates the client's situation, including the veteran's reaction to, and ability to deal with, the situation and arrives at a reasoned conclusion. Assesses at-risk factors and develops a preliminary disposition plan, involving the-veteran, arid family or significant others. Performs insightful assessment of serious and complicated cases involving psychiatric illness, catastrophic medical conditions, dementia and other high-risk diagnoses. Makes independent professional decisions and recommendations for agency action. On an inpatient/outpatient basis, finds a suitable means of treatment to help veterans and/or significant others cope with stressful situations. Treatment is aimed at helping veterans find practical solutions to the problems Develops psychosocial treatment plans in coordination with interdisciplinary team-members, including goals for psychosocial clinical treatment. Makes adjustments to the psychosocial treatment plan and interventions based on changing needs and response to interventions. Consults with other specialists in planning treatment for veterans with co-morbidities. Responsible for clinical licensed professional mental health counselor practice in the area or program to which assigned, including promotion of clinical licensed professional mental health counselor services as a key component of treatment. Provides clinical services to Veterans and family members/significant others in support of the veteran's treatment. Gives advice, guidance, emotional support and other assistance. Provides individual and group counseling services, in some settings including psychotherapy. Assists and encourages veterans and significant others in facing problems, thinking them through, evaluating the situation realistically, considering alternative courses of action and arriving at plans for using resources to resolve problems. Organizes community services on behalf of beneficiaries, developing and coordinating procedures for use of these services by related staff. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Ad Hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 00000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact Betsy Quinn, [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

**This announcement is for the Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) position at the FULL PERFORMANCE LEVEL GS-11 only.** 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: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Education: Candidates must 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; and Marriage and Family Therapy. CACREP defines the date when graduates are considered to have graduated from a CACREP accredited program. Additional information may be obtained from Directory - CACREP. 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 as a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor 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. NOTE: 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). 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 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 the criteria listed above, you must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Ability to engage in intake and assessment, problem identification, diagnosis, treatment planning and implementation, continuum of care, evaluation and follow-up. (b) 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. (c) 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. (d) Ability to use a wide variety of individual, group, or family counseling interventions; demonstrates sensitivity to diversity and possesses multicultural counseling skills. (e) 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. (f) 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. (g) Ability to learn and utilize software programs in use by VHA. (h) Knowledge and understanding of existing relevant statutes, case laws, ethical codes, and regulations affecting professional practice of counseling. (i) Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds. (j) Ability to make professional evaluations, decisions, and recommendation for treatment planning and implementation. (k) Advanced knowledge and mastery of the fundamentals of the counseling process which includes defining patient/family problems and maintaining an effective counseling relationship. (l) 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. (m) Ability to provide complex crisis intervention and stabilization to patients who are in psychological distress. Requires independent judgment and skill. (n) Ability to establish goals/treatment through a collaborative process with the patient utilizing advanced counseling skills, including evidenced- based practices, screening, and psychosocial assessment. (o) Ability to use a wide variety of individual, group, or familial counseling interventions; demonstrates sensitivity to diversity and possesses multicultural counseling skills. (p) 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. (q) 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 Handbook 5005/106, Part II, Appendix G34 dated April 3, 2018 Physical Requirements: There are no set physical requirements for this position. Use of eyes, hands, walking/standing and hearing may be needed to perform some functions. Mental, emotional, and cognitive stability are required.

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 Lexington VA Health Care System 2250 Leestown Road Lexington, KY 40511 US
• Name: Ann Schilli
• Phone: 612-685-4347
• Email: [email protected]