Job opening: Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (PCMHI)
Salary: $91 270 - 118 651 per year
Published at: Dec 19 2023
Employment Type: Full-time
The incumbent is a LPMHC and serves in a full-time capacity as a member of the Primary Care-Mental Health Integration (PCMHI) program within the Mental Health Service (MHS) at VA Detroit Healthcare System, which includes John D. Dingell VA Medical Center (JDDVAMC) and its affiliated community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs).
Position may be filled as a Social Worker, Psychologist or Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor. Please ensure you apply to the appropriate announcement
Duties
- Provides rapid triage, problem-focused assessments, and time-limited interventions including but not limited to psychoeducation as well as brief individual and group psychotherapy
- Provides scheduled and impromptu consultative services and psychoeducation regarding a wide range of mental health and behavioral medicine concerns to patients and non-mental health staff regarding patients
- Performs routine brief assessments, including but not limited to the PHQ-9, PCL, AUDITC, GAD-7, etc.
- Provides brief mental health and behavioral interventions that are evidence based, including but not limited to behavioral medicine interventions for tobacco cessation, weight management, coping with chronic illness, sleep hygiene, etc.
- Responsible for timely completion of all clinical charting and documentation required by the Medical Center, including entering data into the databases as may required
- Performs routine and in-depth mental health evaluations, including intake assessments
- Provides evidence-based psychotherapy and other therapeutic interventions utilizing VA based guidance and guidelines
- Provides a wide range of therapeutic interventions for patients, including individual, couples, and group psychotherapy
- Uses the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care
- Liaisons/advocates on behalf of PCMHI and/or Veteran/caregiver between settings of care, both internal and external to the VA
- Provides patient, family, and caregiver education, both in individual and group formats
- Provides crisis intervention services, seeking to address the cause as well as the presenting complaint, coordinates family conferences and serves as liaison to family members, as needed
- Assesses the need for referral for more intensive and/or specialty mental health services
- Independently identifies high-risk patients and connects with needed resources and services, as needed Consults, collaborates, and coordinates with other staff who provide care to Veteran, routinely consulting with Primary Care Providers and other PACT members about plan of care for patients
- Completes clinical reminders
- Reviews relevant data, assesses the data, develops, and implement ideas for improvement
- Serves as LPMHC champion for treatment planning, discharge planning, and psychosocial and psychotherapeutic needs
- Serves as a consultant to one or more Vet Center(s), including but not limited to the Vet Centers located in Detroit, Pontiac, Dearborn, and Macomb.
- Communicates with National, VISN, Facility-level leadership, and other stakeholders. Communicates regularly with the VISN-level PCMHI POCs and other PCMHI Coordinators in the VISN, as well as local mental health and national PCMHI leadership to remain knowledgeable about policies and trends related to PMCHI.
- Responds to requests for information about local PCMHI programming from VA's Central Office's Office of Mental Health Services and from VISN
- As assigned, prepares reports and statistics for facility, VISN and national use.
- Serves on Medical Center/Healthcare System, VISN, and/or National VA committees or task forces, as assigned by the Supervisor or the Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health.
- Represents LPMHC on decision-making committees at the Medical Center or Healthcare System, as assigned by the Supervisor or the Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health.
- Represents the Medical Center or Healthcare System at professional/program community group/events and committees.
- Involvement in training program didactics for trainees of various disciplines and levels, as assigned
- Other duties as assigned
Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
Compressed/Flexible:Available
Telework: Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 930680
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Qualifications
BASIC REQUIREMENTS. The basic requirements for employment as a LPMHC are prescribed by statute in 38 U.S.C. 7402(b)(11).
Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States
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 (Transcripts must be uploaded as part of your application package)
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. (License must be uploaded as part of your application package)
Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates for Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor GS12.
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. In addition, 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 (experience must be documented on resume)
Assignments. Senior LPMHCs provide treatment to patients with complex needs including multiple mental health diagnoses, and numerous psychosocial issues, using independent judgment. LPMHCs at this level provide clinical consultation to less experienced staff which may include coordinating crisis situations. Senior LPMHCs will provide clinical supervision to LPMHC staff and/or LPMHC trainees, and may serve as the subject matter expert for the discipline. Senior LPMHCs develop behavioral health related training curriculum and often conduct trainings for clinical staff. LPMHCs model ethical and professional behaviors and standards to include multicultural awareness. Senior LPMHCs meet routinely with interprofessional team members and leadership to communicate about program and patient issues for in depth problem solving. Senior LPMHCs collaborate with internal and external stakeholders and frequently serve as a liaison. This assignment is to be relatively few in number based on the size of the facility/service and applying sound position management. This assignment must represent substantial additional responsibility over and above that required at the full performance grade level and cannot be used as the full performance level of this occupation.
In addition to meeting the basic requirements above, the candidate must demonstrate the below GS-11 KSAs as listed below:
Ability to make professional evaluations, decisions, and recommendation for treatment planning and implementation.
Advanced knowledge and mastery of the fundamentals of the counseling process which includes defining patient/family problems and maintaining an effective counseling relationship.
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.
Ability to provide complex crisis intervention and stabilization to patients who are in psychological distress. Requires independent judgment and skill.
Ability to establish goals/treatment through a collaborative process with the patient utilizing advanced counseling skills, including evidenced- based practices, screening, and psychosocial assessment.
Ability to use a wide variety of individual, group, or familial counseling interventions; demonstrates sensitivity to diversity and possesses multicultural counseling skills.
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.
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.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-11 grade level above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the GS-12 KSAs below:
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.
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.
Ability to coordinate the delivery of specialized psychosocial services and programs. Ability to design system changes based on data.
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.
Ability to teach, mentor staff and trainees, and provide supervision for licensure or for specialty certifications.
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 HANDBOOK 5005/106 PART II APPENDIX G43
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is the GS12
Physical Requirements: Ability to physically access various treatment settings within the facility. Ability to use computers frequently/continuously throughout the day for data input and communication. Ability to use phone. Position is primarily sedentary, and incumbent must be able to sit for prolonged periods of time. May require light lifting and carrying (under 15 pounds) and climbing stairs as needed. Ability to walk up and down steps. Ability to navigate unfamiliar surroundings. Valid driver's license is a requirement as incumbent is required to provide consultation services to one of the Vet Centers located in Detroit, Dearborn, Pontiac, or Macomb County and outreach is a required part of this position.
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:
https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Contacts
- Address John D Dingell Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center
4646 John R Street
Detroit, MI 48201
US
- Name: Janice Uselton
- Phone: 313 942 5488
- Email: [email protected]
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