Incumbent is assigned to the Mental Health Service, Addiction Recovery Treatment Services (ARTS) Program and functions as a member of an outpatient addiction interdisciplinary team. Services are carried out in full accordance with specific program goals and broad objectives of the VA health care system.

Duties

Clinical services: Specific Duties and Responsibilities include: a. Serves as primary liaison between BHIP/PCMHI and ARTS staff on referrals and transitions of care. b. Facilitates treatment planning for Veterans who have newly established care or are not yet enrolled in Behavioral Health but require addiction treatment. Independently provides Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) appropriate to the primary care setting. c. Independently provides specialized care at all levels of complexity for patients, with service delivery to include intake evaluation, diagnostic assessments, psychotherapy and patient education. d. Provides a range of advanced interventions consistent with training and expertise, with special emphasis on brief and evidenced-based interventions for addiction found to be effective in primary care settings; e. Facilitates patient and family education appropriate to the primary care setting and the presenting addiction concern. f. Provides consultation services for primary care providers to maximize the effectiveness of their interventions in reducing risky substance use behaviors and enhancing health-promoting behaviors, with a significant emphasis on a prevention-oriented model of care; g. Supports primary care provider (PCP) decision-making, building on PCP interventions and improving PCP-patient working relationships; h. Provides clinical care management when appropriate directly to an assigned cohort of patients; i. Participates in development of a treatment plan for each patient with whom major contact is expected, with measurable goals outlined, based on relevant psychological, medical and psychiatric information and principles of treatment matching. j. Complies with national and local performance measures, including timely health care screening and completion of clinical reminders for all patients. k. The incumbent participates as required and requested in orientation, training and staff development programs involving Mental Health and VANCHCS. The incumbent assumes responsibility and shows initiative for own learning and professional development, demonstrating the ability to teach and mentor staff and students in the special area of practice and provide supervision for licensure or specialty certification. Administrative duties a. Ensures timely completion of all clinical charting and documentation required by the Medical Center or healthcare system as appropriate. b. Responds to Veterans request for release of records, return phone calls, linking of services and appropriate referrals as needed in a timely fashion. c. Attends regularly scheduled treatment team meetings to ensure efficiency and continuity of service delivery to a specialized patient population. d. Collaborates with community, health, welfare and service agencies. e. Uses diagnostic knowledge of the patient's need(s) to make referrals to a variety of VA and non-VA resources in support of the treatment objective of the patient. f. Submits statistical information as required. g. Completes assigned Performance Improvement activities at the program, service line and medical center level. h. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: M-Friday 0800-4:30pm Telework: Ad-hoc Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more 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. 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. Additional information may be obtained from http://www.cacrep.org/directory/. NOTE: Traditional Rehabilitation counseling programs 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-0101 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. 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 3j 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: Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, GS-12 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-11 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate all of the 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 5005106, Part II, Appendix G43, Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor Qualification Standard, GS-0183, Veteran Health Administration, dated April 3, 2018.The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is a GS-12 Physical Requirements: Hearing required (Aid permitted).

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 VA Northern California Health Care System 10535 Hospital Way Mather, CA 95655 US
• Name: Amanda Bodkin
• Phone: 925-356-5886
• Email: [email protected]