The Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor provides counseling services to Veterans enrolled in outpatient Mental Health programs at VANTHCS. The incumbent is involved in screenings, psychosocial assessments, treatment plan development and maintenance, advocacy, and educational counseling. The Organizational Locations of the Position is: Mental Health Service at the VA North Texas Health Care System (VANTHCS) in Dallas, Fort Worth, and Tyler, Texas.

Duties

Duties include, but are not limited to: Interviews Veterans and their family members/significant others to establish facts about the Veteran's situation, presenting problems and their causes, and the impact of such problems on the Veteran's functioning and health as part of a comprehensive psychosocial assessment. Reviews data to make a clinical assessment identifying needs and strengths. Effectively uses professional skill, objectivity, and insight. Uses advanced clinical training, insight, and experience to interpret data and to identify viable treatment options. Assesses high risk factors, acuity and need for services. Evaluates the Veteran's situation, including the Veteran's reaction and ability to deal with it, and arrives at a reasoned conclusion. Uses professional judgment and practice skills, based on the psychosocial assessment, to make a psychosocial diagnosis. Finds a suitable means of treatment to help Veterans and/or significant others to cope with stressful situations. Develops psychosocial treatment plans in coordination with interdisciplinary team members, including goals for psychosocial clinical treatment. Provides independent consultation and makes recommendations to interdisciplinary team on course of treatment. Evaluates her/his practice on an on-going basis through participation in professional peer review, case conferences, research studies, or other organized means. The incumbent is active in and accepts responsibility for the development and maintenance of professional standards of treatment. Makes adjustments to the psychosocial treatment plan and interventions based on changing needs and response to interventions. Initiates and effects changes in methods and interventions to promote efficient practice and improve patient outcomes. Effectively uses professional skills, objectivity, and insight. In cases of antagonistic, indifferent, or evasive Veterans and their significant others, the incumbent deals constructively with both positive and negative reactions, understand disparate values, and reaches Veterans and families from different social and ethnic groups. Provides clinical services to Veterans in support of the Veteran's treatment. Gives advice, guidance, emotional support, and other assistance. Provides individual and group counseling services, including psychotherapy in some settings. A assists and encourages Veterans and as appropriate 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. Treats Veterans living with mental health issues through counseling or referral. Has a highly developed professional, clinical, and advanced practice skills, which she/he uses to treat Veterans with complex problems, histories of non-compliance with treatment and inability, or unwillingness to participate in treatment. Demonstrates acceptance, interest, encouragement, and selective use of questioning, explanation, and guidance in working with Veterans to help them explore their problems. Employs methods and techniques to maintain a therapeutic relationship that will help the Veteran work toward the best way of dealing with his/her problems. Exercises professional control over the therapeutic relationship so the patient may constructively express feelings yet retains maximum use of his/her capacities for responsible selfdirection. Develops and maintains treatment and documentation standards that meet the expectations and requirements of Joint Commission and Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) accreditation pertaining to substance use disorder treatment. Develops a resource file of VA and community service programs, finds a suitable means of treatment to help Veterans and/or as appropriate significant others. Based upon Veterans needs and eligibility, facilitates and/or coordinates VA and/or community-based services and referrals. Fulfill ethical responsibilities to Veterans, and colleagues and VA in accordance with Professional Code of Ethics, VHA Code of Ethics, and local Ethics policies, which includes, but is not limited to, compliance with all laws and regulations related to confidentiality and release of information and protecting Veterans' personal identifying information. Perform other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Fridary 8:00am - 4:30p.m. Telework: Available with Agency approval Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 0000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

DIVERSITY/INCLUSION STATEMENT: The Mental Health Service of the VA North Texas Health Care System values cultural diversity across our staff and training programs. Mental Health Service leaders are deeply committed to fostering an environment that is highly sensitive to and appreciative of all aspects of diversity. Our staff represent a variety of cultural backgrounds, competencies, interests, and theoretical orientations. We believe that increased self-awareness and appreciation for other viewpoints and cultures makes our service stronger and strengthens our ability to provide the highest quality of mental health care. *HPTs who are on track to graduate/complete the requirements should respond as if they have met the requirements. Provide details in the narrative sections of the assessment. 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. 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 treatment. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. 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. 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: GS-9 (Entry Level) Experience, Education, and Licensure: The GS-9 grade level is the entry grade level for LPMHCs with less than one year of experience (post-master's degree) or for LPMHCs at the master's or doctoral level) who are graduates not yet licensed at the independent practice level. Unlicensed LPMHCs at the GS-9 grade level have completed the required education listed in paragraph 3.b. and are working toward completion of prerequisites for licensure. Demonstrated KSAs: In addition to the basic requirements, the candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: 1. Ability to engage in intake and assessment, problem identification, diagnosis, treatment planning and implementation, continuum of care, evaluation and follow-up. 2. 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. 3. 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. 4. Ability to use a wide variety of individual, group, or family counseling interventions; demonstrates sensitivity to diversity and possesses multicultural counseling skills. 5. 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. 6. 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. 7. Ability to learn and utilize software programs in use by VHA. 8. Knowledge and understanding of existing relevant statutes, case laws, ethical codes, and regulations affecting professional practice of counseling. 9. Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds. GS-11 (Full Performance Level) Experience, Education, and Licensure: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least one year of post-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 in subparagraph (c) below. Demonstrated KSAs: 1. Ability to make professional evaluations, decisions, and recommendation for treatment planning and implementation. 2. Advanced knowledge and mastery of the fundamentals of the counseling process which includes defining patient/family problems and maintaining an effective counseling relationship. 3. 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. 4. Ability to provide complex crisis intervention and stabilization to patients who are in psychological distress. Requires independent judgment and skill. 5. Ability to establish goals/treatment through a collaborative process with the patient utilizing advanced counseling skills, including evidenced- based practices, screening, and psychosocial assessment. 6. Ability to use a wide variety of individual, group, or familial counseling interventions; demonstrates sensitivity to diversity and possesses multicultural counseling skills. 7. 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. 8. 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. Preferred Experience: Experience with Individual Therapy Experience with Group Therapy Experience with Mental Health Assessments Experience with Suicidal Assessments Experience working with Vetyerans References: VA Handbook 5005/106 Part II Appendix G43 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-09 to GS-11. Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Accreditation Information: Please site specific the accreditation information from the qualification standards or use the generic description for all others. Example - Sample for LPMHC: The master's or doctoral degree must be fully accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Verification of accreditation may be made obtained from http://www.cacrep.org/directory/.

Note: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

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 Dallas VA Medical Center 4500 South Lancaster Road Dallas, TX 75216 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]