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.

Duties

Functions of Position: The Senior LPMHC is responsible for developing, initiating, and following through with various treatments and therapeutic interventions including psychotherapy, community resource utilization and referral, client centered advocacy, and professional collaboration. The Senior LPMHC independently evaluates the Veteran's needs based on psychosocial assessment and diagnostic impression using advanced practice skills to formulate appropriate interventions. Social worker provides individual, group and family psychotherapy and advanced level case management interventions. Conduct appropriate assessment as necessary which includes Suicide Risk Assessment, Violence Risk Assessment and Mental Health Initial Assessment. Case management is provided to veterans with PTSD diagnoses. Coordination of care with veterans' family members when indicated. The Senior LPMHC performs specialized treatment of complex physical or mental illness and will 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. The Senior LPMHC can provide individual, group, and family psychotherapy and advanced level case management interventions used in the treatment of veterans, post-traumatic stress disorder, addictions, and other serious disorders. Offers consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients treated in specialty areas, rendering professional opinions based on experience and expertise and role modeling effective social work practice skills. Demonstrates the ability to teach and mentor staff and students in the special area of practice and to provide supervision for licensure or specialty certifications. Demonstrates ability to evaluate own practice through professional peer review, case conferences and other organizational means and participates in projects designed to evaluate and improve upon social work activities in the assigned program. Engages in professional staff development activities to maintain and refine clinical skills and ensures ongoing professional growth. Documents the appropriate and relevant interventions in the medical record and completes either an event capture or encounter after each significant contact. Maintains LPMHC Licensure. Consults with Social Work Supervisor on complex and legal issues. Keeps Supervisor informed of any issues and recommended solutions within the Social Workers area of responsibility. Attends all staff meetings, unit meetings, team meetings, program meetings, and participates in continuing education activities. Serves on committees and taskforces when requested. Participates in projects designed to evaluate and improve social work services in assigned program. Performs other duties as assigned by the Social Work Supervisor. Provides back-up coverage as needed for other social workers in the team as assigned by Supervisor. Provides or assists in providing back-up coverage for co-workers during their absence to ensure that patient care is provided in a timely manner. The Senior LPMHC communicates effectively, both orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds. Evaluates own practice through participation in professional peer review case conferences, research studies, or other organized means. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 00000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized EDRP Authorized: Contact the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. 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. English Language Proficiency. LPMHCs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Regulations. 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). Must pass a background check. Grade Determinations: GS-12 Senior LPMHC 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 inter-professional 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. 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 1. 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. 2. 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. 3. Ability to coordinate the delivery of specialized psychosocial services and programs. Ability to design system changes based on data. 4. 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. 5. Ability to teach, mentor staff and trainees, and provide supervision for licensure or for specialty certifications. 6. 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, LICENSED PROFESSIONAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR QUALIFICATION STANDARD The full performance level of a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is a GS-12. Physical Requirements: Usually works indoors in areas which normally have adequate heat, light, and ventilation. The work is primarily sedentary; however, there is some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items such as papers, files, manuals and records.

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 Carl Vinson VA Medical Center 1826 Veterans Boulevard Dublin, GA 31021 US
• Name: Jenna McCarthy
• Email: [email protected]