The Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (Suicide Prevention Program Manager) is under the Mental Health & Behavioral Science Service (MH&BS) and is assigned to the Suicide Prevention Program. The Program Manager will be working with and clinically supporting the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center and Outpatient Clinics.

Duties

The Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (Suicide Prevention Program Manager) will lead the Suicide Prevention Program in implementing VA Central Office (VACO) Suicide Prevention mandates and initiatives within the West Palm Beach VA Health Care System. Duties may include, but are not limited to: Supervision of the Suicide Prevention staff, and professional management and administrative responsibilities that are complex in scope and that constitute a significant portion of the medical center. Ensuring an efficient operation of the Suicide Prevention Program. Devising ways to adapt work operations to new and changing program, staffing, and budget requirements as per the Suicide Prevention Program Guide and National Strategy for Preventing Veteran Suicide. Assisting in the design, development, and implementation of Suicide Prevention Program activities within the MH&BS Service, to include program development such as REACH VET, Suicide Risk ID and SPED SPRITE, etc. Executing on-going program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement projects to monitor the effectiveness of the Suicide Prevention clinical program. Managing patients enrolled at the facility that are identified as high risk for suicide, including conducting risk assessment, safety plans, initiating health and welfare checks, and reviewing high-risk status. Provides group and individual interventions to patients in support of suicide prevention efforts to include crisis intervention services, identifies the cause as well as the presenting complaint, coordinates family conferences and serves as liaison to family members. Independently conducting psychosocial assessments and developing treatment plans in collaboration with the Veteran/family member(s) and the interdisciplinary treatment team. Providing staff and patient education regarding suicide prevention, including but not limited to Operation SAVE, REACH VET, Suicide Prevention Awareness, outreach events, educational activities. Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Yes - as determined by the agency policy. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. 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. 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. 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-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. NOTE: It is VHA policy that a LPMHC who does not yet have a license that allows independent practice must be supervised by a licensed independent practitioner of the same discipline who is a VA staff member and who has access to the electronic health record. Exception: VHA may waive the licensure requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure. This exception only applies up to the full performance level. For grade levels at or above the full performance level, the candidate must be licensed. The appointing official may waive the requirement of licensure for a period not to exceed 3 years for a LPMHC that provides care under the clinical supervision of a licensed LPMHC who is at or above the full performance level. This exception only applies at the entry level (GS-9). For grade levels at or above the full performance level, the candidate must be licensed. The Human Resources Office will provide the unlicensed LPMHC in writing the requirement to obtain licensure, the date by which the license must be acquired, and the consequences for not becoming licensed by the deadline. The written notice must be provided prior to the entrance on duty date. Failure to Obtain License: In all cases, LPMHCs must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure starting from the date of their appointment. Failure to become licensed within three years from date of appointment will result in removal from the GS-0101 LPMHC series and may result in termination of employment. Loss of Licensure: Once licensed, LPMHCs must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted license to independently practice mental health counseling, which includes diagnosis and treatment. Loss of licensure will result in removal from the GS-0101 LPMHC occupation and may result in termination of employment. 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: In addition to meeting the basic requirements stated above, the following qualifications criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates. GS-13 Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (Program Manager)candidates must have the following: Experience, Education, and Licensure: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least one (1) year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. The experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency. While we no longer require essay-style responses to our Knowledge's Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics (KSAOs), you must be able to demonstrate that you possess the (below) competencies which are necessary to perform the work of the position. Please ensure your resume/CV/application contains sufficient information to support the level of experience/education/training; otherwise, we will not be able to award you credit for the experience/education/training you claim. These are the KSA's for this subject position: Ability to make judgments and decisions associated with program management. Ability to monitor program outcomes using data driven quality assurance process. Ability to develop productivity standards appropriate to each service provided. Ability to manage a wide range of programs which include the operation and management of key clinical, training or administrative programs. References: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005/106, Part II, Appendix G43, Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor Qualification Standard. Physical Requirements: The physical demands of the work are generally minor. The work is primarily sedentary in climate controlled clinical and administrative settings. The incumbent will be expected to successfully negotiate various functional requirements: lifting (15-44 pounds), carrying (15-44 pounds), walking (1-3 hours), reaching above their shoulder(s), the use of hands or fingers, sitting (4-6 hours), standing (1-2 hours), repeated bending, using stairs or elevators, functional vision, clear speech, hearing, and emotional stability. There may be occasional requirements to relocate boxed materials from one area to another, equipment and room set-up, and physical inspections of the facilities.

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 West Palm Beach VA Medical Center 7305 North Military Trail West Palm Beach, FL 33410 US
• Name: Jessica Williams
• Phone: 813-816-7155 X100281
• Email: [email protected]