The Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) in this position is assigned to the Veterans Justice Program, located in Homeless Programs under the Social Work Service Line at the Columbia VA Health Care System, and functions as the Veterans Justice Program (VJP) Specialist.

Duties

The VJP Specialist is administratively responsible for clinical programming and daily operation of the program, as well as the management of program data. The VJP Specialist performs justice outreach activities focused on justice-involved Veterans in one of three circumstances: 1) At the front end of the justice system (jails or courts) (VJO) 2) Upon prison re-entry (HCRV), or 3) a hybrid model encompassing jail, court and prison outreach (hybrid VJO/HCRV). Duties include but are not limited to: Implement the Veterans Justice Program and communicate program participant progress to the Veteran's Treatment Court Team. Develop processes to gain access to criminal justice settings. This may include state and Federal prisons, county and city jails, and courthouses and will involve obtaining appropriate security clearance, completing any required training, and presenting program information to correctional officials and officers. Develop and utilize processes for identifying Veterans in criminal justice settings. Develop processes for verifying the Veteran status and VHA eligibility of justice- involved Veterans. Establish and maintain points of contact with all major clinical services at each VA medical facility where Veterans will be referred to facilitate entry into those services. Identify VA and non-VA resources that can assist justice-involved and reentry Veterans with their community stabilization process. Provide outreach to Veterans in prison and jail settings. For Veterans who are eligible for VHA health care this includes psychosocial assessments and development of referral plans with Veterans. NOTE: This includes providing VA and non-VA resource information to Veterans individually or in groups in prison and jail settings. Provide referrals and directly link Veterans to VA resources, including Vet Centers, to the extent the Veteran is eligible. Provide information and linkage to community resources as appropriate. Actively participate in program improvement projects/activities, staff meetings, preparation assignments for audits/reviews, and another team/service items deemed mandatory by Social Work Service Chief, Homeless Program Coordinator or Homeless Program Supervisory Social Worker. Document VJP participant data, as outlined by the Homeless Programs Office evaluation procedures. All Veterans who will be seen in VJP must be recorded in the Homeless Operations Management and Evaluation System (HOMES). Perform other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm, Tours of duty may be subject to change temporarily due to program and Veteran need. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 54487F/Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (Program Coordinator) Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: 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. Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.g.). 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. Driver's License. Applicant must have a current and valid state driver's license GS-12 Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (Program Coordinator): In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Experience must have been in a major specialty treatment program area such as, but not limited to, Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), mental health intensive case management (MHICM), or other areas of equivalent scope and complexity. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency. Preferred Experience: Previous work experience with the homeless population References: See VA Handbook 5005/106, Part II, Appendix G43, Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (Program Coordinator), GS-12 Qualification Standard Physical Requirements: Must be able to pass VA requirements for operation of a government vehicle and transport of Veterans. Will drive a government vehicle anywhere from 0-75% of the day. Must satisfactorily complete a pre-employment physical involving light lifting and carrying (under 15 pounds), Operation of a vehicle, Both eyes required (20/40 vision in each eye), Ability to distinguish basic colors and shades of colors, Hearing (aid permitted), Ability to fuel vehicles. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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 Columbia VA Health Care System 6439 Garners Ferry Road Columbia, SC 29209 US
• Name: Kaytlyn Bulen
• Email: [email protected]