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. Program 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

The incumbent is responsible for following national guidance and local policy and SOPs for the MHS. This includes following policies and documentation requirements as required for CARF and The Joint Commission accreditation as well as other internal and external requirements. The incumbent actively participates in program planning and development, advising the supervisor of shifting trends with care coordination needs and caseloads and identifying the need for making recommendations on program procedures and/or policy changes based upon work experiences. The incumbent takes responsibility for improving professional skills, participating in planning and executing specific staff development projects, attending seminars and institutes, and participating in training programs of other disciplines as requested. The incumbent is assigned to the Mental Health Service (MHS) and reports to the BHIP Team Supervisor for the incumbent's respective BHIP Team. The incumbent is assigned to the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center catchment area and provides comprehensive services to Veterans and their families. In the primary provision of care coordination (and direct clinical care as needed) in patients from the adult (less than 65 years of age) to the geriatric (greater than 65 years of age), the employee recognizes age-related needs and demonstrates knowledge and care appropriate to that age group. In the performance of official duties, the incumbent has regular access to the printed and electronic files containing sensitive data which must be protected under provision of the Privacy Act of 1974 and other applicable laws, Federal Regulations, and VA statutes and policy. Incumbent is responsible for protecting data from unauthorized release of access codes, etc., as stated in the computer access agreement which the incumbent signs. The incumbent is responsible for completing the following duties/responsibilities: a. The incumbent will provide a full range of services within commonly accepted standards of practice and prioritizes mental health psychotherapy activities as the primary job function including intake assessment, suicide risk screening and safety planning, individual and group psychotherapy, needs assessment, chart reviews, care or case management (as needed), discharge planning, and other services as appropriate. b. The incumbent will conduct biopsychosocial assessments to determine care coordination and treatment needs of Veterans. c. The incumbent will provide consultation/education to Veterans and families on VA resources (including self-management tools), community resources, Advance Directives and VA benefits. d. The incumbent will be an active participant in the treatment planning process with other disciplines. e. The incumbent will participate in discharge planning with other disciplines and will be responsible for ensuring that discharge plans are executed in a manner that is timely and appropriate to promote care continuity. f. The incumbent will act as a clinical resource/point-of-contact to Veterans and other 2 team/staff members. g. The incumbent will act as liaison between VA and community resources, to include education and bidirectional communication that promotes seamless care. h. Provide individual, family and group counseling as appropriate. i. j. The incumbent will provide wellness/prevention education and may facilitate patient/family educational/bridging supportive sessions as appropriate. The incumbent will document interventions and activities in patient's electronic health record and ensure appropriate hand-off communication and documentation when transferring patient care. k. The incumbent will maintain familiarity and share responsibility with other team members for performance measures relevant to the BHIP team. l. The incumbent will perform other BHIP-related duties as directed by the Supervisor, such as, but not limited to: training/mentoring and oversight of new staff & those not yet clinically licensed, and preparing for and training staff on CARF & The Joint Commission standards and accreditation process. m. The incumbent will participate in committee assignments, as deemed necessary by the service manager. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 53729F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact [email protected] or [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more 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. 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. 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: Experience, Education, and Licensure. In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least one year of post-master's 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. LPMHCs may provide clinical supervision over the clinical practice of an unlicensed LPMHC or LPMHC trainee. Some state licenses do not license an individual to provide clinical supervision to trainees or unlicensed LPMHCs. Please refer to specific state licensing laws regarding the requirements for providing clinical supervision. Assignments. This is the full performance grade level for LPMHCs. At this level they are licensed to independently practice professional counseling and to provide mental health services within the knowledge, theory, and training foundations of professional counseling. LPMHCs may be assigned to any VHA area, consulting with peers and supervisors as appropriate. LPMHCs may be involved in program evaluation and/or research activities. (c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-9 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: 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. References: VA Handbook 5005/106, Part II, Appendix G43 The full performance level of this vacancy is 11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is 11. Physical Requirements: See VA Handbook and Directive 5019.

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: Manuel Argumedo
• Phone: 210-956-9231
• Email: [email protected]