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

Accepts referrals for screening & admission to the program, gathers information about a Veteran's status & eligibility for VA medical care, & verifies a clinical need for program participation. Responsible for providing case management & appropriate services for Veterans in the program based on the Veteran's needs, acuity level, & preferences for care. Reassesses for changes in the Veteran's needs, acuity level & preferences for care at least quarterly. Empowers & respects the Veteran's right to self-determination while helping the Veteran identify & articulate their strengths, needs, abilities & preferences. Ensures comprehensive service delivery by linking & referring Veterans to VA and/or community services based on the Veterans needs & wants. Coordinates care of Veterans with high-acuity & high-risk mental health & behavioral factors with relevant providers in the VA & community. Utilizes Housing First, Harm Reduction & other evidence-based practice models to promote Veteran engagement & self-efficacy. Promotes housing retention & stability. Helping Veterans understand lease agreements, develop money management & budgeting skills, & establish healthy boundaries. Complies with criminal conflict of interest laws & Executive Branch Standards of conduct to avoid conflicts of interest while serving as the HUD-VASH Case Manager. Adheres to professional ethics guidelines & completes annual ethics training. Actively participates in Homeless Program conference calls, monthly national HUD-VASH calls & VISN calls. Develops relationships with the local Continuum of Care & actively participates in Coordinated Entry case conference meetings. Responsible for following local policy & SOP for the HUDVASH Program. Takes responsibility for improving professional skills, participating in planning & executing specific staff development projects, attending seminars & institutes, & participating in training programs of other disciplines as requested. Responsible for ensuring a culture of safety by participating in mandatory Prevention & Management of Disruptive Behavior training, reporting all incidents of Veteran threats, aggression or violence including those witnessed in the community & completing required safety training to include suicide risk reduction. Provides outreach services to engage homeless Veterans, especially those who are chronically homeless & are highly vulnerable. Conducts comprehensive bio-psychosocial assessments to ensure appropriateness of placement into the program, determine acuity status & identify needs. Performs site visits of HUD-VASH residences to ensure that Veterans reside in safe environments in compliance with local housing codes. Collects & submits HUD-VASH Program participant data within three business days as outlined by HOMES evaluation procedures. Documents all contacts in the Veterans CPRS file in accordance with local documentation policies. Develops an individualized Housing Stability Plan with each HUD-VASH Veteran that identifies Veteran goals using their own words & steps to achieve those goals. Assists Veterans through the voucher application process from referral to voucher issuance, helps Veterans complete application packets & assists in obtaining all necessary documentation required by the Public Housing Authority. Provides housing search assistance to include transportation to view units as needed. Obtains Release of Information consents when possible, with all community providers & housing stakeholders to ensure comprehensive coordination of services & collaboration. Assists Veterans with pursuing employment to increase their income & integrate into the community. Assists Veterans in determining eligibility & applying for non-service-connected pension, service connected compensation, applying for mainstream entitlement benefits and/or state & county benefits. Provides individual, family & group counseling as appropriate. Assists Veterans in completing Advance Directives. Provides wellness/prevention education as appropriate. As appropriate, supervises the practice of social work students or provides mentoring & training to a less experienced social worker. Assists Veterans in coping with loss & grief experiences. Maintains familiarity with & responsibility for all performance measures relating to the HUD-VASH Program. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: May be Available Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 436B-53448-A, 436-57689-A??????? Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized 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. 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. 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. 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. Grandfather Provision. All persons employed in VHA in as LPMHC on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held, including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. Grade Determinations: GS-9 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 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition, the candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: Ability to engage in intake and assessment, problem identification, diagnosis, treatment planning and implementation, continuum of care, evaluation and follow-up. 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. 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. Ability to use a wide variety of individual, group, or family counseling interventions; demonstrates sensitivity to diversity and possesses multicultural counseling skills. 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. 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. Ability to learn and utilize software programs in use by VHA. Knowledge and understanding of existing relevant statutes, case laws, ethical codes, and regulations affecting professional practice of counseling. Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds. GS-11 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition the candidate must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: Ability to make professional evaluations, decisions, and recommendation for treatment planning and implementation. Advanced knowledge and mastery of the fundamentals of the counseling process which includes defining patient/family problems and maintaining an effective counseling relationship. 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. Ability to provide complex crisis intervention and stabilization to patients who are in psychological distress. Requires independent judgment and skill. Ability to establish goals/treatment through a collaborative process with the patient utilizing advanced counseling skills, including evidenced- based practices, screening, and psychosocial assessment. Ability to use a wide variety of individual, group, or familial counseling interventions; demonstrates sensitivity to diversity and possesses multicultural counseling skills. 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. 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 GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to GS-11. Physical Requirements: Traveling throughout the medical center and the community is required, as is performing activities involving sitting, walking, and standing, bending and carrying such items as books, papers, and files. In carrying out responsibilities it may be necessary for the incumbent to travel into the community where he/she conducts interviews with the Veterans, their families, representatives of community health and welfare agencies and law enforcement agencies. The incumbent must possess current driver's license and drive a government vehicle in carrying out professional duties when deemed necessary.

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 Fort Harrison VA Medical Center 3687 Veterans Drive Fort Harrison, MT 59636 US
• Name: VISN 19 HR Contact Center
• Phone: 719-227-4600
• Email: [email protected]