The incumbent serves as Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (Vet Center Director) on the multidisciplinary team that is located in a community-based Vet Center that provides Veterans, service members, and their family members with community outreach, counseling, therapy, treatment, direct services, and referral to VA and community resources and community education in the effort to address problems, needs, and to make the transition from military to civilian life successful.

Duties

Major Duties Include (But are not limited to): Supervising a multidisciplinary staff composed of clinical and administrative team members, whose primary mission is to provide direct readjustment counseling to eligible individuals in the areas of suicide prevention, crisis intervention, short-term and long-term treatment for symptoms associated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and other related readjustment issues. Planning, developing, implementing, coordinating, monitoring, and evaluating professional services rendered by subordinates. Setting guidelines and establishing intervention strategies and / or treatment priorities for individual, group, conjoint, and families employing varying clinical and therapeutic modalities. Conducting Performance Based Interviews (PBI) and determining selection processes to ensure fair and equitable recruitment of qualified, high achieving, and well prepared applicants. Developing networks and working relationships external to Readjustment Counseling Service (RCS) and the Department of Veteran Affairs, with Veteran service organizations, community based agencies, and mental health organizations to enhance service delivery and develop referrals of Veteran clients to appropriate care. Serving as a Consultant and Subject Matter Expert to programs and resources external to the Vet Center on matters of the readjustment needs of Veterans. Creating, implementing, and measuring market penetration of Vet Center services through a comprehensive outreach plan for the primary service area. Ensuring fiscal / budget management, in compliance with applicable RCS and VHA policies and procedures, as an approving official for Time & Attendance reports, leases / contracts management, local staff travel, Government Purchase Card (GPC) purchases, etc. Screening and assessing of Veteran clients, treatment planning and goal setting, referral to service providers, development of a resource file, Veteran advocacy, crisis intervention, education / health promotion, coordination of non-institutional and institutional services, and individual / group counseling. Work Schedule: Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, TBD by Supervisor; candidate may be subject to working evenings, weekends, and holidays Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position Position Title / Functional Statement #: Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (Vet Center Director)/ 50586-A Relocation / Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/20/2024. Time-in-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade at any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements, by the closing date of this announcement. If you have not held a GS grade at any time in the past 52 weeks, this requirement does not apply to you. Basic Requirements Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services. English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English. Education: This position requires that candidates possess 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) (www.cacrep.org/). Examples of related mental health counseling fields include, but are not limited to Addiction Counseling; Community Counseling; Gerontology Counseling; Marital, Couple, and Family Counseling. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED). Licensure: Must hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to independently practice as a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, which includes diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, applicants must possess Advanced practice skills and judgment, progressive professional competency and expertise, and be licensed to provide clinical supervision to trainees or unlicensed LPMHCs. Specialized Experience GS-13 Specialized Experience: For this position, you must have one year of progressively complex post-master's degree experience as a mental health counselor (VA or Non-VA), directly related to the position to be filled, that is equivalent to at least the next lower grade, GS-12, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills, judgment, and progressively more professional competency. Specialized experience is: Knowledge and understanding of the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Knowledge of methods, principles, and theories sufficient to intervene and stabilize combat Veterans suffering from multiple diagnoses Ability to conduct psychosocial assessments and implement treatment plans for combat Veterans and their families Ability to establish and maintain referral networks through community outreach to provide services to Veterans Experience in working with Veterans, especially combat Veterans, Veterans who were sexually traumatized and / or harassed while in the military Experience in providing family counseling services to Veterans and their family Experience working with combat Veterans and their families who have PTSD or readjustment issues and the ability to make independent judgments and recommendations about a number of serious and complex cases Special knowledge and skill in community resource identification and development, public speaking, basic principles of education, staff recruitment and development, and program design and management Knowledge of VA and community resources available to Veterans and their family Develops and manages a clinic's budget and program funds Working knowledge of electronic records Plans work to be accomplished by subordinates and sets guidelines for clinical, therapeutic, and treatment priorities Incumbent must possess supervisory and management skills Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g. Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g. professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. References: VA Handbook 5005/120 Social Worker Qualification Standard Appendix G43, dated April 3, 2018.

Education

GS-13 Education Requirement: applicants must possess 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) (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED)

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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov)

Contacts

• Address Readjustment Counseling Service 120 SE 6th Avenue, Ste. 102 Topeka, KS 66603 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]