At Columbia VA Health Care System, our health care teams are deeply experienced and guided by the needs of Veterans, their families, and caregivers.

Duties

Major duties include, but are not limited to: Performs psychological evaluations for individuals with mental health and medical disorders for purposes of diagnostic clarification and treatment planning recommendations. Provides/Assists with diagnoses of mental disorders, particularly for complex or unusually difficult patients to include a full range of psycho-diagnostic services. Provide comprehensive, evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions, including individual, family, and group psychotherapy. Provides education to patients, family members, significant others, and community members. Provides consultation to professional staff within the WJB Dorn VAMC or CBOC and to community providers, concerning clinical assessment findings and appropriate treatment plans for patients. Functions as a member of the Trauma Recovery Program (TRP) and WJB Dorn and associated VAMC Medical Staff, with full clinical privileges. Trained in one of the VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guidelines first line treatments for PTSD: Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Work Schedule: 8:00am-4:30pm, Monday-Friday Telework: Regular and Recurring Telework Available, 1-2 days per pay period may be authorized for highly qualified candidates. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 53409-F; 53411F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact [email protected] for questions or assistance. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred & 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 & 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 & Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling; or a related field, from a program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Counseling & 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, & 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, & unrestricted license to independently practice as a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, which includes diagnosis & 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). 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: Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, GS-9 (Entry Level) Experience, Education, & Licensure. None beyond the basic requirement. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities. In addition to the basic requirements, the candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: Ability to engage in intake & assessment, problem identification, diagnosis, treatment planning & implementation, continuum of care, evaluation & follow-up. Knowledge of current Diagnostic & Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders in formulation of treatment goals & 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, & strategies that address high risk behaviors, wellness, personal growth, & career development across the life span. Ability to use a wide variety of individual, group, or family counseling interventions; demonstrates sensitivity to diversity & possesses multicultural counseling skills. Ability to serve on an interdisciplinary team with focus on the intrapersonal, interpersonal, & relational functioning of individuals, groups & families & on the counseling approaches, strategies, & 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 & thorough clinical documentation & delivery of services, such as Telehealth. Ability to learn & utilize software programs in use by VHA. Knowledge & understanding of existing relevant statutes, case laws, ethical codes, & regulations affecting professional practice of counseling. Ability to communicate effectively, both orally & in writing, with people from varied backgrounds. Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, GS-11 (Full Performance Level) Experience, Education, & 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) & must be licensed to practice at the independent practice level. LPMHCs may provide clinical supervision over the clinical practice of an unlicensed LPMHC or LPMHC trainee. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities (KSAs). In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-9 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: Ability to make professional evaluations, decisions, & recommendation for treatment planning & implementation. Advanced knowledge & mastery of the fundamentals of the counseling process which includes defining patient/family problems & maintaining an effective counseling relationship. Ability to provide subject matter consultation to colleagues & trainees on the counseling process within various specialty areas, build on the foundation of competence through regular meetings & discussions to explain assignments, review progress of cases & confer about the counseling perspectives & orientation. Ability to provide complex crisis intervention & stabilization to patients who are in psychological distress. Requires independent judgment & skill. Ability to establish goals/treatment through a collaborative process with the patient utilizing advanced counseling skills, including evidenced- based practices, screening, & psychosocial assessment. Ability to use a wide variety of individual, group, or familial counseling interventions; demonstrates sensitivity to diversity & possesses multicultural counseling skills. Ability to fully utilize the current DSM in making diagnoses & formulation of treatment goals & application of appropriate clinical intervention using professional counseling practices. Ability to develop & facilitate psychotherapy & psycho- education groups that include life skills, family support, & community integration. This may include evidence based psychotherapy. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. 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: See VA Directive and Handbook 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 Columbia VA Health Care System 6439 Garners Ferry Road Columbia, SC 29209 US
• Name: Ryan Fowler
• Phone: 404-321-6111 X573371
• Email: [email protected]