Summary 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. Responsibilities Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The incumbent is assigned as a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) in Integrated Care (IC) who works at the interface between primary care (PC) and/or specialty medicine (SM) in an integrated care model. The position is assigned to the Mental Health Service and requires extensive work with Veterans diagnosed with medical conditions, mental illness, and substance use disorders (SUD). Duties include, but are not limited, to: Clinical Functions (100%): Routinely provides curbside consultations with PC and/or SM providers and other members of the medical treatment team about plan of care for patients and provides feedback in a timely manner. Conduct functional assessments based on 20-30-minute appointments to determine how the presenting problem is impacting the patient's functioning, what level of care is appropriate, what services the patient agreeable to, and teaching a new skill or strategy with which the Veteran can leave the clinic. Triage appropriately and efficiently to specialty mental health services. Application of principles of population-based care (defines role and identifies problems rapidly) most of encounters 20-30 minutes. Conduct routine brief assessments (e.g., PHQ-9, GAD-7, ISI, etc.). Conduct brief behavioral health interventions (e.g., 1-6 sessions for chronic, grief, adjustment disorder, depression, anxiety) that are problem-focused and solution oriented. Development of competency in brief, evidence-based treatment modalities such as Problem Solving Training; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for insomnia, chronic pain, and other disorders; and Motivational Interviewing. Use of time-limited, evidence-based, interventions that are simple and concrete. Development of appropriate treatment goals in collaboration with the Veteran/family and with the PC and/or SM teams. Intermittent inter-visit patient contacts to bolster treatment outcomes. Coordination of community-based services, including information and referral for additional services from other VA programs (e.g., Whole Health), other government programs (Vet Center) and community agency programs. ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS (10%) Adheres to, supports, and contributes to the development of operational policies and procedures of the PC and/or SM clinics, IC, MHS and the Medical Center. Executes ongoing program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement of IC to monitor the effectiveness, which is reported to the Integrated Care Program Manager. Contributes to interdisciplinary care planning conferences and team huddles/meetings. Serves on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility, VISN, and/or VA Central Office levels. Participates in service/facility meetings. Shares knowledge and experiencesgained from own clinical practice and education relevant to the field of LPMHCs. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 8 am to 4:30 pm Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 93152-0 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact Contact visn10hredrpslrp@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a trial period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Qualifications 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. 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. 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. Grade Determinations: Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor 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 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, 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 family counseling interventions. 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. 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. Physical Requirements: Work is primarily performed in an office setting. Work is mostly sedentary; however, the incumbent must follow appropriate safety procedures as there will be some periods of walking and may involve light lifting, turning, or moving hands, arms, feet, and legs to operate hand and foot controls. The position requires the use of office equipment such as computers, keyboards, telephones, fax machines, and photocopy machines. Visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity are required. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations and able to shift priorities based on patient needs. May be exposed to infected patients and/or contaminated materials and will be required to take appropriate safety and protective measures. 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/. Additional Information VA Healthcare System Serving Ohio, Indiana and Michigan (VISN 10) advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the @context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being. Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act (or the Act) prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from requesting applicant criminal history record information before extending a conditional or tentative offer of employment. In accordance with 5 U.S.C § 9202(c) and 5 C.F.R § 920.201, certain positions are exempt from the provisions of the Act. Applicants who believe they have been subjected to a violation of the Act, may submit a written complaint within 30 calendar days of the date of the alleged non-compliance to VA atvacofairchanceact@va.gov. Applicant written complaints should include the following:· Administration name: Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Office name, employee name and contact information or contractor who made contact (if known) Date of contact Details regarding the job opportunity announcement applied to, and copies of any documents or other evidence related to the complaint) Visit Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) for more information
