Summary The incumbent is a Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) whose duties and responsibilities relate to the case management of Veterans who are demonstrating suicide behaviors. Must be skillful in assessing and treating the complicated psychosocial problems of at-risk Veterans as they transition through care. Provides these services at an advanced practice level to eligible Veterans to meet biological, psychological, social, and environmental needs. Responsibilities OPEN TO CURRENT VA FEDERAL EMPLOYEES ONLY Clinical Responsibilities: (20%) o National Category I High Risk for Suicide Flagging Program: Oversees the National Category I High Risk for Suicide Flagging program within the Suicide Prevention Program. Is the primary facility POC for National Category I High Risk for Suicide Flagging program. Provides direct patient care as well as coordinate case management and treatment for Veterans assigned high risk flags (HRF) within the Suicide Prevention Team and providers associated with those Veterans' care. They oversee the daily operation of the program, develop policies and procedures for program operation, and prepare reports and statistics for facility, VISN, and national use. The program coordinator provides analysis and evaluation of clinical program data and computerized programs to identify system-wide trends and needs to enhance the quality of service. o National Veterans Crisis Line: Oversees the day-to-day processing of crisis line referrals from the National Veterans Crisis Line to the Dublin VA within 24 business hours. The National Veterans Crisis Line call center referrals are crisis calls by nature and involve critical thinking and knowledge of available resources for Veterans in acute or routine life situations, including psychiatric emergencies. o Data Collection & Post-intervention: Completes issue briefs related to self-directed violence and is the point of contact for all suicide behavior tracking and performance improvement activities including but not limited to aggregate reviews and performance measures related to suicide prevention efforts. This encompasses tracking and trending data to develop, implement and oversee policies and procedures to reduce the incident of suicide in the VHA. The incumbent is responsible for providing support and post-intervention efforts to Veteran's next of kin survivors of suicide loss and completion of behavioral autopsies. Administrative Functions (70%) i. Is responsible for supporting the mission, policies, and procedures of VA, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the appropriate Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), and the facility. ii. Participates on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility, VISN, and/or VA Central Office levels. iii. Keeps supervisor apprised of problems and recommended solutions to problems encountered in the incumbent's area of responsibility. iv. Responsible for furthering own professional growth through education, appropriate to area of assignment, and providing coverage during Suicide Prevention Coordinators absences. v. Maintains a level of productivity and quality consistent with facility and clinical mental health standards and the complexity of the assignment. vi. Participates in interdisciplinary team meetings, appropriate facility meetings, and clinical mental health meetings. Shares knowledge and experiences gained from own clinical practice and education relevant to the field of clinical mental health. vii. The incumbent is responsible for various administrative functions. viii. Complies with all safety policies and procedures. Teaching, Training, Outreach: (10%) o Provides outreach, teaching, and training to the Dublin VAMC and CBOC staff members, Veterans, family members and community at large. Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:30pm, Monday through Friday Telework: Ad-hoc may be available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 55889F 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. 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications Basic Requirements: Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. 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. English Language Proficiency. LPMHCs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Regulations. 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). Must pass a background check. Grade Determinations: GS-12 Senior LPMHC Assignments. Senior LPMHCs provide treatment to patients with complex needs including multiple mental health diagnoses, and numerous psychosocial issues, using independent judgment. LPMHCs at this level provide clinical consultation to less experienced staff which may include coordinating crisis situations. Senior LPMHCs will provide clinical supervision to LPMHC staff and/or LPMHC trainees, and may serve as the subject matter expert for the discipline. Senior LPMHCs develop behavioral health related training curriculum and often conduct trainings for clinical staff. LPMHCs model ethical and professional behaviors and standards to include multicultural awareness. Senior LPMHCs meet routinely with interprofessional team members and leadership to communicate about program and patient issues for in depth problem solving. Senior LPMHCs collaborate with internal and external stakeholders and frequently serve as a liaison. This assignment is to be relatively few in number based on the size of the facility/service and applying sound position management. This assignment must represent substantial additional responsibility over and above that required at the full performance grade level and cannot be used as the full performance level of this occupation. Experience, Education, and Licensure. In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least one year of progressively complex LPMHC experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Senior LPMHCs must have five years of post-licensed experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressive professional competency and expertise and be licensed to provide clinical supervision to trainees or unlicensed LPMHCs. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-11 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: 1. Advanced knowledge of and mastery of theories and modalities used in the specialized treatment of complex mental illness. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of veteran patients, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. Ability to determine priority of services needed and provide specialized treatment. 2. Advanced and expert skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities for Veterans with complex needs. This includes individual, group, and/or family counseling, or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial, and/or case management interventions used in the treatment of Veterans. 3. Ability to coordinate the delivery of specialized psychosocial services and programs. Ability to design system changes based on data. 4. Ability to provide subject matter consultation to colleagues and trainees on the psychosocial treatment of patients, rendering professional opinions based on experience, expertise and role modeling effective clinical skills. 5. Ability to teach, mentor staff and trainees, and provide supervision for licensure or for specialty certifications. 6. Ability to engage in written and oral communication with leadership/staff and community stakeholders regarding policies, procedures, practice guidelines, and issues pertaining to the practice of the profession. References: VA Handbook 5005/106, Part II, Appendix G43, LICENSED PROFESSIONAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR QUALIFICATION STANDARD The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is a GS-12. Physical Requirements: Usually works indoors in areas which normally have adequate heat, light, and ventilation. The work is primarily sedentary; however, there is some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items such as papers, files, manuals and records. 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 Receiving Service Credit for 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. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
