Summary The Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention (OMHSP) provides strategic guidance to improve mental health care for over 1.5 million Veterans. The Suicide Prevention Program (SPP) leads implementation of VA's National Strategy for Preventing Veteran Suicide and the VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for Assessment and Management of Patients at Risk for Suicide through a comprehensive public health approach. Responsibilities The Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) Suicide Prevention case manager is a full-time position assigned to Suicide Prevention, and will have responsibility to coordinate and monitor services for Veterans designated as high risk for suicide and act as the transitional coordinator of care for these patients. The LPMHC is responsible for coordinating the care of high-risk patients throughout the medical center, including CBOC's and community agencies. In addition to duties in the Suicide Prevention Clinic, the LPMHC may participate in discipline specific duties such as clinical supervision, peer consultation, didactics, and the internship program. Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Collaboration with inpatient treatment providers to support appropriate discharge planning following recommendations for treatment of patients at high risk for suicide. Assuring that all Veterans assigned to the facility high risk monitoring list are being followed for a time period of 90 day. Monitoring activities include: Face to face and/or telephone contact with the Veteran to psychosocially assess their safety and ongoing treatment compliance Tracking any no-show appointments and following up with the patient and provider to assess suicide risk and reschedule Initiating emergency complex crisis interventions as indicated if a Veteran is at imminent risk of harm to self With patient consent, contacting family members or other support to provide education and involve them in the patient's treatment and safety planning Completing safety plans with Veterans Serving as a consultant or member of the Veteran's treatment team if a high-risk flag is in place Managing placement of the high-risk flag and removal as clinically indicated, in consultation with Veteran's providers. Contacting and collaborating with the Veteran's' primary therapist to coordinate monitoring activities Making recommendations for referral of Veterans to a variety of appropriate programs such as MHICM, PRRC, etc. Maintaining awareness of suicide treatment options and making recommendation to the patient's provider when new options become available. Assuring that all high-risk patients have completed and received a copy of safety plan which documents crisis prevention strategies that the Veterans identifies and agrees with. Collecting and reporting data related to suicide behaviors, safety plan completion, outreach activities and high-risk monitory as required by local administration, VISN, and VACO OMHSP. Respond to consults from the Veterans Crisis Line. Advanced knowledge and mastery of the fundamentals of the counseling process, with the ability to provide consultation to fellow staff members. Assisting with provision of ongoing gatekeeper training program (Operation SAVE) for new employees and non-clinical frontline staff such as clerks and telephone operators as needed to assure that they are aware of options for patients with whom they come in contact during crisis situations. Assisting with outreach to community resources such as VSO's and other community groups to assure that they are aware of how to recognize Veterans at risk for suicide and their options for getting these Veterans assistance. Timely and accurate documentation, using appropriate notes and templates as defined within the suicide prevention program guide as well as behavioral health department. Assist with coverage when needed for Mental Health Intake and Evaluation Unit (MHIEU) in the ED as well as inpatient psychiatry. Ability to develop and/or facilitate psychotherapy and psycho-education groups. Ability and knowledge of using the current DSM in making diagnoses and treatment options. May be required to maintain a small caseload of patients. Other duties as required. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #:24560F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized 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. 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. 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). 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 1 or 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 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: Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.g.). 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. 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). Grade Determinations: GS-11 Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (Full Performance Level): 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. Assignments. This is the full performance grade level for LPMHCs. At this level they are licensed to independently practice professional counseling and to provide mental health services within the knowledge, theory, and training foundations of professional counseling. LPMHCs may be assigned to any VHA area, consulting with peers and supervisors as appropriate. LPMHCs may be involved in program evaluation and/or research activities. 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 11. Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary but also demands standing, walking, bending, twisting, and carrying light items. This vacancy is a multi-disciplinary announcement. If you are a Social Worker and are interested in applying, please apply to Vacancy 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.
