Summary The Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor provides outpatient mental health services to Veterans enrolled at the Syracuse VA Medical Center and its associated Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs). This position is located at the Potsdam VA CBOC. Responsibilities Duties include but are not limited to: The incumbent is tasked with delivering psychotherapeutic treatment to individuals, couples, and occasionally groups, focusing on mental health symptoms and emotional challenges. The primary objectives are to alleviate these symptoms, enhance self-awareness and self-management, and foster recovery and overall well-being for Veterans. The incumbent will: - The candidate possesses excellent verbal and written communication skills, allowing for effective interactions with diverse individuals from a wide range of backgrounds. The incumbent collaborates with Veterans and their chosen Caregivers to determine the most suitable clinical approaches for providing comprehensive, recovery-focused, strength-based, and trauma-informed mental health care. - Work together with the Veteran to conduct a comprehensive psychosocial assessment and formulate treatment plans that emphasize mental health treatment options customized to the Veteran's unique needs. The incumbent will partner with the Veteran to establish a treatment plan that incorporates achievable goals, using Measurement Based Care tools as a fundamental element. - Familiarity with treatment protocols for various psychiatric disorders, expertise in evidence-based practice protocols, including Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). Additionally, possess a general understanding of the effects and side effects associated with common psychotropic medications. - Proficiency in mental health and medical diagnoses, utilizing suitable terminology to facilitate effective communication with fellow healthcare professionals. - Clinical documentation of treatment interventions is written within an electronic health record system, where the incumbent will also review progress notes from other providers to assess the strengths and challenges faced by Veterans, ensuring a comprehensive approach to care. - Experience in conducting rapid assessments and creating crisis management strategies for Veterans that may require psychiatric hospitalization or ability to assess readiness for admission to mental health/substance abuse residential programs. - Competence in collaborative clinical discussions and advocacy for the psychosocial/mental health needs of Veterans, addressing how these issues impact health and mental health care and psychiatric treatment adherence. - The incumbent routinely assesses the mental health needs of Veterans during their outpatient treatment, working closely with the clinical team to ensure a smooth progression through care. This strategy focuses on guiding Veterans to the least restrictive mental health services while maintaining their psychiatric stability. Prioritizing effective communication, the incumbent coordinates services to enable seamless transitions between different levels of care. They are skilled in implementing timely discharge/transition plans. - Possess a general understanding of Veterans' benefits and services, including specialized programs and compensation options. - Willingness to accept additional responsibilities as needed, demonstrating professional flexibility and the ability to adapt to the evolving requirements of the organization, the outpatient mental health service system, and the Veterans being served. - Evaluation of one's own practice through self-assessment and participation in clinical discussions and supervision. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm. Telework: Not available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Note: This position may be filled by a Psychologist, Social Worker or Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC). These three positions are advertised separately on USAJobs. If you are interested in any position, please apply to the respective job announcement. This vacancy is a multi-disciplinary announcement. If you are a Psychologist and are interested in applying, please apply here. If you are a Social Worker and re interested in applying, please apply here. 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 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: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. Education - Master's or doctoral degree in one of the following: 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 Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) qualification standards as Traditional Rehabilitation counseling differs from Clinical Rehabilitation counseling. Licensure - Must hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to independently practice as a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, which includes diagnosis and treatment. Grandfather Provision: An LPMHC employed in VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard (4/3/2018) who did not meet all the basic requirements in this standard may not be promoted beyond the full performance level (GS-11) or be newly placed in supervisory or managerial positions until meeting the full qualification requirements. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements stated above, the following qualification criteria must be met for each grade. The candidate's qualifications must clearly demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade. GS-11 LPMHC (Full Performance Level) Requirements: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-11 you must have at least one year of post-master's or post- doctoral degree mental health counseling experience (VA or non-VA experience) that demonstrates the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Ability to engage in intake and assessment, problem identification, diagnosis, treatment planning and implementation, continuum of care, evaluation and follow-up. Knowledge of current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders in formulation of treatment goals and 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, and strategies that address high risk behaviors, wellness, personal growth, and career development across the life span. Ability to use a wide variety of individual, group, or family counseling interventions. Ability to serve on an interdisciplinary team with focus on the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and relational functioning of individuals, groups and families and on the counseling approaches, strategies, and 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 and thorough clinical documentation and delivery of services, such as Telehealth. Ability to learn and utilize software programs in use by VHA. Knowledge and understanding of existing relevant statutes, case laws, ethical codes, and regulations affecting professional practice of counseling. Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds. 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: VA Handbook 5005/50, part II, Appendix G43 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: The work is primarily sedentary. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education or if a degree is required for the position. 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 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. 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.
