Description:
The Veterans Health Administration, VHA, is currently recruiting for one GS 9 target 11 as a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor or a Marriage Family Therapist, or Social Worker to work in the Mental Health-Outpatient-Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program.Requirements:
Applicants pending completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred & tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are metBasic Requirements
Citizenship Must be US citizen. Non-citizens may be appointed when it's not possible to recruit qualified US citizens
English Language Proficiency Applicants must be proficient in spoken & written English
Education: Hold 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 program accredited by Council on Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Examples of related mental health counseling fields include, but aren't limited to Addiction Counseling; Community Counseling; Gerontology Counseling; Marital, Couple & Family Counseling. CACREP defines date when graduates are considered to have graduated from CACREP accredited program. Additional information may be obtained from http://www.cacrep.org/directory/.
NOTE: Traditional Rehabilitation counseling programs that are accredited by CACREP don't meet LPMHC qualification standards as Traditional Rehabilitation counseling differs from Clinical Rehabilitation counseling
Licensure. Persons hired/reassigned to LPMHC positions in 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
NOTE: It's VHA policy that LPMHCs who don't yet have a license that allows independent practice must be supervised by a licensed independent practitioner of the same discipline who's a VA staff member & who has access to the electronic health record
Exception. VHA may waive licensure requirements for persons otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure. Exception only applies up to the full performance level. For grade levels at/above full performance levels, candidates must be licensed. Appointing official may waive licensure requirement for a period not to exceed 3 years for a LPMHC that provides care under the clinical supervision of a licensed LPMHC who's at/above the full performance level. Exception only applies at the entry level, GS-9. For grade levels at/above full performance levels, candidates must be licensed. The Human Resources Office will provide deadline requirement to obtain licensure in writing to unlicensed LPMHC & consequences for not becoming licensed by the deadline. The written notice must be provided prior to the entrance on duty date.
Failure to Obtain License. In all cases, LPMHCs must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure starting from their appointment date. Failure to become licensed w/in 3 years from their appointment date will result in removal from the GS-0183 LPMHC series & may result in employment termination
Loss of Licensure. Once licensed, LPMHCs must maintain a full, valid & unrestricted license to independently practice mental health counseling. This includes diagnosis & treatment. Loss of licensure will result in removal from the GS-0183 LPMHC series & may result in employment termination
Grandfather Provision. All persons employed in VHA 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 & licensure/certification/registration that are part of the occupation basic requirements. For employees who don't meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply
Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure, may be reassigned, promoted up to & including the full performance level, or demoted w/in the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the full performance level/placed in supervisory/managerial positions.
Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels
Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the qualification standard effective date may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
If an employee who was retained (grandfathered) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status & must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation
Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education &/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all qualification standard basic requirements must maintain required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation
Grade Determinations
GS-9
Experience, Education & Licensure. The GS-9 grade level is the entry grade level for LPMHCs w/ less than 1 year's post-master's degree experience
OR
LPMHCs at master's or doctoral level who are graduates not yet licensed at the independent practice level. Unlicensed LPMHCs at the GS-9 grade level have completed the required basic education listed & are working toward completion of prerequisites for licensure.
AND
In addition, candidates must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities, KSAs
1) Ability to engage in intake and assessment, problem identification, diagnosis, treatment planning and implementation, continuum of care, evaluation and follow-up
2) 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
3) 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
4) Ability to use a wide variety of individual, group, or family counseling interventions; demonstrates sensitivity to diversity and possesses multicultural counseling skills
5) 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
6) 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
7) Ability to learn and utilize software programs in use by VHA
8) Knowledge and understanding of existing relevant statutes, case laws, ethical codes, and regulations affecting professional practice of counseling
9) Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds
GS-11 Experience, Education & Licensure In addition to basic requirements, candidates must have at least 1 year post-master's/post- doctoral degree mental health counseling experience, VA or non-VA experience & must be licensed to practice at independent practice level & demonstrate KSAs below. LPMHCs may provide clinical supervision over clinical practice of an unlicensed LPMHC/LPMHC trainee. Some state licenses don't license individuals to provide clinical supervision to trainees or unlicensed LPMHCs. Please refer to specific state licensing laws regarding requirements for providing clinical supervision
AND
GS-11 KSAs Qualification requirements continued in Additional Information section
Oct 11, 2023;
from:
usajobs.gov