Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (Program Coordinator)-Telemental Health Program

Veterans Health Administration · United States

• 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 : LPMHCs must be proficient in spoken and written English.
• 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 3 graduated from a CACREP accredited program. Additional information may be obtained from
  • 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.
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 :
Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (Program Coordinator), GS-12.
Experience, Education, and Licensure. In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Experience must have been in a major specialty treatment program area such as, but not limited to, Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), mental health intensive case management (MHICM), or other areas of equivalent scope and complexity. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency. Examples of experience at the GS-11 level include: 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; and 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.
And,
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:
• In depth knowledge of the program coordinated, and demonstrated knowledge and ability to write policies procedures and or practice guidelines for the program.
• Ability to make key decisions in the hiring and identification of top candidates.
• Ability to provide leadership in facilitating the process of coordinating program consults, assessments, admissions, care assignments and discharges.
• Ability to provide subject matter consultation to other colleagues and trainees within the field of counseling working on an interdisciplinary team.
Preferred Experience:
Experience working as a leader or member of a multidisciplinary team.
Experience analyzing data, identifying trends, and preparing reports for leaders and interdisciplinary teams.
Experience coaching and educating teams at multiple levels of the organization.
Strong oral and written communication skills.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit .
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12.
Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, pulling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment.
Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.