Career Center

The Incumbent provides Outpatient Mental Health services to the Veteran population enrolled under the Syracuse VA Medical Center. Services include provision of high-quality individual therapy, case management, crisis intervention, advocacy, coordination of care to other appropriate VA or community service providers/agencies and group therapy as needed by the client. 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 Requirement - Per VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, Paragraph 3j: No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C., chapter 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English. Education Requirement - You must 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-0101 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). Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, GS-11 (Full Performance Level) (a) 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 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. (b) 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. (c) 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: 1.Ability to make professional evaluations, decisions, and recommendation for treatment planning and implementation. 2.Advanced knowledge and mastery of the fundamentals of the counseling process which includes defining patient/family problems and maintaining an effective counseling relationship. 3. 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. 4. Ability to provide complex crisis intervention and stabilization to patients who are in psychological distress. Requires independent judgment and skill. 5. Ability to establish goals/treatment through a collaborative process with the patient utilizing advanced counseling skills, including evidenced- based practices, screening, and psychosocial assessment. 6. Ability to use a wide variety of individual, group, or familial counseling interventions; demonstrates sensitivity to diversity and possesses multicultural counseling skills. 7. 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. 8. 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. References: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G43 LPMHC Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary but also demands standing, walking, bending, twisting, and carrying light items. ["Services include the provision of high-quality individual psychotherapy, case management, crisis intervention, advocacy, coordination of care to other appropriate VA or community service providers/agencies, as needed based on the unique needs of the Veteran. This is accomplished in collaboration with members of the Outpatient Mental Health treatment team and other interdisciplinary treatment teams, as appropriate. Knowledge of the Social Determinants of Health that may affect a wide range of health and quality of life risks and outcomes; the implications on a Veterans wellness, treatment implications, stability, and recovery is important. The incumbent demonstrates an understanding of the range of treatment and skills needed for all adult patients, being sensitive to human growth and development, age-appropriate needs and concerns of the Veteran, and be able to provide current and advanced techniques to the treatment of this Veteran population. Psychosocial assessment, treatment planning, electronic medical record use are required. The incumbent works within a multidisciplinary treatment team and provides extensive liaison activities with other treatment teams as required to provide continuity of care for the Veterans in order to optimize the Veteran's functional status. Services are given to Veterans diagnosed with mental health-related disorders, couples, and family-related challenges. Common related disorders may include co-occurring mental health diagnoses such as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Mood Disorders, and Personality Disorders; couples and family concerns including domestic/intimate partner violence, and chronic pain. Awareness of the impact of substance abuse on the Veteran's mental health and family system is important. The incumbent requires specialized knowledge of psychiatric emergency assessment, suicide and homicide risk assessments, crisis intervention, chronic and acute mental health conditions, community resources, and appropriate treatment interventions. The incumbent will need to be comfortable and participate in training to provide some services via telehealth as well as all other virtual modalities supported by the VA. May provide supervision to a LPMHC intern or be generally involved in the LPMHC training program. Work Schedule: M-F, 8AM-4:30PM (ET) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 21P36-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized"]

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