The Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) Referral Coordinator functions directly to support the activities of the St. Cloud VA in identifying community care eligibility and working with Veterans to determine the best modality to receive care referred for specialty care. Basic Requirements: (a) United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. (b) English Language Proficiency: 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. (c) Education Requirement: 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. (d) Licensure: Persons hired or reassigned to Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor 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. 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 (b) 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) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition, 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 familial counseling interventions; demonstrates sensitivity to diversity and possesses multicultural counseling skills. 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. 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). Preferred Experience: Mental Health References: VA Handbook 5005/106, Part II, Appendix G43 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. Physical Requirements: Light lifting and carrying under 15 pounds. The work is primarily sedentary and non-strenuous and is carried out within the confines of the office/workspace provided. ["The Outpatient Mental Health LPMHC provides comprehensive psychotherapy services to Veterans which includes individual, family and group psychotherapy in the Outpatient Mental Health Clinic at the St. Cloud VA Health Care System and affiliated Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC's). The incumbent provides interventions. and treatment to Veterans in collaboration with mental health interdisciplinary teams. The incumbent will complete diagnostic assessments, make referrals to other VA program's, provide psychoeducation and couples/family therapy with Veteran's family as indicated, work with Veterans in crisis and provide individual and group therapy. The incumbent may be assigned to Veterans as a Mental Health Treatment Coordinator (MHTC) and case management duties to include comprehensive treatment planning. - The incumbent will conduct psychosocial/psychiatric diagnostic assessments to determine needs of veterans and family members. - The incumbent is an active participant in the treatment planning process with other disciplines. - The incumbent will coordinate and refer care with other disciplines and will be responsible for ensuring that the treatment plan is executed in a manner that is timely and appropriate. - The incumbent will provide individual, family and group therapy as appropriate. - Responsible for suicide risk screening and assessment. - The incumbent will provide consultation/education to veterans and families on community resources and VA benefits. - The incumbent will as appropriate, supervise the LPMHC students. - The incumbent will perform case management duties and serve as an MHTC. - The incumbent will be responsible for treatment planning and comprehensive coordination of the Veterans care. - The incumbent will maintain data and statistical compilations to comply with CARF, TJC, VA and health care system policy and procedures. - The incumbent will document interventions and activities in patient's clinical record utilizing CPRS and ensure appropriate hand off when transferring of patient care. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 0800-1630 evenings and weekends maybe required. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]
Providing Health Care for Veterans: The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,255 health care facilities, including 170 medical centers and 1,074 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.