Readjustment Counselors are multi-disciplinary and can be filled by: Social Worker, Psychologist, Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, and Marriage & Family Therapist. Each discipline is announced separately, and applicants must apply to the announcement for which they are qualified.
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 Education: 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-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. Grade Determinations: GS-11 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) performing duties such as: engaging in intake and assessment, problem identification, diagnosis, treatment planning and implementation, continuum of care, evaluation and follow-up; using a wide variety of individual, group, or family counseling interventions; providing professional mental health counseling services; and must be licensed to practice at the independent practice level. In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): 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. Preferred Experience: At least 3 years of independent clinical experience facilitating individual, group, family and couples counseling. Experience working in the VHA or large medical hospital systems, trained in evidence based practice i.e. EMDR, BSP, CPT, DBT; strong clinical skills and thorough clinical documentation. Physical Requirements: The work does not inherently include physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with a workplace accommodation. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
As a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) you will be responsible for providing services to eligible individuals who are experiencing a variety of military related psychological and psychosocial problems. You must possess the knowledge and experience to independently implement psychotherapeutic modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to enhance the readjustment of Veterans, active-duty Service members, and their families. Functions and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Intake screening and assessment: Complete all readjustment counseling intake procedures, including an assessment of risk for self-harm, military history and military related psychosocial stressors, and assess family readjustment stressors and document identified behaviors or symptoms. Readjustment counseling goal setting and service planning: Develop and periodically update an individualized readjustment counseling service plan that reflects a course of therapeutic and psychosocial interventions, including identification of achievable goals and measurable outcomes. Direct readjustment counseling service provision: Incorporate complex multiple causation in differential psychosocial assessment and direct service delivery to eligible Veterans, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnostic inferences within the clinical scope of practice. Risk assessment and crisis intervention: Conduct timely assessment of Veterans in crisis to identify immediate needs, evaluate risk, and initiate safety planning as appropriate. Care coordination: Links the Veteran with other community services, resources, and opportunities to maximize the Veteran's independence, health, and well-being. Coordinating readjustment counseling and outreach: Maintain active coordination with Vet Center outreach workers to ensure seamless referral to Vet Center services for those individuals engaged in the community at outreach events that may require follow-up readjustment counseling. Team cohesion and coordination: Actively participate in staff meetings designed to promote team building and staff development. Documentation/administrative responsibilities/consultation: Document all clinical interactions with eligible individuals and episodes of care coordination on their behalf as required by policy. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 10:00a-6:30p; Evenings are required based on the needs of the Vet Center. Telework: Not available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 43860-0 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized