This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.
Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency: You must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f). 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 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. 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. GS-12 Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (Program Coordinator) 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 While we no longer require essay-style responses to our Knowledge's Skills, Abilities, and Other Characteristics (KSAOs), you must be able to demonstrate that you possess the (below) competencies which are necessary to perform the work of the position. Please ensure your resume/CV/application contains sufficient information to support the level of experience/education/training; otherwise, we will not be able to award you credit for the experience/education/training you claim. These are the KSA's for this subject position: GS-12 Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (Program Coordinator) Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 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 Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. This position is being filled above the full performance level at GS-12. Physical Requirements: The physical demands of the work are generally minor. The work is primarily sedentary (1-2 hours) in nature and usually occurs within climate controlled clinical and administrative settings. Use of fingers may be required to operate computers. There may be occasional light lifting/carrying (15 pounds or less) requirements to relocate boxed materials from one area to another, equipment and room set-up, and ambulation related to physical inspections of the facilities (clear speech, hearing, and emotional stability and environmental factors.
The Suicide Prevention Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) Program Coordinator facilitates implementation of Suicide Prevention strategies at a local level through education, monitoring, and coordination activities. The primary responsibilities of the Suicide Prevention LPMHC Program Coordinator include monitoring list of Veterans determined to be at high risk for self-harm, providing education to all front line and clinical staff regarding risk factors and protective factors for suicide, educating clinical staff regarding safety planning with their patients, networking with community partners, providing programmatic guidance for the team of suicide prevention specialists, and providing timely and accurate responses to all action items regarding the Suicide Prevention Program. Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Responding to consults from the National Veterans Crisis Hotline and coordinating the follow-up care for these Veterans and their families. Assuring that all Veterans on the facility tracking list are being followed closely by the appropriate provider on a regular basis as determined by the coordinator and the provider. Initiating flags for Veterans identified as high risk and removing flags for Veterans who no longer meet this criterion according to local policy. Working with community resources such as the Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) and other community groups to assure that they are aware of how to recognize Veterans who are at risk for suicide and their options for getting these Veterans immediate assistance. Developing and implementing an ongoing education plan for providers, Veterans, families, and members of the community on risk factors and warning signs for suicide along with treatment options. Providing referrals to VA medical and mental health treatment and to other VA services, including VA benefits, community-based social services or other non-VA entitlement programs. Assessing high-risk factors, acuity, and the need for services and serving Veterans who tend to have frequent and severe crises, or an inadequate community support network, those that frequently fail to comply with instructions and treatment or have significant deficits in coping and require continuing professional psychosocial support. Participating in the assignment of Veterans to treatment teams and programs. Consulting with other specialists in planning treatment for Veterans and with comorbidities. Working collaboratively with each of the mental health teams to ensure appropriate care coordination for Veterans at risk for suicide. Developing working relationships with other organizations having responsibility for the same patient population. Maintaining a current and productive network of referral resources. Conducting outreach to community-based agencies and provides SAVE Training facility-wide to all staff. Serving as a mentor to other social workers, particularly those at the entry-level and to social work graduate students. Drafting responses to clinical concerns including Issue Briefs, Action Items, or Congressional Requests. These responses are written with a high level of expertise and proficiency given the incumbents expert knowledge of mental health diagnosis and the prevention of suicide. Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:30pm, Monday - Friday Telework: Not available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #41835F LPMHC Program Coordinator Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized. EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact V8_EDRP_WPB@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.