Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor - Fayetteville, United States - Department of Veterans Affairs

Description

Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program.

You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment.

Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

Learn more about this agency

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Overview

• Accepting applications
• Open & closing dates

04/24/2024 to 09/30/2024

• Salary

$86,962 - $113,047 per year

• Pay scale & grade

GS 12

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Location

1 vacancy in the following location:

• Fayetteville, AR
• Remote job

No

• Telework eligible

Yes-as determined by the agency policy.

• Travel Required

25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.

• Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

• Appointment type

Permanent -* Work schedule

Full-time -* Service

Excepted

• Promotion potential

None

• Job family (Series)

0183 Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor

• Supervisory status

No

• Security clearance

Not Required

• Drug test

No

• Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

• Trust determination process

Credentialing

Suitability/Fitness

• Announcement number

CBST AB

• Control number

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This job is open to

• Federal employees - Competitive service

Current or former competitive service federal employees.

• Federal employees - Excepted service

Current excepted service federal employees.

• Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of this agency.

Clarification from the agency

1st Area of Consideration - Current permanent Veterans Health Care Systems of the Ozarks employee (includes CBOCs) 2nd Area of Consideration - Current permanent Veterans Healthcare Administration employees 3rd Area of Consideration - Current permanent VA Nationwide employees 4th Area of Consideration - Current permanent Federal employees of other Agencies

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Duties

If you ARE NOT a current, permanent VA employee or Federal employee from another agency, you should apply using announcement:
CBST AB

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 30, 2024 or until all positions are filled.

The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be May 9, 2024, with subsequent cut-off dates of every two weeks until all positions are filled.

Duties include, but not limited to:

Enhanced Care Delivery:

• Ensures that enhanced care and services, including intensified treatment, safety planning, and follow-up care for missed appointments, are provided for high-risk Veterans.
• Collaborates with treating clinicians to assess risk and provide guidance about criteria for Patient Record Flags Category I - High Risk for Suicide (HRS-PRF) placements and ensures that high-risk Veterans are receiving appropriate care following their HRS-PRF placements.
• Provides consultations to treating clinicians to assist them with managing Veterans at high risk for suicide.

Access and Referrals:

• Responds to referrals from staff members, the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL), and other touch points to ensure that at-risk Veterans immediately receive care and services.

Outreach and Awareness:

• Performs mandated outreach and awareness activities as a member of the SPT.
• Fosters awareness of suicide prevention, interventions, and postvention.
• Builds relationships and collaborates with state and local governments, health care systems, community organizations, and other public and private institutions, stakeholders, and partners for the enhancement of suicide prevention among Veterans, their families, and communities.

Education and Training:

• Engages in educational activities regarding suicide prevention with clinical and nonclinical staff within the VA.
• Instructs VA health care providers how to report Veteran suicidal self- directed violence behaviors, including attempts, interrupted attempts, preparatory behaviors, deaths, and all self-directed violence behavior events of undetermined suicidal intent.

Program Administration:

• Serves as a facility subject matter expert (SME) and point of contact (POC) for matters related to suicide.
• Collaborates with other SPCs and VA at-large to share best practices through multiple touch points.
• Documents services rendered to improve the SPP overall.
• Attends both the National Monthly SPC Call and the VISN Monthly SPC Call.

Tracking and Reporting:

• Ensures reporting mechanisms are implemented for all suicidal behaviors occurring within facility catchment areas.
• Manages the Patient Record Flag Category - High Risk for Suicide (HRS-PRF) process for all Veterans determined to be at a high risk for suicide.
• Reviews the nature of care provided using a combination of tracking and reporting tools.
• Ensures that information about facility programs and patients is accurately articulated to VA leadership.

Work Schedule:
Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm


Telework:

Available - This position is authorized for telework but has not been authorized as virtual or remote (i.e., the employee must be able to work at the location the position is being announced for).

VA supports the use of telework to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies.

Telework eligibility may be discussed during the interview process.

Virtual:
This is not a virtual position.


Functional Statement #:
F


Relocation/Recruitment Incentives:
Not Authorized


EDRP Authorized:
Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.
Contact , the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized


Financial Disclosure Report:
Not required

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Must be able to independently operate Government Vehicle.
• Must provide clean driving record report from the DMV during the pre-employment process.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

Qualifications


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: LPMHCs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3.j.
• Education: VHA LPMHC 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.

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:
GS-12 Requirements

Experience, Education, and Licensure.

In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least one year of progressively complex LPMHC experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level.

Senior LPMHCs must have five years of post-licensed experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressive professional competency and expertise and be licensed to provide clinical supervision to trainees or unlicensed LPMHCs.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• Advanced knowledge of and mastery of theories and modalities used in the specialized treatment of complex mental illness. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of veteran patients, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. Ability to determine priority of services needed and provide specialized treatment.
• Advanced and expert skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities for Veterans with complex needs. This includes individual, group, and/or family counseling, or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial, and/or case management interventions used in the treatment of Veterans.
• Ability to coordinate the delivery of specialized psychosocial services and programs. Ability to design system changes based on data.
• Ability to provide subject matter consultation to colleagues and trainees on the psychosocial treatment of patients, rendering professional opinions based on experience, expertise and role modeling effective clinical skills.
• Ability to teach, mentor staff and trainees, and provide supervision for licensure or for specialty certifications.
• Ability to engage in written and oral communication with leadership/staff and community stakeholders regarding policies, procedures, practice guidelines, and issues pertaining to the practice of the profession.

Note:

KSAs must be clearly reflected in your resume under description of duties to be found qualified for this position/grade level.

Preferred Experience:

• Comfortable in providing Mental Health Care through Telehealth modalities.
• Participation as a member of multi-disciplinary treatment team providing a full range of Mental Health Services.
• Skilled at multi-tasking, and working under the pressure of multiple responsibilities with deadlines.
• Excellent customer service skills (internal and external customers).

References:
VA Handbook 5005/106, Part II Appendix G43, Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor Qualification Standard. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office.

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for 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.

Education


IMPORTANT:

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note:
Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment.

You can verify your education here:
If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education


For further information, visit:
Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply.

The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

Pursuant to VHA Directive , VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy).

VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations.

If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date.

The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

NOTE:

Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons.

Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service.

HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties.

VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities.

HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities.

HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students.

HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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• Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package.

As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.

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Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.

Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social).

Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.

You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members:

Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.