Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor

Summary

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.

Duties

• This position can be recruited multi-disciplinary and can be filled by: Marriage & Family, Social Worker & Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor.
• Each discipline is announced separately, and applicants must apply to the announcement for which they are qualified.
• The incumbent serves as an RCS Vet.
• Counselor providing direct counseling services, outreach, referral, and follow-up care coordination to eligible individuals within a VSA and has experience and training that reflects an ability to provide expert clinical consultation to staff on complex psychosocial conditions and readjustment stress.
• The incumbent provides services to a broad range of Veterans, service members and family members with different military experiences, and from various socioeconomic, cultural, ethnic, educational and other diversified backgrounds.
• In this capacity the incumbent functions as a member of a small multi-disciplinary team, usually of 4 or more members inclusive of licensed professional counselors, other mental health professionals, outreach workers and office management staff, but provides clinical consultation to other clinicians.
• As the Vet Center Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, the incumbent plays a core role in the coordination of client care and Vet Center staff professional development.
• Provide multiple modalities of direct service readjustment counseling, including individual, couple, group, and family.
• Within the context of family services, will also have established expertise in providing bereavement services to surviving family members of active-duty Service members killed while on active military duty.
• Functions and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Screening and Assessment: Works directly with eligible individuals to establish a therapeutic relationship sufficient for completing all required readjustment counseling intake procedures to include an assessment of risk for self-harm and psychosocial stressors.
• Counseling Planning/Goal Setting: Based on the outcome of the intake, will develop and periodically update an individualized readjustment counseling service plan that reflects a course of therapeutic and psychosocial interventions, inclusive of outcome measurements.
• Direct Service Provision: Independently implement professional clinical practice applications in the provision of readjustment counseling to individuals, couples, families, and groups.
• Risk Assessment and Crisis Intervention: Above full performance, the individual provides consultation and associated support for staff developing crisis intervention strategies, which includes assessment, safety planning, and complex treatment planning using independent clinical judgment using family systems theory/therapy.
• Care coordination: Links the Veteran with other community services, resources, and opportunities to maximize the Veteran's independence, health, and well-being.
• Outreach: Acts as clinical consultant to the.
• Center outreach workers to improve their sensitivity to clinical indicators and basic interviewing questions to expedite the transition of prospective clients contacted on outreach to actual.
• Center readjustment counseling clients.
• Documentation/Administrative Responsibilities/Consultation: Actively participate in one-to-one clinical and administrative oversight during administrative and clinical staff meetings as directed by the Vet Center Director.
• Clinical Supervision, Consultation, Training, Review and Evaluation: provides clinical consultation services to other staff members with clinical service responsibilities under the supervision of the Vet Center Director.
• The scope of clinical consultation services will include all aspects of direct readjustment counseling service such as advising on the clinical assessment, service planning, and case coordination with community providers when the individual's needs are beyond the scope of services available at a.
• Team cohesion and coordination: Actively participate in staff meetings designed to promote team building and staff development.
• Other Duties: May perform other duties as assigned as appropriate for the grade and assignment and which are within the scope of practice.
• Work Schedule: 8:00am.
• 4:30pm Monday thru Friday some evenings and weekends possible, standard operational hours with occasional evenings based on operational need of the facility Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
• Functional Statement #: 82263A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.
• Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance.
• Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

Requirements

• 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.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents).
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.
• In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the.
• Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the.
• Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Required Documents

• To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
• License Resume Transcript Special Note for.
• Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume.
• This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.
• Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.
• The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position.
• Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former.
• Federal employees), etc. Cover Letter.
• DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (VA) License Additional CV/Resume Performance Appraisal Professional Certification Resume Separation Notice (RIF).
• SF-15 SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Transcript.
• Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible.
• Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor.
• Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your.
• DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.).
• If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable,.
• General, etc.), and dates of impending separation.
• Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible.
• Veterans) must also submit an.
• SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran.
• Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on.
• Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets.
• Veterans' Preference. Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.