Basic Requirements for Clinical Positions:
1. Minimum of a Master's Degree in Mental Health Counseling or allied mental health field such as Social Work or Psychology, Marriage and Family Therapy, or Rehabilitative Counseling from an accredited institution.
2. An unrestricted state license in mental health counseling at the clinical or highest level available in states that have tiered licensing schemes. Examples: Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor. (You must provide a copy with your application.)
3. The passage of one of the following exams: National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination, Clinical Level Association of Social Work Boards Examination for Licensure and Certification, the National Counselor Examination, or passage of another nationally recognized mental health counseling examination.
TRANSCRIPTS AND PROOF OF THE INFORMATION ABOVE MUST BE SUBMITTED AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION.
IN ADDITION TO THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS LISTED ABOVE: To qualify at the GS-12 level, applicants must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level (in the Federal sector). Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work.
Examples of specialized experience include: developing standard operating procedures for sexual assault or behavioral health
programs; presenting briefings to upper management on Family Advocacy Program status; providing intervention and case
management services for child abuse and neglect cases; administering a sexual assault victim advocacy program; coordinating
services and advocating for sexual assault victims.
or
Combination of education and experience that provided the applicant with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.
or
Four years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.
National Service Experience (i.e., volunteer experience): 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, religious, 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 Office of Personnel management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule, C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.