Basic Requirements:
- Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States.
- English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed.
- Education. Candidates must have 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. Hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to independently practice as a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, which includes diagnosis and treatment.
GS-12
- Experience. 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.
- Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSA's:
- 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.
- Assignment. LPMHC Program Coordinators are administratively responsible for a clinical program and provide treatment to patients in a major specialty. They manage the daily operations of the program, develop policies and procedures, and prepare reports and statistics for facility, VISN, and national use. They may supervise unlicensed graduate LPMHCs and may administratively manage any employees assigned to their program.
Preferred Experience: Preferred experience in behavioral threat assessment and management, providing treatment for Veterans who have experienced homelessness, substance use disorder and severe and persistent mental illness as well as Axis II disorders. Experience working with law enforcement as well as justice involved Veterans also preferred. Experience navigating complex care coordination in multifaceted systems as well as policy development, and data tracking analysis, reporting, and management.
References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G43
Physical Requirements.
Most days physical demands of the work are generally minor and are sedentary in nature. However, the incumbent must have the ability to complete all PMDB training to have a full understanding of the techniques and methods involved and to actively train staff in all levels of PMDB. This will require physical effort such as setting, squatting, standing, walking, bending, etc. while engaging in and demonstrating hands on PMDB techniques. These demonstrations require close physical proximity and contact with other staff.
The work has periods of sedentary tasks with desk/computer work followed by highly active involvement in PMDB and other programming throughout ECHCS. The incumbent may need to drive long distances. The emotional demands can be stressful in working with high-risk Veteran population and their families. Exposure to graphic content including descriptions of threats, vulgar language or sexually inappropriate content/language, racial harassment, and other types of verbal and physical violence are experienced regularly as a receiver of reporting. A high level of self-awareness, resilience and mental fortitude is essential.
The work is performed in hospital/medical environment, as well as clinic/outpatient and inpatient areas, and remotely as assigned and appropriate. The environment involves everyday risks or discomforts that require normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices, meeting and training rooms, libraries, residences, or commercial vehicles, e.g., use of safe work practices with office equipment, avoidance of trips and falls, observance of fire regulations and traffic signals. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. In addition, patient contact will be made. Appropriate principles of infection control will need to be applied to the work.
The incumbent appropriately uses equipment and supplies; maintains a safe and orderly work area; reports any accidents to self or patients and completes appropriate documentation; follows Life Safety Management (fire protection) procedures; reports safety hazards, accidents, and injuries; reviews hazardous materials/Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)/waste management; follows Emergency Preparedness plan; follows security policies/procedures; complies with federal, state, and local environmental and other requirements preventing pollution, minimizing waste, and conserving cultural and natural resources; and demonstrates infection control practices for disease prevention (i.e., hand washing, universal precautions/isolation procedures, including TB requirement/precautions).