Licensed Professional Counselor- Mental Health Outpatient Therapist

The incumbent provides services to Veterans their families and the interdisciplinary team regarding evaluation identification and treatment of psychosocial concerns and psychiatric diagnoses in the outpatient behavioral health setting. Duties include outpatient behavioral health services and crisis response to veterans with the full spectrum of mental health disorders. The incumbent has working knowledge and experience in the use of mental health diagnoses medical terminology ethics and medical documentation and standards.

The incumbent must possess a high level of skill for use in assessing and treating and assessing bio-psychosocial concerns and conditions of Veterans. The incumbent independently assesses and identifies high-risk patients and implements appropriate safety protocols and standards of care. The incumbent provides crisis intervention services and has working knowledge of referral process for inpatient psychiatric hospitalization and residential posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) substance abuse (SUDS) and other specialty programs. Duties also include thorough and appropriate assessment to identify relevant presenting problems determine in-home and environmental contributors and to understand obstacles to recov00ery and/or follow through with recommended treatments. The incumbent will provide case management with members of the outpatient interdisciplinary team is provided in order to coordinate a collaborative effort to meet the agreed upon goals for a Veterans recovery needs and include liaison with community professionals regarding needed services for Veterans and/or their families. Services include but are not limited to referral to programming to address homelessness hospice services nursing home care home health services financial resources VA benefits and transportation services.

The incumbent must hold a full current and unrestricted license to independently practice mental health counseling which includes diagnosis and treatment as well as a masters degree in mental health counseling or a related field from a program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). In addition to the basic requirements incumbent must have at least 1 year of post-masters degree mental health counseling experience.

Must have a high level of skill and expertise to establish and maintain effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans in the outpatient behavioral health setting and/or their families. The incumbent is able to independently work with Veterans and their families who are experiencing a wide range of medical psychiatric emotional behavioral and psychosocial problems.

Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 23043-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

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.
• 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 ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• 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.

• 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 Federal service.

Qualifications

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: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Education. Hold a masters 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 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. NOTE: It is VHA policy that a LPMHC who does not yet have a license that allows independent practice must be supervised by a licensed independent practitioner of the same discipline who is a VA staff member and who has access to the electronic health record.
  • Exception. VHA may waive the licensure requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure. This exception only applies up to the full performance level GS-11. For grade levels at or above the full performance level the candidate must be licensed.
  • Failure to Obtain License. In all cases LPMHCs must actively pursue meeting state prerequisites for licensure starting from the date of their appointment. Failure to become licensed within three years from date of appointment will result in removal from the GS-0183 LPMHC series and may result in termination of employment.
  • Loss of Licensure. Once licensed LPMHCs must maintain a full valid and unrestricted license to independently practice mental health counseling which includes diagnosis and treatment. Loss of licensure will result in removal from the GS-0183 LPMHC occupation and may result in termination of employment.
• 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.

1. Ability to make professional evaluations decisions and recommendation for treatment planning and implementation.
2. Advanced knowledge and mastery of the fundamentals of the counseling process which includes defining patient/family problems and maintaining an effective counseling relationship.
3. Ability to provide subject matter consultation to colleagues and trainees on the counseling process within various specialty areas build on the foundation of competence through regular meetings and discussions to explain assignments review progress of cases and confer about the counseling perspectives and orientation.
4. Ability to provide complex crisis intervention and stabilization to patients who are in psychological distress. Requires independent judgment and skill.
5. Ability to establish goals/treatment through a collaborative process with the patient utilizing advanced counseling skills including evidenced- based practices screening and psychosocial assessment.
6. Ability to use a wide variety of individual group or family counseling interventions.
7. Ability to fully utilize the current DSM in making diagnoses and formulation of treatment goals and application of appropriate clinical intervention using professional counseling practices.
8. Ability to develop and facilitate psychotherapy and psycho- education groups that include life skills family support and community integration. This may include evidence based psychotherapy.