Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (Prog Coord) IP Mental Health Prog Manager (IMHPM)

Job description

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.

Responsibilities The Inpatient Mental Health Program Manager (IMHPM) is a leadership position responsible for overseeing the clinical and administrative operations of the inpatient mental health unit at the G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center.

This role requires ensuring high-quality, evidence-based therapeutic programming and compliance with VHA policies and directives, including VHA Directive 1160.06.

Duties include, but are not limited to: Oversees the Acute Mental Health Inpatient unit, a major program at GVSMVAMC, delivering specialized, complex, and highly professional care that significantly impacts Veterans' healthcare.

Manages key clinical, training, and administrative programs with full responsibility for day-to-day activities.

Performs strategic planning and resource allocation to ensure high-quality services for Veterans.

Ensures well-coordinated, high-quality post-discharge care for high-risk Veterans.

Supervises direct reports, including psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, nurses, psychologists, neuropsychologists, clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, licensed professional mental health counselors, addiction therapists, vocational rehabilitation specialists, and/or peer support specialists.

Conducts performance evaluations, approve time and leave, monitor fund control points, and oversee daily operations, including budgetary oversight.

Implement cost-saving measures without impairing operational effectiveness.

Develops performance standards, position descriptions, and functional statements.

Request backfills or new positions as needed.

Provides direct clinical care to Veterans at least 50% of the time, ensuring active involvement in patient management and care delivery.

Patient care services may be delivered on the inpatient unit or in other outpatient or residential mental health settings, as determined by needs of the service.

Provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services using the most appropriate assessment techniques.

Offer a full range of evidence-based therapeutic interventions including individual therapy, marital/family therapy, group therapy, and substance abuse treatment.

Participates in interdisciplinary treatment team (ITT) meetings as indicated, contributing to comprehensive treatment planning and coordination.

Oversees the clinical work of unit or other staff, reviews documentation, and performs chart reviews to ensure quality of care.

Provides clinical consultation to various disciplines and training levels.

Provides clinical supervision to pre-licensure students or other personnel as appropriate to scope and licensure.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, subject to change based on the needs of the facility.

Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 01439-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.

Contact rhonda.eady@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance.

Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized 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.

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 medical evaluation.

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 Federal service.

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.

Qualifications Basic Requirements: 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.

Education: 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.

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/.

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: Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (Program Coordinator): GS-12.

Experience, Education, and Licensure.

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 meeting the KSAs for the GS-11 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: 1.

In depth knowledge of the program coordinated, and demonstrated knowledge and ability to write policies procedures and or practice guidelines for the program.

2.

Ability to make key decisions in the hiring and identification of top candidates.

3.

Ability to provide leadership in facilitating the process of coordinating program consults, assessments, admissions, care assignments and discharges.

4.

Ability to provide subject matter consultation to other colleagues and trainees within the field of counseling working on an interdisciplinary team.

Preferred Experience: Experience working in inpatient Mental Health, familiar with inpatient mental health policies/procedures Experience evaluating and treating acute mental health crises, including active suicidal behavior and psychosis Experience providing evidence-based psychotherapies for suicidal behavior, substance use, PTSD, depression and other mental health conditions.

LPC-S or BQS supervisory credential Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of 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, puling, 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 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/.

Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee.

Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience.

This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave.

Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions.

Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

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.

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.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer.

For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Required Skill Profession

Other General