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The incumbent functions as a LPMHC on a community-based interdisciplinary team. The incumbent serves a caseload of up to 10 Veterans who experience severe and persistent mental illness, including Schizophrenia and Major Affective disorders, who have frequent or long-term hospitalizations and who live in the community. Program services include frequent home visits, providing medication monitoring, crisis/stress management, and to assist with developing linkages to community resources. 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 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. Persons hired or reassigned to LPMHC positions in the GS-0101 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: GS-11: Experience, Education, and Licensure. In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least one year of post-master's or post- doctoral degree mental health counseling experience (VA or non-VA experience) and must be licensed to practice at the independent practice level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-9 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: Ability to make professional evaluations, decisions, and recommendation for treatment planning and implementation Advanced knowledge and mastery of the fundamentals of the counseling process which includes defining patient/family problems and maintaining an effective counseling relationship 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 Ability to provide complex crisis intervention and stabilization to patients who are in psychological distress. Requires independent judgment and skill Ability to establish goals/treatment through a collaborative process with the patient utilizing advanced counseling skills, including evidenced- based practices, screening, and psychosocial assessment Ability to use a wide variety of individual, group, or familial counseling interventions; demonstrates sensitivity to diversity and possesses multicultural counseling skills 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 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. Preferred Experience: Working knowledge of and/or experience working with Veterans and/or individuals with severe and persistent mental illness in a community-based setting References: VA Handbook 5005 Part II Appendix G43 Physical Requirements: Typically, the employee sits comfortably indoors to do the work. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking; standing; sitting, bending; carrying of light items such as papers, books, small parts; or driving an automobile; etc. Use of fingers, both hands required, ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, near vision correctable at 13" to 16", hearing (aid permitted), clear distinctive speech. ["Include but are not limited to: Assesses the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans, identifying their strengths, weaknesses, coping skills, and psychosocial acuity Provides recovery-oriented care-planning for assigned Veterans, incorporating the Veteran's goals, preferences, and strengths including interventions for building adaptive and social skills, increased self-care, independent living, employment, crisis resolution, and practical problem solving Provides frequent and clinically intense individual services in the Veteran's home or community, as warranted by Veteran's clinical needs at a given time Facilitates psycho-educational, therapeutic, and supportive counseling groups related to the treatment of specific SMI psychiatric disorders Provides crisis intervention when indicated, including evaluation, assessment, triage, initiation of Emergency Detention procedures, and disposition of patients experiencing behavioral health emergencies Participates in periodic interdisciplinary review of ongoing treatment of assigned Veterans Provides ongoing documentation of Veteran's treatment progress using a psychosocial and behavioral framework Provides clinical case management and care coordination to facilitate appropriate delivery of health care services, incorporating complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of Veterans Assures timely access to general medical care services for both routine and acute visits; assists Veterans in receiving recommended preventive services; and assists Veterans in accessing and adhering to recommended general medical treatments (within the scope of licensure) Provides education and assistance with Advanced Directives to Veterans who wish to complete them Assists Veterans with achieving integration into their communities Assists Veterans with connecting or reconnecting with family members, caregivers, and other natural supports Serves on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility and VISN level or in the community Provides subject matter consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of Veterans, offering professional opinions based on experience, expertise, and role modeling effective clinical and case management practice skills Establishes and maintains ongoing education programs for Veterans, community agencies, students, and staff, to facilitate understanding of recovery-oriented interventions specific to the Veteran population Attends Mental Health Service Line and LPMHC Discipline meetings and other mandatory meetings regularly Travels frequently to provide services in Veteran's homes and in the community, including VA and non-VA locations within the Cheyenne VAHCS catchment area May conduct or assist in carrying out planned quality management studies or research projects Performs other related duties as assigned Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm\nCompressed/Flexible: Available at the discretion of the supervisor and program needs\nTelework: May be eligible for telework within the local commuting area based upon supervisor and facility approval\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nFunctional Statement #: 52520-A\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]