Career Center

The Crisis Response Team (CRT) Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) is a member of a 24/7 interdisciplinary treatment team who provides crisis/mental health services to the Emergency Department (ED), and consultation to Substance Abuse Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (SARRTP) (Mesa Center for Recovery), Acute Inpatient Psychiatric Unit (5P), Acute Medicine, and Community Living Center (CLC), as needed during weekend, holiday, evening and night (WHEN) hours at WCHCS. 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. 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. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met. Experience, Education, and Licensure: In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least one year of progressively complex LPMHC experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Senior LPMHCs must have five years of post-licensed experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressive professional competency and expertise and be licensed to provide clinical supervision to trainees or unlicensed LPMHCs. 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: Advanced knowledge of and mastery of theories and modalities used in the specialized treatment of complex mental illness. Ability to incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of veteran patients, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. Ability to determine priority of services needed and provide specialized treatment. Advanced and expert skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities for Veterans with complex needs. This includes individual, group, and/or family counseling, or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial, and/or case management interventions used in the treatment of Veterans. Ability to coordinate the delivery of specialized psychosocial services and programs. Ability to design system changes based on data. Ability to provide subject matter consultation to colleagues and trainees on the psychosocial treatment of patients, rendering professional opinions based on experience, expertise and role modeling effective clinical skills. Ability to teach, mentor staff and trainees, and provide supervision for licensure or for specialty certifications. Ability to engage in written and oral communication with leadership/staff and community stakeholders regarding policies, procedures, practice guidelines, and issues pertaining to the practice of the profession. References: VA Handbook 5005/106, Part II, Appendix G43 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: Must be in overall good health, able to sit at a desk working at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies. Social Worker must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions, with reasonable accommodation, if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the Social Worker or others. Position requires walking throughout the clinic and/or Medical Center, standing for extended periods of time, and involves sitting at a computer and in counsel and consultation with Veterans and interdisciplinary teams. Position may require minimal travel, through use of a government vehicle or other individual arrangements, to meet with representatives/stakeholders who aid and support to Veterans in clinics, medical centers, Community Clinics, Vet Centers, etc. This position also requires close visual acuity to perform an activity such as preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; and repetitive motions of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers. ["The CRT LPMHC completes the initial assessment, evaluation, treatment, and disposition of Veterans in crisis with an acute and/or chronic mental illness. The LPMHC is responsible for responding to acute mental health crisis situations in the ED. Additionally, they conduct treatment rounds and provide psychosocial and skills-based groups on 5P during WHEN hours. Some of the duties associated with this position include, but are not limited to the following: Applies advanced professional clinical knowledge and evidence-based intervention strategies to a full range of complex psychosocial needs in the ED, including psychiatric emergencies, substance abuse treatment, homelessness, abuse, and geriatric psychiatric emergencies. Demonstrates advance practice skills and clinical judgement in acute psychiatric emergencies. Provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services including assessment and uses the most appropriate psychotherapeutic techniques in providing quality care. Performs evaluations for wide array of Veterans representing diverse diagnostic entities. Evaluates Veterans in the ED for involuntary psychiatric holds (M-1 only) and completes appropriate paperwork. Serves as a resource for VA WCHCS staff regarding the local laws and regulations regarding involuntary psychiatric holds. Facilitates admissions (both voluntary and involuntary) to 5P and/or collaborates with community facilities for psychiatric resources, to include admission. Determines suicide and homicide risk utilizing current evidence-based research tools. Incumbent will fully assess suicide/homicide risk and protective factors to determine safety of Veterans. Completes comprehensive suicide risk evaluations (CSRE), safety planning, and suicide behavior reports, as needed. Ensures adherence to facility and national risk management policies for assessment, management, consultation and documentation related to suicide/homicide risk. Provides clinical recommendations to ED physicians regarding appropriateness of psychiatric admissions and/or ED discharge with referral(s) to outpatient services, prioritizing Veteran safety, and balancing emergent situations arising simultaneously. Ensures continuity of care for all Veterans presenting to the ED in mental health crisis by providing intervention and/or facilitating services with another provider(s). When Veterans call the VA in crisis, the incumbent assesses them by phone and provides crisis counseling/intervention, including instructing them to present to the ED or follow-up with established providers. Contacts local law enforcement for wellness check as deemed necessary. Provides assessment, brief psychotherapeutic interventions, and treatment referrals for veterans presenting with substance use disorders. Evaluates options to mitigate potential safety concerns which may include calling police for assistance, providing crisis intervention, mediating conflicts, and/or making referrals to ensure a safe outcome. Facilitates transfer and/or discharge from ED with appropriate continuity of care. Provide case management to the high utilizers of the ED and 5P to help ensure the right care at the right time. Due to the nature of the CRT responsibilities, licensure must permit independent psychotherapy and diagnosis of mental health conditions and illnesses. Responsible for obtaining and maintaining appropriate license and certification to independently execute involuntary psychiatric holds, in accordance with local and state laws. Work Schedule: Full time and part time hours; various tours of duties, to be discussed during interview. Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 55575 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required"]

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