Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor-Substance Use Disorder Program

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

Duties

• This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until December 14, 2026. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be October 23, 2026. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals until positions are filled. VA Central California Health Care System is recruiting for Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) at the Fresno VA Medical Center on the Substance Use Disorder Program (SUDP).Major duties include: Conducts mental health assessments and treatment plans and provides consultation to Primary Care Mental Health Integration, and Behavioral Health Providers to assess eligibility and appropriate level of care for Veterans in need of services. Provides professional counseling, and mental health services using knowledge, theory and training foundations in professional counseling to include therapy in both individual and group sessions, as well as collaboration with various stakeholders such as the family members or in the community. Consult with peers, supervisors and be involved in program evaluation and development. Comfortable in treating mental health pathology, including but not limited to: Substance Use Disorders, Suicidality, depression, anxiety, dual diagnosis disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder {PTSD), and other serious psychiatric disorders. Incumbent will work with the Substance Use Disorder Program (SUDP), PCT Program, Mental Health Clinic (MHC)/ Behavioral health Program (BHIP), inpatient psychiatry team (6E), other Behavioral Health services, and other health settings such as with the ER and medical inpatient unit to ensure a seamless transition to appropriate services for Veterans. Provides crisis intervention as needed for Veterans in Behavioral Health in the outpatient setting Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: May be available on a limited ad hoc basis Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 00808F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact V21CCOEEDRP@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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. English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. Education - Master's or doctoral degree in one of the following: 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 Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) qualification standards as Traditional Rehabilitation counseling differs from Clinical Rehabilitation counseling. Licensure - 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). An LPMHC employed in VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard (4/3/2018) who did not meet all the basic requirements in this standard may not be promoted beyond the full performance level (GS-11) or be newly placed in supervisory or managerial positions until meeting the full qualification requirements. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements stated above, the following qualification criteria must be met for each grade. The candidate's qualifications must clearly demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade. GS-11 LPMHC (Full Performance Level) Requirements: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-11 you must have at least one year of post-master's or post- doctoral degree mental health counseling experience (VA or non-VA experience) that demonstrates the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Ability to engage in intake and assessment, problem identification, diagnosis, treatment planning and implementation, continuum of care, evaluation and follow-up. Knowledge of current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders in formulation of treatment goals and application of appropriate clinical interventions using professional counseling practices. Basic knowledge of professional counseling practice with emphasis on human development principles through cognitive, affective, behavioral or systemic interventions, and strategies that address high risk behaviors, wellness, personal growth, and career development across the life span. Ability to use a wide variety of individual, group, or family counseling interventions. Ability to serve on an interdisciplinary team with focus on the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and relational functioning of individuals, groups and families and on the counseling approaches, strategies, and techniques that will best help patients function effectively. Basic skill in the use of computer software applications for drafting documents, data management, maintaining accurate, timely and thorough clinical documentation a…

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/.