This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/464149200. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan" by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate care to Veterans?
As a VA professional, your opportunities are endless. With many openings in the multiple functions of VA, you will have a wide range of opportunities at your fingertips. Not only is it the largest, most technologically advanced integrated health care system in the nation, but we also provide many other services to Veterans through the Benefits Administration and National Cemeteries.
VA professionals feel good about their careers and their ability to balance work and home life. VA offers generous paid time off and a variety of predictable and flexible scheduling opportunities. For more information on the Department of Veterans Affairs, go to http://www.vacareers.va.gov/.
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.
Learn more about this agency03/22/2017 to 04/05/2017
$64,161 - $83,405 per year
GS 11
1 vacancy in the following location:
Occasional travel - Some travel, to include over-night, is required to conduct outreach, attend training, conferences, official meetings, or provide direct clinical services.
No
Permanent - Excepted Service Permanent
Full-time - Full Time
11
No
AH-17-TAJ-1912305
464149200
The selected incumbent serves as a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) on a multidisciplinary team that is located in a community-based Vet Center that provides Veterans with community outreach, counseling, therapy, treatment, direct services, and referral to VA and community resources.
· Conducts screening and assessment by interviewing Veterans and their significant others to determine specific problems.
· Develops comprehensive and unique goal-directed treatment plans that reflect a course of therapeutic intervention to address the needs identified in the assessment.
· Provides individual, conjoint, family, and group therapy for Veterans and significant others.
· Conducts outreach to identify program eligible Veterans and their family members, promote the use of the Vet Center services, and present educational programs about combat Veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs and Readjustment Counseling Service.
· Provides crisis intervention, stabilization and follow-up for Veterans and significant others.
· Performs administrative tasks assigned by the Team Leader or appropriate program official.
Work Schedule: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Monday - Friday;However, some non-traditional hours, nights, and weekend work will be required to meet mission requirements.
Functional Statement Title/#: Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC), GS-0101-11
Relocation Expenses: Relocation expenses are not authorized for this position.
This position is located in Mesquite, TX.
This is a non-bargaining unit position.
Must have and maintain a current driver license.
Applicant needs to be Masters prepared and licensed.
Physical Requirements:
The work is primarily sedentary. It may require some lifting (10-20 lbs) occasionally. Reaching above shoulder; frequent keyboarding (4-7 hours per day); sitting (4-7 hours per day); walking (up to 6 hours per day); standing (up to 8 hours per day); infrequent climbing/descending of stairs; some bending; ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; correctable near sighted and far signed vision; hearing (aid permitted).
Veterans' Preference:
When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference on their application or résumé. Applicants claiming preference based on service-connected disability, or based on being the spouse or mother of a disabled or deceased Veteran, must complete an SF 15, Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference. Veterans who are still in the service may be granted tentative preference on the basis of information contained in their applications, but they must produce a DD Form 214 or other proof prior to appointment to document entitlement to preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/veterans.aspx.
Candidates must meet all the requirements identified in the VA Qualification Standard for Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, GS-101 as set forth in VA Handbook 5005/42, Part II, Appendix G43 dated September 28, 2010. http://vaww1.va.gov/ohrm/Directives-Handbooks/Documents/5005-42.doc
BASIC REQUIREMENTS. The basic requirements for employment as a VHA LPMHC are prescribed by statute in 38 U.S.C. 7402(b)(11). To qualify for appointment as a LPMHC in VHA, all applicants must:
Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g this part.)
Education. Hold a master's 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). Examples of related mental health counseling fields include, but are not limited to, Addiction Counseling; Community Counseling; Gerontology Counseling; Marital, Couple, and Family Counseling; and Marriage and Family Therapy. A doctoral degree in mental health counseling may not be substituted for the master's degree in mental health counseling.
Licensure. Persons hired or reassigned to LPMHC positions in the GS-101 series in VHA must be licensed and hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to independently practice mental health counseling, which includes diagnosis and treatment. Exception for lower grades: Failure to obtain required license by the end of the 2-year period will result in removal from the position and may result in termination of employment.
GS-11 Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor
Experience, Education and Licensure
In addition to the basic requirements, promotion to the GS-11 full performance level requires completion of a minimum of 1 year of post-master's degree mental health counseling experience. A doctoral degree in mental health counseling, or a related field may be substituted for the required 1 year of professional mental health counseling experience.
This is the full performance level for LPMHCs. At this level, they are licensed to independently practice professional counseling and to provide mental health services within the knowledge, theory, and training foundations of professional counseling. They may be assigned to any mental health VHA area, consulting with peers and supervisors as appropriate. LPMHCs may be involved in program evaluation and/or research activities.
In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-9 level, the candidate must demonstrate the below KSAs:
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
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 students 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.
5. Ability to establish goals/treatment through a collaborative process with the patient utilizing advanced counseling skills, including evidenced-based practices and screening/assessment.
6. Ability to use a wide variety of individual, group, or familial counseling interventions; demonstrates sensitivity to diversity and possesses multicultural counseling skills.
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 deliver psycho-education groups that include life skills, family support, and community integration.
APPLICANTS PLEASE 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/
All education claimed by applicants will be verified by the appointing agency accordingly. *** 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. ***
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
Receiving Service Credit for 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employees credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.
Your application, résumé and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.
Note: The Professional Standards Board (a peer-review group) will recommend the grade and salary for new appointments.
You may also be evaluated based upon the question responses you provide during a structured interview. In responding to structured interview questions you should be sure to cite specific examples of experience, explain exactly what you did, and the outcome.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:
The following documents listed as required must be submitted at the time of application:
- CV or Resume (complete with experiences most relevant to the position, including name and address of employer, job title, starting and ending dates (month and year), average hours worked per week, and a description of your duties. (Required)
- VA Form 10-2850c - Application for Associated Health Occupations (Available at http://www.va.gov/vaforms/medical/pdf/vha-10-2850c-fill.pdf. (Required)
- Occupational questionnaire (Required)
- Optional Form 306 - Declaration for Federal Employment (Available at http://www.opm.gov/Forms/pdf_fill/OF306.pdf).
- Copy of your transcript. (Required)
- Copy of current Licensure. (Required)
- Copy of current, valid Driver's License. (Required)
- If prior military service, include all copies of your DD214 Forms. Applicants claiming preference based on service-connected disability, or based on being the spouse or mother of a disabled or deceased Veteran, must also complete and submit an SF-15, Application for 10-point veteran preference (available at http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf)
- Copy of most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) (Required if current/former federal employee). The SF-50 must indicate proof of status (for example, you were a career or a career-conditional employee) and should identify your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure, and type of service (Competitive or Excepted)
- Copy of most recent performance Appraisal.
- Any other documents required by the checklist.
Please use this checklist to make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.
Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), or 10pt (CP/CPS, XPP, XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP), on the Occupational Questionnaire in the section(s) provided. A legible copy of your DD214(s) indicating character of service, disability certification, SF-15 (if claiming 10 pt. preference) or if you are currently serving on active duty and expected to be released or discharged within 120 days; documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), or dates of impending separation. Documentation is required for eligibility verification.
Faxing Applications or Supporting Documents: You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. If you are unable to apply online or unable to upload your supporting documents to your online application, follow the directions located at the following site: Fax Options. The Vacancy ID of the job opportunity announcement is 1912305 . NOTE: If you applied online and your application is complete, do not fax the paper application (1203-FX) as this will overwrite your prior online responses and may result in you being found ineligible.
NOTE: If you applied online and your application is complete, do not fax the paper application (1203-FX) as this will overwrite your prior online responses and may result in you being found ineligible.
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
All applicants are encouraged to apply online.
To apply for this position, you must complete the View Occupational Questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on Wednesday, April 05, 2017 to receive consideration.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT:
After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. During our review, if your résumé and application package do not support your questionnaire answers, we will adjust your rating accordingly. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email (if provided); otherwise, applicants will receive a notification letter via the U.S. Postal Service. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USAJOBS account and clicking on "Application Status." For a more detailed update of your status, click on "more information." Information regarding applicant notification points can be found in the USAJobs Resource Center.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/464149200. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
Learn more about
Vacancy Identification Number (VIN): 1912305 (Include # on all documents)