Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. This job is open to current permanent Department of Veteran Affairs employees. ONLY.

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The Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (Program Coordinator) is assigned to the Mental Health Service Line of the South Texas Veterans Health Care System and reports directly to the Section Chief, Suicide Prevention Programs. The position is located at Balcones Height VA Clinic.

• Maintains a list of patients determined to be currently high-risk for suicide and monitors their care to assure needed services are being received.
• As appropriate, consults/collaborates with providers regarding their delivery of care to high-risk veterans. Provides education and facilitates best practice. Will provide direct patient care for same purpose. Provides training to clinical and non-clinical staff throughout STVHCS community regarding risk factors, warning signs, treatment options, and resources. Promotes the use of evidence-based interventions and strategies for suicide prevention.
• Responds timely to referrals from the Veteran Crisis Line to include making contact with veterans callers to engage them in treatment; reports back to the Crisis Line about the results of interventions. Collaborates with providers to support completion of SBORs, Comprehensive Suicide Risk Evaluations, and consults for consideration of activation of high-risk flag as appropriate.
• Incumbent completes SBORs, Comprehensive Suicide Risk Evaluations, and consults for consideration of activation of high-risk flag as appropriate.
• Ensures implementation of Category 1 Flags per Central office Directives.
• Acts as liaison and trainer to community organizations and veterans organizations.
• Assuring that all veterans on the facility tracking list are being followed closely by the appropriate provider on a regular basis as determined by the Tracking any no-show appointments by these patients and following up with the patient as soon as possible to reschedule the appointment.
• Maintaining awareness of suicide treatment options and making recommendations to the patient's provider when new options become available.
• Obtaining any relevant HIPM clearances to allow transmittal of facility data on suicide attempts and individuals at risk to other offices for research, analysis, and quality assurance purposes; and transmitting the data following cyber security requirements as applicable for this sensitive data.
• Provides suicide prevention training to Veterans, staff and community members.
• Compiles data, completes required Local, VISN and National reports, develops plans to facilitate meeting required performance measures (SAIL, Director's Performance etc.).
• Works across service-lines to facilitate compliance with VHA directives and initiatives related to Suicide Prevention. coordinator and provider.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 0800AM-430PM
Telework: ADHOC only, as determined by Agency policy.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 54104-f
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact VISN17EDRP2@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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.
• 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:

• 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-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.
• Loss of Licensure. Once licensed, LPMHCs must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted license to independently practice mental health counseling, which includes diagnosis and treatment. Loss of licensure will result in removal from the GS-0183 LPMHC occupation and may result in termination of employment.
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).

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.

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).

Preferred Experience:

• Minimum of 3 year's experience working with a complex and wide range of
• psychosocial issues related to the practice of mental health care
• Senior LPMHC's model professional behaviors and uphold high ethical
• standards.
• Experience conducting meetings and possess strong communication skills in
• writing and orally.
• Possesses organizational skills, in-depth knowledge of VA policies and
• Advanced consultation experience on patient care.

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. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation and would generally not require a pre-placement examination.

How you will be evaluated

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, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.