Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. Open to current permanent Department of Veteran Affairs employees, First Consideration will be given to Orlando VA Healthcare System Employees (Station 675)

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The Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) Program Manager, Intensive Community Mental Health Recovery (ICMHR) manages the administrative and clinical aspects of all the programs which fall under the ICMHR program continuum of care. The selectee will have the responsibility for coordinating interdisciplinary staffing, work assignments, treatment services provided, and admission criteria of the program. The selected LPMHC Program Manager manages and controls the use of data related to these programs regarding day to day functioning and program evaluation. Data is collected through various sources including specific applicable SAIL measures, Northeast Program Evaluation Center, as well as internal spreadsheets. As the primary supervisor for the program, the selectee assists in planning, establishing, and implementing policies and procedures, developing individual or group goals and objectives as well as monitoring, operating, evaluating, coordinating, and overseeing most staff of the ICMHR/MHICM/Range programs. Some of the duties include, but are not limited to;

• Responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining program policy and procedures for the treatment and coordination of Veterans that meet VA, Joint Commission and CARF standards for assigned programs.
• Ability to recognize internal and external conditions and influences, including V A/VHA mandates and programs that require the establishment of new or revised management policies, standards, and procedures including the skill to design and develop the tools necessary to cope with varied situations.
• Supervises a group of employees performing work within the ICMHR program including advanced practice social workers, psychologists, and psychiatrists.
• Performs administrative and program coordination with multi-objective programs consisting of treatment, training, and education ensuring that services are provided in a timely, comprehensive, and coordinated manner.
• Provide ongoing comprehensive psychosocial services to Veterans and their families who have complex medical or psychiatric problems when needed for coverage or times of increased workload.
• Ensures that programs provide integrated and highly coordinated services (resource information, linkages, consultative, crisis intervention, discharge planning, etc.).
• Exercises supervisory and managerial authorities, provides administrative, and technical supervision necessary for accomplishing ICMHR program goals and objectives.
• Using a wide range of knowledge of VA healthcare services, benefits, directives, policies, and personnel, provides guidelines for the care of seriously mentally ill Veterans.
• Skillful in approaching individuals or groups to achieve program objectives such as gaining compliance with established policies and regulations.
• Administers information and analytical systems to evaluate and enhance the quality of service provided to patients.
• Develops and implements information systems to track service activities including visits, referrals, use of medical center resources, patient demographics, resources utilization, and patient satisfaction.
• Manages quality control and evaluation of services provided, utilizing both professional review and statistical outcome measures.
• Performs a wide range of services and provides technical assistance to State, local, and private agencies, and universities.
• Will develop, initiate, implement, and review psychosocial treatment plans based on the patient's assessed needs.
• Will make psychosocial diagnoses and appropriate evidence-based interventions with measurable outcomes.
• Consults with and serves as a resource for other professional personnel concerning the need for and development of psychological services.
• Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: The primary tour of duty will be M-F 8am to 4:30pm. However, the selectee may also be required to work various shifts on a permanent or temporary basis, based on the needs of the service and patient care.
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) Program Manager, Intensive Community Mental Health Recovery (ICMHR) GS-13 80525F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact (VISN8CCOE@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.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• 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

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

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. NOTE: It is VHA policy that a LPMHC who does not yet have a license that allows independent practice must be supervised by a licensed independent practitioner of the same discipline who is a VA staff member and who has access to the electronic health record.
• 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.

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). All persons employed in VHA in as LPMHC on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held, including positive education and licensure/certification/registration that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:

• Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance level, or demoted within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the full performance level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
• Such employees in an occupation that requires a licensure/certification/registration only at higher grade levels must meet the licensure/certification/registration requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels.
• Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
• If an employee who was retained (grandfathered) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.
• Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.

Grade Determinations: Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (Program Manager), GS-13

• 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-12 grade level. The experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency.

Preferred Experience: Those candidates who have experience with program management working with Veterans with serious mental illness within community settings, are highly preferred.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: The work requires patience and emotional regulation. The work may also require assisting physically disabled Veterans. Day-to-day work involves sitting, walking, standing and carrying light objects.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

While we no longer require essay-style responses to our Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities, (KSA's), you must be able to demonstrate that you possess the (below) competencies which are necessary to perform the work of the position. Please ensure your resume/CV/application contains sufficient information to support the level of experience/education/training. Otherwise, we will not be able to award you credit for the experience/education/training you claim. The KSA's for this subject position are;

1. Ability to make judgments and decisions associated with program management.
2. Ability to monitor program outcomes using data driven quality assurance process.
3. Ability to develop productivity standards appropriate to each service provided.
4. Ability to manage a wide range of programs which include the operation and management of key clinical, training or administrative programs.

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.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.