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Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor-Integrated Care

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Veterans Health Administration

Summary

Seeking new provider to join as an Integrated Care Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) who functions as an advanced practice clinician within Integrated Care (IC), operating at the intersection of Primary Care (PC) and/or Specialty Medicine (SM) in a fully integrated behavioral health model.

Overview

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Accepting applications
Posted yesterday · Apply by 07/29/26
Due by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 29, 2026
Location
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$92,841 - $120,696 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Not required
Appointment type
Permanent
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Excepted Service
Represented by a union
Yes
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
CBSR-13004571-26-SH
Control number
876564800

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Open to all U.S. Citizens with current, permanent VA Employees receiving first consideration. You must submit a current non-award SF-50 to establish you are in the priority area of consideration. Veteran Preference Applies. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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Duties

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Duties include but are not limited to:

CLINICAL FUNCTIONS (80%)
1. Advanced practice skill with brief evidence-based psychotherapies used in Integrated Care (Brief CBT-I, Brief CBT-CP, PE-PC, PST, Ml, ACT-based brief protocols).
2. Advanced ability to incorporate complex biopsychosocial factors into differential diagnosis and treatment planning within scope of practice.
3. Expert-level proficiency in the use of Measurement-Based Care and data-informed treatment planning.
4. Skill in developing, evaluating, and improving counseling practices and integrated behavioral health service delivery.
5. Ability to mentor, train, coach, and provide specialized consultation to colleagues and counseling trainees.
6. Ability to develop or revise program policies, procedures, and practice guidelines related to Integrated Care.
7. Advanced knowledge of medical and psychiatric conditions and the behavioral interventions appropriate for chronic illnesses.
8. Ability to evaluate one's own clinical practice through peer review, case consultation, outcome monitoring, and adherence to professional counseling standards.
9. Strong skill in building collaborative relationships with PC/SM teams, interdisciplinary partners, and community agencies.
10. Competence with documentation systems, data management tools, and MSC-related software platforms.

ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS (20%)
1. Participates in ongoing program evaluation, quality improvement initiatives, and data-driven review of Integrated Care outcomes to strengthen clinical efficiency and Veteran access.
2. Uses advanced skills in Measurement-Based Care (MBC) to support clinic-wide performance monitoring and assists in integrating MBC workflows into team practice.
3. Provides consultation to leadership on best practices in Integrated Care, including evidence-based brief interventions, fidelity monitoring, and system redesign needs.
4. Serves as a clinical mentor, trainer, and resource for new clinicians, counseling trainees, interdisciplinary staff, and other providers involved in Integrated Care.
5. Contributes to policy, procedure, and practice guideline development related to integrated behavioral health services and counseling practice within Integrated Care.
6. Facilitates collaboration with Primary Care, Specialty Medicine, Mental Health Service, Whole Health, and community agencies to improve continuity of care and service integration.
7. Participates in interdisciplinary meetings, team huddles, committee assignments, or workgroups at the service, facility, or VISN level, representing Integrated Care counseling expertise.
8. Ensures compliance with all national and local performance measures, clinical reminders, suicide prevention protocols, and screening requirements relevant to Integrated Care practice.
9. Maintains familiarity with applicable VA policies, ensuring that administrative activities align with regulatory, accreditation, and documentation standards.
10. Provides consultation and administrative guidance when clinical workflows require adjustment to meet changing patient population needs or emerging best practices.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm
Functional Statement #: 94017-A

Requirements

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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 identification 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

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.
  • 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: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. ยง 7403(f).
Grade Determinations:
Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor - GS-12

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:
  • 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.
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.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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/.

Additional information

VA Healthcare System Serving Ohio, Indiana and Michigan (VISN 10) advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.

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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

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.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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.

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.

Veterans Health Administration

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - 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 whole health care to Veterans?

The City of Dayton, known as the birthplace of flight, is located in the beautiful rolling hills of Southwestern Ohio and is within an hour drive of Cincinnati and Columbus. The Dayton metropolitan has five universities', affordable real estate, excellent school systems, museums, theater, seasonal recreational opportunities, and is the home of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. The Dayton VA Medical Center is a tertiary care facility that provides acute, nursing home, mental health hospice/palliative, and domiciliary care in an affiliated teaching and research environment. For more information about the Dayton area, please visit: http://www.daytoncvb.com.

Agency contact information

Suzannah Haley
Email
Suzannah.Haley@va.gov
Address
Dayton VA Medical Center
4100 West Third Street
Dayton, OH 45428
US

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