This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/477291700. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
OUR MISSION: 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.
The West Texas VA Health Care System (WTVAHCS) provides a variety of patient care services, with state-of-the-art technology as well as offering numerous educational programs. Outpatient services include: Ambulatory Care, Mental Health, Women's Health, Transition and Care Management, Home Based Primary Care, Tele-Health, Anticoagulation Clinics, Ophthalmology, and Dentistry. Skilled nursing care and acute rehabilitation is provided in the Community Living Center, with specialty referrals to other VISN 17 facilities and community services. Staffed with approximately 600 employees, the facility serves counties in West Texas and New Mexico area, with a Veteran population of approximately 57,000. The WTVAHCS is part of the VA Heart of Texas Health Care Network, VISN 17 and is centrally located at the crossroads of Interstate 20 and Highway 87 in Big Spring, Texas with Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC's) located in Abilene, Odessa, San Angelo, Ft. Stockton, Texas and Hobbs, New Mexico.
Big Spring, "The Crossroads of West Texas" is home of the newly restored historic "Settles Hotel", "The Spring", and home of the National Championship Howard College Hawks Basketball and Baseball teams. With a growing economy, our city has many new businesses locating in the area offering more shopping and family orientated attractions. Big Spring is centrally located within driving range of the following communities Midland, Odessa, San Angelo, Abilene, and Lubbock, Texas.
Note: The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The Professional Standards Board (a peer-review group) will review the selected candidate's education and experience and recommend the grade and step at which the candidate will be placed. The salary is based on the grade and step approved for the selected candidate.
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.
08/31/2017 to 11/30/2017
$60,210 - $78,270 per year
GS 11
3 vacancies in the following locations:
Occasional travel - Occasional travel within the service area.
No
Permanent - Excepted Service Permanent
Full-time - Full Time
No
VHA-519-17-NR2001279mhr-BU
477291700
This announcement is not intended to cover all the duties, responsibilities or qualifications of this position. The incumbent of this position serves as the Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) provides direct care to the Mental Health Primary Care (MH-PC) veteran population seen at the West Texas VA Health Care System (WTVAHCS). The LPMHC assists in the delivery of evidence based care for primary care patients identified with a variety of emotional and psychiatric problems including depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol misuse, etc. The incumbent will be responsible for providing quality psychosocial assessments, crisis intervention, brief intervention and education and support, and monitoring of patients. The incumbent will also influence adherence to guidelines by providing "on-time, on-target" information to primary care physicians, and collaboratively making appropriate care decisions. Although this position is located within the Primary Care teams, the LPMHC is considered to be an active participating member of Mental Health serving to meet the best interests of Veterans' well-being. Collaboration of care is accomplished with other members of the MH-PC Treatment Team or other interdisciplinary treatment teams through involvement in Primary Care daily huddles, weekly or monthly staff meetings.
The LPMHC has experience that demonstrates possession of advanced practice skills and judgment. The LPMHC must hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to independently practice mental health counseling, which includes diagnosis and treatment.
The LPMHC demonstrates clinical knowledge in the profession, provides consultation and guidance to colleagues, role models effective clinical practice skills, teaches or provides orientation to less experienced clinicians, develops innovations in practice interventions, and may provide clinical supervision if the position requires. The LPMHC aids in the clinical program development by providing input into the program effectiveness for modification of service patterns. He/She may be assigned in settings where they have no access to direct clinical supervision, such as community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) or satellite outpatient clinics. He/She may be assigned to work with special patient populations with highly complex health or mental health problems.
Mental Health - Primary Care Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor
Functional Statement: 000000
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: Not required for this position.
Must possess a valid state driver license and be able to obtain a government driver license.
Some overnight travel may be required to attend training and conduct other mission-related business.
***Recruitment/Relocation Incentive Maybe authorized for this position. Please note: This is not moving expenses. If incentive is approved, it comes with a 2 year service agreement and is not paid out until incumbent is employed with facility.***
WORK SCHEDULE: Monday thru Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm (Non-traditional hours, nights, and weekend work will be required to meet mission demands).
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 sighted vision; Hearing (Aid permitted).
Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference on the Occupational Questionnaire in the section provided and provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) and/or documentation related to your active duty service which shows dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), or dates of impending separation.
Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veterans Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. For more information, please review the information for disabled Veterans in the application checklist or visit http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS:
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.
GRADE DETERMINATIONS: GS-11 Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (Full Performance Level)
In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least 1 year of post-master's degree mental health counseling experience;
OR
In addition to the basic requirements, 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.
Ability to make professional evaluations, decisions, and recommendation for treatment planning and implementation.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-9 level, the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs below:
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.
References: VA Handbook 5005/42 Part II Appendix G43 LPMHC VA Qualification Standards.
http://vaww1.va.gov/ohrm/Directives-Handbooks/Direct_Hand.htm
PLEASE NOTE: 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 (particularly positions with a positive education requirement.) Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website: http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/accred/index.html 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 position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
This position is open until filled. Applications will be reviewed every 15 calendar days.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your application, résumé and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.
The following documents are required to be considered for this position:
*VA Form 10-2850c - Application for Associated Health Occupations (Available at http://www.va.gov/vaforms/medical/pdf/vha-10-2850c-fill.pdf) (required).
*CV or Resume (All applicants must submit an updated CV or resume.)
*Responses to the Occupational Questionnaire (All applicant must answer the occupational questionnaire.)
*Form OF-306 (All applicants must submit a current, complete and signed OF-306, Declaration of Federal Employment. Your form must be signed and have a date within one year of your application. You can upload your completed scanned 306 or fax it via the instructions for faxing documents. You can Google this form if you are in need of it or it can be found on http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/of0306.pdf )
*Copy of education transcripts (If you are using your education to qualify for this position you must submit a copy of your transcripts.)
*DD-214 and any documentation on Service Connected disabilities (Any applicant applying based on Veteran status must provide a copy of their DD-214. In addition, if you are claiming Veterans Preference you must provide documentation of the basis for your preference. Note: If you have more than one DD214 please submit a copy of each document. If you are claiming Veterans Preference you must submit documentation for the basis of your preference.)
*SF-50 (If you are a prior or current Federal employee submit your most recent SF-50.)
Please use this checklistto 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.
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.
HOW TO APPLY: All applicants are encouraged to apply online.
To apply for this position, you must complete the 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 Thursday, November 30, 2017 to receive consideration.
After we receive your complete application package (including any required documents), your qualifications will be reviewed to decide if you meet the basic requirements. You will be notified when this decision is made.
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/477291700. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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Vacancy Identification Number (VIN) 2001279