Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor Full Time

Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

The Vet Center Senior Counselor provides direct counseling services, outreach, referral, and follow-up care coordination to eligible individuals, couples, and family members. The Senior Counselor plays a key role in the coordination of client care and staff professional development, providing expert clinical consultation to other clinicians on complex psychosocial conditions, relational and readjustment stress utilizing evidence-based family systems theory/therapy. Responsible for the following domains of service for providing direct readjustment counseling to eligible clients and for developing staff performance through training and clinical supervision.

• Direct Service Provision: Independently implement professional clinical practice applications in the provision of readjustment counseling to individuals, couples, families, and groups.

• Risk Assessment and Crisis Intervention: Provides consultation and associated support for staff developing crisis intervention strategies, which includes assessment, safety planning, and complex treatment planning using independent clinical judgment using family systems theory/therapy.

• Care Coordination: Communicates routinely with inter-professional team members and leadership to communicate about program and patient issues for in-depth problem solving, while consistently modeling ethical and professional behaviors and standards to include multicultural awareness. Serves on committees, work groups, and task forces at the facility, Medical Center and Zone, District, or national level, or in the community as deemed appropriate by the Vet Center Director.

• Outreach: Acts as clinical consultant to the Vet Center outreach workers to improve their sensitivity to clinical indicators and basic interviewing questions to expedite the transition of prospective clients contacted on outreach to actual Vet Center readjustment counseling clients. Actively Coordinates with Vet Center Outreach Specialists to ensure seamless referral of individuals engaged in the community at outreach events.

• Documentation/Administrative Responsibilities/Consultation: Actively participate in one-to-one clinical and administrative oversight during administrative and clinical staff meetings as directed by the Vet Center Director. Documents clinical interactions and services delivered as required by policy.

• Screening and Assessment: Works directly with eligible individuals to establish a therapeutic relationship sufficient for completing all required readjustment counseling intake procedures to include an assessment of risk for self-harm and psychosocial stressors.

• Counseling Planning/Goal Setting: Based on the outcome of the intake, will develop and periodically update an individualized readjustment counseling service plan that reflects a course of therapeutic and psychosocial interventions, inclusive of outcome measurements.
• Clinical Supervision, Consultation, Training, Review and Evaluation: Provides clinical consultation services to other staff members with clinical service responsibilities under the supervision of the Vet Center Director. The scope of clinical consultation services will include all aspects of direct readjustment counseling service such as advising on the clinical assessment, service planning, and case coordination with community providers when the individual’s needs are beyond the scope of services available at a Vet Center.
  • Will provide clinical consultation and supervision to meet the requirements for independent licensure with special attention to providing to unlicensed staff/trainees systematic clinical supervision towards licensure.
  • Will provide clinical oversight (chart auditing, etc) as outlined by policy.
• Team cohesion and coordination: Actively participate in staff meetings designed to promote team building and staff development.
• Other Duties: May perform other duties as assigned as appropriate for the grade and assignment and which are within the scope of practice

Work Schedule: Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 4:30 pm; some nights and weekends required.
Telework: Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 82263A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact VHAEDRPProgramSupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS):Not Authorized