Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor - Program Coordinator - VITAL

Summary

The Veterans Integration into Academic Leadership (VITAL) initiative's mission is to provide world class healthcare for Veterans, support them in making a successful integration into college & university campuses, & aid them in reaching their academic goals. The VITAL Program Supervisor provides leadership within the healthcare & academic communities. Involves supervision & broad program management of the VITAL Program that significantly impacts the health care provided to student Veterans.

Duties

The VITAL program serves as a consultation resource for, and collaborates with, clinical services and programs across the VASLCHCS, including Primary Care, Occupational Therapy, M2VA, Speech and Language, Polytrauma Clinic, Mental Health Service programs, and Community-Based Outpatient Clinics for all concerns related to student veterans. Supervision of the Program involves coordination of outreach services to Veterans in the community across the Salt Lake VA health care system and beyond. The VITAL program engages in outreach across the catchment area including many rural areas. This outreach consists of making student Veterans aware of the benefits of services that they are entitled to, enrolling them for healthcare, and providing care coordination to connect them with needed services on campus, at the VA (VHA and VBA), and in the community. Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Has full and direct responsibility for program management and supervisory responsibilities for the day-to-day functions and activities of the VITAL Program and staff. Has responsibility for development of staff competencies and performance plans as well as promotion of working relationships and an effective treatment team environment. Provides leadership in facilitating and coordinating the provision of services for student veterans throughout and beyond the VASLCHCS catchment area. Responsible for strategic planning to ensure the provision of high-quality services to meet the needs of Veterans served. Plans, develops and implements short- and long-term goals and objectives consistent with program's strategic plan. Oversees program resources and deploy resources in support of program needs. Interacts and collaborates with Human Resources, facility leadership, and professional discipline leads in all aspects of Team staff hiring, performance evaluation, and disciplinary action. Prepares grant applications to support development of the VITAL program. Develops and implements policies and procedures to meet program goals and VHA policies. Monitors outcomes using data-driven quality assurance processes, and implementation of strategies for improvement based on data gathered. Develops and maintains collaborative relationships with participating colleges and universities, including negotiation of Memoranda of Understanding and revocable licenses when applicable. Works closely with a variety of academic institution services and staff: campus Veterans services, disability resource centers, health and wellness centers, student counseling centers, financial aid, and registrar's offices. Serves as point of contact and consultation for all services related to student Veterans, including functioning as liaison between academic institutions and VHA/VBA resources. Oversees outreach activities to student Veterans, including facilitation of enrollment in VA health care and access of VBA services. Provides training pertaining to Veteran issues to faculty and staff of institutions of higher learning throughout the catchment area. Oversees telehealth services to rural campuses. Provides onsite mental health services (including assessment and treatment) to student veterans at designated colleges/universities. Offers individual psychotherapy services utilizing evidence-based approaches. Oversees educational testing of student Veterans, to include assessment of learning disability and ADHD. Work Schedule: 8AM to 4:30PM Monday-Friday Telework: May be available on an ad-hoc basis as determined by the agency policy. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 616090 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. 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. 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

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. English Language Proficiency: Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselors must be proficient in spoken & written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3.j. Education: Must hold a master's or doctoral degree in: Clinical Mental Health Counseling; Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling; Clinical Mental Health Counseling & Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling; or a related field, from a program accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Counseling & 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, & 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-183 series in VHA must hold a full, current, & unrestricted license to independently practice as a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, which includes diagnosis & treatment. Drivers License: A valid state drivers license is required as this position requires local travel to provide community-based care to Veterans through the use of a government vehicle or other individual arrangements. 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). Grade Determinations: GS-12 LPMHC (Program Coordinator) Experience: 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. GS-12 LPMHC Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to meeting the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the GS-11 KSAs as well as all of the GS-12 KSAs below: GS-11 KSAs: Ability to make professional evaluations, decisions, and recommendation for treatment planning and implementation. Advanced knowledge and mastery of the fundamentals of the counseling process which includes defining patient/family problems and maintaining an effective counseling relationship. Ability to provide subject matter consultation to colleagues and trainees 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. Ability to provide complex crisis intervention and stabilization to patients who are in psychological distress. Requires independent judgment and skill. Ability to establish goals/treatment through a collaborative process with the patient utilizing advanced counseling skills, including evidenced- based practices, screening, and psychosocial assessment. Ability to use a wide variety of individual, group, or family counseling interventions. 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. Ability to develop and facilitate psychotherapy and psycho- education groups that include life skills, family support, and community integration. This may include evidence based psychotherapy. GS-12 KSAs: In depth knowledge of the program coordinated, and demonstrated knowledge and ability to write policies procedures and or practice guidelines for the program. Ability to make key decisions in the hiring and identification of top candidates. Ability to provide leadership in facilitating the process of coordinating program consults, assessments, admissions, care assignments and discharges. Ability to provide subject matter consultation to other colleagues and trainees within the field of counseling working on an interdisciplinary team. Preferred Experience: One year of experience providing Mental Health treatment to Veterans in a college/university setting. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Must be in overall good health, able to sit at a desk working at a computer, engage in light to moderate physical activity including sitting, walking, bending, and carrying supplies. The incumbent must be able to perform primarily light and sedentary duties with occasionally moderate physical demands, exercise patience, and control emotions, with reasonable accommodation, if necessary, without endangering the health and safety of the incumbent or others. The incumbent must be able to pass VA requirements for operation of a government vehicle. Position may require walking throughout the clinic and/or Medical Center, standing for extended periods of time, involves sitting at a computer and in counsel and consultation with Veterans and interdisciplinary teams. Position may require travel to provide clinical services to Veterans in the community, clinics, medical centers, CBOC's, etc. Incumbent must possess and maintain a current valid state driver's license. This position also requires close visual acuity to perform an activity such as preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; extensive reading; and repetitive motions of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.

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/. How You Will Be Evaluated

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. Other Information

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.