Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor- Program Coordinator

Assigned Duties include but are not limited to-

PROGRAM COORDINATION RESPONSIBILITIES:

• The incumbent has broad program coordination responsibilities which include the operation and management of key clinical training or administrative activities.
• Has direct responsibility for the professional activities of all program staff.
• Responsibilities include broad development and active implementation of programs policies and procedures oversight of administrative and programmatic resources.
• Further responsibilities include monitoring of outcomes using a data-driven quality assurance process for a program that delivers specialized complex highly professional services that are important components of the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System and significantly affect the health care provided to veterans.
• The Program Coordinator is responsible for the continuous evaluation of outcome monitors measurements and improvements in all phases of substance use disorder treatment and quality improvement initiatives.
• The program coordinator is responsible for compliance with all accreditations VACO and hospital requirements policies and procedures.
• Oversees the establishment of program monitors and outcome measurements within programs assigned using a data-driven quality assurance process.
• Oversees development of new treatment protocols for patients. Has direct responsibility for all aspects of psychological services in the program including those conducted by trainees and staff.
• Provides administrative supervision guidance and consultation for staff and trainees. Manages all personnel concerns including addressing performance concerns.
• Consults with and serves as a resource for other professional personnel concerning the need for and development of mental health services.
• Responsible for timely completion of all program evaluations and documents required by the Medical Center VISN and VACO ensuring compliance with appropriate accrediting bodies such as JCAHO.
• Responsible for implementation of all directives and completion of all action items assigned in a timely manner.
• Is responsible for continuous quality improvement and action plan development and follow through.

Teaching Responsibilities:

• Provides didactic lectures as assigned and qualified across training programs.
• Provides workshops/seminars and consultation as assigned and qualified.

Research:

• May conduct research and present outcome data and research results at VA and regional or national scientific or professional meetings.
• May participate in manuscript preparation based upon VA data that supports the delivery of quality care for Veterans.
• Assists trainees with preparation of research projects relevant to Veteran care.

Clinical Responsibilities:

• Evaluates and diagnoses mental disorders within their areas of competence and consistent with clinical scope.
• Treats mental health substance use disorders behavioral concerns physical health psychosocial problems and other psychiatric comorbidities with evidence-based treatment approaches within their areas of competence and consistent with clinical privileges.
• Completes all clinical charting and documentation required by the Healthcare system as appropriate within established timeliness guidelines and consistent with quality and accreditation standards.
• Provides clinical supervision guidance and consultation for staff and trainees as assigned.
• Has direct responsibility for all aspects of mental health services provided by themselves and those that they supervise.

Work Schedule: 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: PD93958-A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

• 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 ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers 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 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public 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.

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 masters 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 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.

Grandfather Provision. 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: (1) 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. (2) 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. (3) 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. (4) 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. (5) 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.

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:

Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor-Program Coordinator- 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.
• Assignments. LPMHC Program Coordinators are administratively responsible for a clinical program and provide treatment to patients in a major specialty. They manage the daily operations of the program develop policies and procedures and prepare reports and statistics for facility VISN and national use. They may supervise unlicensed graduate LPMHCs and may administratively manage any employees assigned to their program.
• 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:

1. In depth knowledge of the program coordinated and demonstrated knowledge and ability to write policies procedures and or practice guidelines for the program.
2. Ability to make key decisions in the hiring and identification of top candidates.
3. Ability to provide leadership in facilitating the process of coordinating program consults assessments admissions care assignments and discharges.
4. Ability to provide subject matter consultation to other colleagues and trainees within the field of counseling working on an interdisciplinary team.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements: The work of the LPMHC is largely office based and in a sedentary setting. No manual labor is required above ordinary situations. Incumbent must be capable of using a computer given that all clinical charting is electronic.