Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor; LPMHC - PRRC

Overview

Summary The Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) is licensed to independently practice professional counseling and to provide mental health services within the knowledge - theory - and training foundations of professional counseling. He/she may be assigned to any mental health VHA area - consulting with peers and supervisors as appropriate. LPMHCs may be involved in program evaluation and/or research activities.

Summary The Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) is licensed to independently practice professional counseling and to provide mental health services within the knowledge - theory - and training foundations of professional counseling. He/she may be assigned to any mental health VHA area - consulting with peers and supervisors as appropriate. LPMHCs may be involved in program evaluation and/or research activities.

Note: 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.

• 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
• LPMHCs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005 - Part II - chapter 3 - section A - paragraph 3.j
• 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 3 graduated from a CACREP accredited program
• Additional information may be obtained from http://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)./
• 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
• 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)
• Grandfather Provision
• All persons employed in VHA 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:
  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 4 occupation - but may not be promoted beyond the full performance level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• Grade Determinations:
  Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor - GS-11 (Full Performance Level) Experience - Education - and Licensure
• In addition to the basic requirements - candidates must have at least one year of post-master's or post- doctoral degree mental health counseling experience (VA or non-VA experience) and must be licensed…