Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (Readjustment Counselor

Program Eligibility

This position is eligible for Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. Applicants must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit their EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and 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 are ineligible to apply.

The basic requirements for employment as a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) are prescribed by statute in 38 U.S.C. § 7402(b)(11). To qualify for appointment as an LPMHC in VHA, all applicants must meet the following:

Be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g.

• 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.

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.

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. Exception: VHA may waive the licensure requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure for a period not to exceed 3 years for a LPMHC that provides care under the clinical supervision of a licensed LPMHC who is at or above the full performance level.

This exception only applies at the entry level (GS-09).

LPMHCs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3j.

All persons employed in VHA as a LPMHC on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held. Employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, demoted, but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.

Employees appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.

In addition to the basic requirements above for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade level for each candidate.

• Experience, Education and Licensure:
  The GS-9 grade level is the entry grade level for LPMHCs with less than one year of experience (post-master's degree) or for LPMHCs at the master's or doctoral level who are graduates not yet licensed at the independent practice level. Unlicensed LPMHCs at the GS-9 grade level have completed the required education and are working toward completion of prerequisites for licensure.

• Ability to engage in intake and assessment, problem identification, diagnosis, treatment planning and implementation, continuum of care, evaluation and follow-up.
• Knowledge of current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders in formulation of treatment goals and application of appropriate clinical interventions using professional counseling practices.
• Basic knowledge of professional counseling practice with emphasis on human development principles through cognitive, affective, behavioral or systemic interventions, and strategies that address high