Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor Program Manager - Substance Use Disorder

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.

Qualifications:

*** This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until June 30, 2025 or until position is filled. The initial cutoff date for referral of eligible applications will be March 24, 2025. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as needed basis until positions are filled. ***

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.

English Language Proficiency

• Must be proficient in spoken & 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 & Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling;

OR

• Hold a master's or doctoral degree in 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 must hold a full, current, & unrestricted license to independently practice as a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor.

Grade Determinations:

GS-13 Experience
In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least one year of progressively complex experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. The experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstrating progressively more professional competency.

AND

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities. In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-12 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs below:

1. Ability to make judgments and decisions associated with program management.
2. Ability to monitor program outcomes using data driven quality assurance process.
3. Ability to develop productivity standards appropriate to each service provided.
4. Ability to manage a wide range of programs which include the operation and management of key clinical, training or administrative programs.

Preferred Experience: Knowledge of treatment of substance use disorders, harm reduction philosophy and principles of recovery, and experience in managing a multidisciplinary team. Supervisory experience preferred.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13.

Physical Requirements: Physical demands of the work are generally minor, as the position requires sitting, standing, and walking. A high level of self-awareness is essential. Work, divided between office and clinical settings, is primarily sedentary. May require prolonged standing, moderate walking, and manual dexterity. Requires carrying light items, such as books, files, or laptop computer. 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 others. 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.

Responsibilities:

• Assumes under direct supervision the responsibility for the coordination & management of outpatient substance use treatment services offered by the VA WCHCS.
• Supervises & assumes responsibility for all outpatient SUD clinical & administrative operations under the direct supervision of the SUD Program manager.
• Plans, supervises, executes, and monitors all activities carried out by the Outpatient SUD Program.
• Provides care to the region's eligible Veterans, many of whom have complex needs that include serious & persistent mental health, medical, & psychosocial problems.
• Responsible for multiple performance areas within the Outpatient SUD Program.
• Leads a multidisciplinary team, to include psychologists, social workers, nurses, & other health care professionals. Leads regularly scheduled staff meetings.
• Responsible for the oversight of the Outpatient SUD operational policies & procedures, with the approval of the SUD Program Manager.
• Conducts ongoing program evaluation & data-driven quality improvement projects that monitor the effectiveness of clinical operations within their respective program(s).
• Organizes & leads leadership team meetings in order to facilitate case disposition, care management, effective delivery of clinical interventions, & the adherence to administrative demands.
• Monitors & distributes provider-specific workload reports to team leaders & ensures provider adherence to workload standards.
• Plans work to be accomplished by team members, including establishing priorities, timelines for completion, & necessary adjustments therein.
• Ensures timely access to care of patients assigned to each team, in accordance with local & national policies.
• Initiates & maintains liaisons with associated VA health care programs in order to effectively coordinate services.
• Monitors compliance of team members with VA performance measures & effectively shapes provider practice patterns to improve standing on performance measures.
• Provides clinical supervision, as appropriate, to assigned team members regarding adherence to VA WCHCS medico-legal stands & policies, documentation of CPRS procedures, & the clinical management of difficult, complex, & dangerous patients.
• Assists in the hiring of new staff members for the Outpatient SUD Program, to include constructing job announcement(s), preparing functional statements, &/or selecting final job candidates.
• Resolves conflicts among assigned staff (both leadership & line staff), adjudicates complaints & problems of employees in a timely & effective manner.
• Functions as the supervisor of record for management area team leaders & provides input on the performance evaluations for administrative staff within the section.
• Assumes responsibility for taking appropriate disciplinary actions for employees with performance problems in a timely & effective manner.
• Initiates performance awards for outstanding employees & completes administrative paperwork with both accuracy & timeliness.
• Ensures that appropriate coverage is arranged for patient care responsibilities when staff members are on leave. Approves leave for employees directly under their supervision.
• Facilitates liaisons with other health care programs for effective continuity of care & coordinate services.
• Ensures optimal collaboration between Outpatient SUD Program & other VA WCHCS SUD Programs, to include effective communication, resource sharing, permeability, & transitional/stepped level of care.
• Attends & participates in administrative & informational meetings held by the Psychosocial Services Section Chief, Mental Health Chief, Chief of Staff, &/or Facility Director.
• Attends Mental Health leadership meetings as designated by the Chief of Mental Health Service.
• Attends recurring Mental Health Service meetings & trainings.
• Protects printed & electronic files containing sensitive data in accordance with provisions of Federal privacy acts & confidentiality statutes.
• Allocates resources within the Mental Health Service, based on a data-driven decision making process with consideration given to the overall needs of the organization & Service Line.
• Oversees survey readiness for the Outpatient SUD Program, in collaboration with the SUD Program Manager, Mental Health Leadership, & the QM Manager.
• Oversees & collaborates with Outpatient SUD team to ensure success on facility & Mental Health performance metrics.
• Completes suspense actions related to the management area.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm
Compressed/Flexible:May be available.
Telework: May be available.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 59055-0
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized.
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact Jillana.martinez@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.

Salary : $105,383