Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (OPMH)

  • Marion VA Medical Center
  • Owensboro, Kentucky
  • Full Time
Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (OPMH)

Department of Veterans Affairs

Veterans Health Administrion

Veterans Health Administrion

Summary

This position is eligible for the Educion Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP applicion within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Educion Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP applicion. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

Summary

This position is eligible for the Educion Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP applicion within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Educion Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP applicion. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply.

Overview

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Accepting applicions

Open & closing des

07/24/2025 to 08/01/2025

Salary

$61,111 to - $96,116 per year

Pay scale & grade

GS 9 - 11

Locion

Owensboro, KY

1 vacancy

Remote job

No

Telework eligible

No

Travel Required

Not required

Relocion expenses reimbursed

No

Appointment type

Permanent

Work schedule

Full-time

Service

Excepted

Promotion potential

11

Job family (Series)

0183 Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor

Supervisory stus

No

Security clearance

Not Required

Drug test

No

Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determinion process

Credentialing

Suitability/Fitness

Announcement number

CBSS-12769567-25-AB

Control number

841558200

This job is open to

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Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of the hiring agency th posted the job announcement.

Clarificion from the agency

This announcement is open to CURRENT PERMANENT VA employees. Current, permanent VA employees must submit their most recent, NON-AWARD SF-50, Notificion of Personnel Action, to be considered for this vacancy. Current employees of other Federal agencies, the Public and Veterans should apply to announcement CBSS-12769566-25-AB

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Duties

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Completes thorough psychosocial assessments and includes pertinent informion in all the required areas of functioning in order to determine approprie diagnoses and other trement-reled conclusions.

Provides a DSM diagnosis to determine the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and/or their families.

Provides emergency/crisis interventions th are provided to Veterans to stabilize. Engages in rapid assessments and develops crisis management plans.

Provides psychotherapy as individual, group &/or family interventions when clinically indiced/approprie and when of therapeutic benefit to the recipients.

The incumbent is assigned to Outpient Mental Health Clinic (OPMH) within Behavioral Health Service the Marion Health Care System and surrounding VA locions. Services include clinical assessment and trement including individual, group or family psychotherapy, crisis intervention, advocacy, and coordinion of linkages to other VA or community service providers/agencies as needed by the Veteran. The incumbent may be assigned to Community Based Outpient Clinics (CBOCs) to assist in providing mental health care as needed by the Service.

Provides consultion to other trement team and staff members regarding psychosocial needs of Veterans and/or their families and the impact of the identified psychosocial problems on the Veteran's health care planning, compliance with trement, and discharge planning.

Documents direct Veteran care a minimum of 80% of the time allotted to direct care in the clinician's weekly profile.

Establishes and maintains effective therapeutic relionships with Veterans and/or their families.

Possesses a thorough knowledge in use of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and trement procedures, including acute, chronic, and traumic illnesses, common medicions and their effects/side effects, and medical terminology.

Facilites discharge planning through collaborion with Veterans and their families as well as interdisciplinary trement team members to ensure th approprie discharge plans are executed in a timely manner.

Provides consultion and educion to Veterans and their families regarding community resources, VA benefits and specialty programs, and advance directives.

Maintains knowledge of Veteran's benefits and services, community resources, and process for making approprie referrals to community and other governmental programs or agencies.

Provides case management services to Veterans and their families throughout the continuum of care.

Adheres to VA regulions regarding documention and completion of encounters.

Possesses and demonstres ability to communice effectively, both orally and in writing with people from varied backgrounds.

Supervises the practice of mental health/human service students, or other approprie students, or less experienced staff as approprie.

Provides clinical services to Veterans in a variety of forms including face to face, phone, vtel, and VVC as clinically approprie.

Work Schedule : 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM, Monday - Friday

Telework : Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Relocion/Recruitment Incentives : Not authorized

EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact ..., the EDRP Coordinor for questions/assistance. Learn more

Permanent Change of Stion (PCS): Not authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.

Selective Service Registrion is required for males born after 12/31/1959.

Must be proficient in written and spoken English.

You may be required to serve a probionary period.

Subject to background/security investigion.

Selected applicants required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identificion required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or ste-issued dentificion cards th are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identificion for employment.

Participion in the seasonal influenza vaccinion program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

Participion in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccinion program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administrion Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Informion" below for details.

Qualificions

Applicants pending the completion of educional or certificion/licensure requirements may be referred and tentively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements :

United Stes Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

Educion: Hold a master's or doctoral degree in: Clinical Mental Health Counseling; Clinical Rehabilition Counseling; Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Clinical Rehabilition Counseling; or a reled field, from a program accredited by the Council on Accredition of Counseling and Reled Educional Programs (CACREP). Examples of reled mental health counseling field include, but are not limited to, Addiction Counseling; Community Counseling; Gerontology Counseling; Marital, Couple, and Family Counseling. A doctoral degree in mental health counseling may not be substituted for the master's degree in mental health counseling. (TRANSCRIPT MUST BE PROVIDED WITH APPLICATION)

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 trement.

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.

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfhering Provision as described in the VA Qualificion Standard for this occupion (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupion and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinions : GS-9:

Experience, Educion, 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 the master's or doctoral level) who are gradues not yet licensed the independent practice level. Unlicensed LPMHCs the GS-9 grade level have completed the required educion listed in paragraph 3.b., and are working toward completion of prerequisites for licensure.

Assignments . Individuals assigned as GS-9 LPMHCs are considered to be the entry level and are closely supervised, including co-signures where required, as they are not functioning the full performance level.

Demonstred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the basic requirements, the candides must demonstre all of the KSAs below:

Ability to engage in intake and assessment, problem identificion, diagnosis, trement planning and implemention, continuum of care, evaluion and follow-up.

Knowledge of current Diagnostic and Stistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders in formulion of trement goals and applicion of approprie 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 stregies th address high risk behaviors, wellness, personal growth, and career development across the life span.

Ability to use a wide variety of individual, group, or family counseling interventions; demonstres sensitivity to diversity and possesses multicultural counseling skills.

Ability to serve on an interdisciplinary team with focus on the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and relional functioning of individuals, groups and families and on the counseling approaches, stregies, and techniques th st help pients function effectively.

Basic skill in the use of computer software applicions for drafting documents, da management, maintaining accure, timely and thorough clinical documention and delivery of services, such as Telehealth.

Ability to learn and utilize software programs in use by VHA.

Knowledge and understanding of existing relevant stutes, case laws, ethical codes, and regulions affecting professional practice of counseling.

Ability to communice effectively, both orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds.

Grade Determinions : GS-11:

Experience, Educion, and Licensure. In addition to the basic requirements, candides must have least one year of post-master's or post- doctoral degree mental health counseling experience (VA or non-VA experience) and must be licensed to practice the independent practice level and demonstre the KSAs in subparagraph (c) below. LPMHCs may provide clinical supervision over the clinical practice of an unlicensed LPMHC or LPMHC trainee. Some ste licenses do not license an individual to provide clinical supervision to trainees or unlicensed LPMHCs. Please refer to specific ste licensing laws regarding the requirements for providing clinical supervision.

Assignments. This is the full performance grade level for LPMHCs. At this level they are licensed to independently practice professional counseling and to provide mental health services within the knowledge, theory, and training foundions of professional counseling.

Demonstred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-9 grade level, the candide must demonstre all of the KSAs below:

Ability to make professional evaluions, decisions, and recommendion for trement planning and implemention.

Advanced knowledge and mastery of the fundamentals of the counseling process which includes defining pient/family problems and maintaining an effective counseling relionship.

Ability to provide subject mter consultion to colleagues and trainees on the counseling process within various specialty areas, build on the foundion of competence through regular meetings and discussions to explain assignments, review progress of cases and confer about the counseling perspectives and oriention.

Ability to provide complex crisis intervention and stabilizion to pients who are in psychological distress. Requires independent judgment and skill.

Ability to establish goals/trement through a collaborive process with the pient utilizing advanced counseling skills, including evidenced- based practices, screening, and psychosocial assessment.

Ability to use a wide variety of individual, group, or familial counseling interventions; demonstres sensitivity to diversity and possesses multicultural counseling skills.

Ability to fully utilize the current DSM in making diagnoses and formulion of trement goals and applicion of approprie clinical intervention using professional counseling practices.

Ability to develop and facilite psychotherapy and psycho- educion groups th include life skills, family support, and community integrion. This may include evidence based psychotherapy

Preferred Experience: Minimum 2 years of two years of experience providing psychotherapy utilizing Evidenced Based Practices

References: VA Handbook 5005/106 Part II Appendix G43 Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor Qualificion Standard ded April 3, 2018

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to GS-11.

Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associed with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupion and would generally not require a pre-placement examinion.

Educion

Hold a master's or doctoral degree in: Clinical Mental Health Counseling; Clinical Rehabilition Counseling; Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Clinical Rehabilition Counseling; or a reled field, from a program accredited by the Council on Accredition of Counseling and Reled Educional Programs (CACREP). Examples of reled mental health counseling fields include, but are not limited to Addiction Counseling; Community Counseling; Gerontology Counseling; Marital, Couple, and Family Counseling. CACREP defines the de when gradues are considered to have 3 gradued from a CACREP accredited program. Additional informion may be obtained from

Additional informion

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacion) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave a re (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the re which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment de and is not guaranteed.

During the applicion 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 applicion for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further considerion 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 stus.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-reled positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccined against COVID-19 subject to such accommodions as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locions. If selected, you required to be fully vaccined against COVID-19 and submit documention of proof of vaccinion before your start de. The agency will provide additional informion regarding wh informion or documention needed and how you can request a legally required accommodion from this requirement using the reasonable accommodion process.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alterne 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 tentive job offer. For more informion about the Act and the complaint process, Human Resources and Administrion/Operions, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) The Fair Chance Act .

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Candides should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passione about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United Stes Constitution.

Benefits

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits th are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits .

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more informion on the specific benefits offered.

How you evalued

You evalued for this job based on how well you meet the qualificions above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your applicion, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documention verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect considerion for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through Nional Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizions (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 th transles 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 informion provided by a candide (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candide'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 th have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members : Please the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegrion support for military service members.

Benefits

Help

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits th are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits .

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more informion on the specific benefits offered.

Required documents

Required Documents

Help

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Applicion Package which includes:

License

Resume

SF-50/ Notificion of Personnel Action

Transcript

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualificions for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your applicion, such as a copy of your transcript (if using educion to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

Cover Letter

DD-214/ Stement of Service

Disability Letter (Schedule A)

Disability Letter (VA)

License

Other (1)

PCS Orders

Performance Appraisal

Professional Certificion

Resume

Separion Notice (RIF)

SF-15

SF-50/ Notificion of Personnel Action

Transcript

If you are relying on your educion to meet qualificion requirements:

Educion must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Educion in order for it to be credited towards qualificions. Therefore, provide only the tendance and/or degrees from

schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Educion .

Failure to provide all of the required informion as sted in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible ring or may affect the overall ring.

How to Apply

Help

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documention specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete applicion package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 08/01/2025 to receive considerion. To preview the questionnaire click .

To begin, click Apply Online to cree a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupional questionnaire.

Click Submit My Answers to submit your applicion package.

NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and approprie documention is submitted prior to the closing de.

Agency contact informion

Alexis Briggs

Phone

...

...

Address

Marion VA Medical Center

2401 West Main Street

Marion, IL 62959

US

Next steps

Once your online applicion is submitted you will receive a confirmion notificion by email. After we receive applicion packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applicions to ensure qualificion and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certifice(s) is issued and applicants notified of their stus by email. Referred applicants notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notificion once a selection decision has been made.

You may check the stus of your applicion any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applicions. Informion regarding your applicion stus can be found in the USAJobs Help Center .

NOTE: Participion in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement th all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccinion or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccinion has been granted. HCP in violion of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locions or who come into contact with VA pients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locions include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associed clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrive, remote and onsite, paid and without compension, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with pients outside VA medical facilities.

Fair and transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Criminal history inquiries

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy

Financial suitability

New employee probionary period

Privacy Act

Reasonable accommodion policy

Selective Service

Signure and false stements

Social security number request

Required Documents

Help

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Applicion Package which includes:

License

Resume

SF-50/ Notificion of Personnel Action

Transcript

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualificions for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your applicion, such as a copy of your transcript (if using educion to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

Cover Letter

DD-214/ Stement of Service

Disability Letter (Schedule A)

Disability Letter (VA)

License

Other (1)

PCS Orders

Performance Appraisal

Professional Certificion

Resume

Separion Notice (RIF)

SF-15

SF-50/ Notificion of Personnel Action

Transcript

If you are relying on your educion to meet qualificion requirements:

Educion must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Educion in order for it to be credited towards qualificions. Therefore, provide only the tendance and/or degrees from

schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Educion .

Failure to provide all of the required informion as sted in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible ring or may affect the overall ring.

How to Apply

Help

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documention specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete applicion package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 08/01/2025 to receive considerion. To preview the questionnaire click .

To begin, click Apply Online to cree a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupional questionnaire.

Click Submit My Answers to submit your applicion package.

NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and approprie documention is submitted prior to the closing de.

Expand Hide how to apply

Agency contact informion

Alexis Briggs

Phone

...

...

Address

Marion VA Medical Center

2401 West Main Street

Marion, IL 62959

US

Next steps

Once your online applicion is submitted you will receive a confirmion notificion by email. After we receive applicion packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applicions to ensure qualificion and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certifice(s) is issued and applicants notified of their stus by email. Referred applicants notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notificion once a selection decision has been made.

You may check the stus of your applicion any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applicions. Informion regarding your applicion stus can be found in the USAJobs Help Center .

NOTE: Participion in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement th all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccinion or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccinion has been granted. HCP in violion of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locions or who come into contact with VA pients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locions include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associed clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrive, remote and onsite, paid and without compension, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with pients outside VA medical facilities.

Expand Hide next steps

Fair and transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Criminal history inquiries

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy

Financial suitability

New employee probionary period

Privacy Act

Reasonable accommodion policy

Selective...
Job ID: 486977994
Originally Posted on: 7/26/2025

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