Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor

  • VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System
  • Aurora, Colorado
  • Full Time
Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor

Department of Veterans Affairs

Veterans Health Administrion

Eastern Colorado Veterans Health Care System

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

07/23/2025 to 08/11/2025

Salary

$98,811 to - $128,460 per year

Pay scale & grade

GS 12

Locion

Aurora, CO

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

None

Job family (Series)

0183 Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor

Supervisory stus

No

Security clearance

Other

Drug test

No

Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determinion process

Credentialing

Suitability/Fitness

Announcement number

CBSU-12761705-25-VE

Control number

841487900

This job is open to

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Federal employees - Competitive service

Current federal employees whose agencies follow the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's hiring rules and pay scales.

Federal employees - Excepted service

Current federal employees whose agencies have their own hiring rules, pay scales and evaluion criteria.

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 VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System Employees, VA Employees Nionwide, current and former VA Trainees and all other Federal Employees. For the public announcement apply to CBSU-12761704-25-VE.

Videos

Duties

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The Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) provides Mental Health services to the Veteran populion enrolled in the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) throughout the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System. Services include facilition of psychosocial assessments and provision of high- quality individual and group psychotherapy, clinical trement, crisis intervention, advocacy, and coordinion of referral to other approprie VA or community services providers/agencies, as needed by the Veteran.

Duties and skills needed to be successful in this position include, but are not limited to:

Complete a psychosocial assessment of the veteran in collaborion with the interdisciplinary trement team, the veteran and family members/significant others.

Possesses a working knowledge and experience 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.

Responsible for contributing to the development of the trement plan and setting achievable trement goals with the veteran, family members/significant others and other BHIP team members based on the psychosocial assessment.

Responsible for faciliting 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 individual, family, and group psychotherapeutic trement of mental and emotional disorders and emotional pain using evidence-based psychological methods (i.e., ACT, CBT, CPT, PE, etc.). The purpose of psychotherapeutic trement is to address the psychosocial impact of severe mental illness(es), chronic/disabling illness(es), onset of a castrophic illness, etc. Psychotherapeutic goals include relieving symptoms, increasing understanding, and changing behavior to foster recovery and over all well-being. Incumbent will collabore with other service providers in reassessing the veteran's needs.

As a senior LPMHC, incumbent may be assigned cases with increased complexity or requiring more experience.

Responsible for educing the veteran and family members/significant others of the available services and assisting them in establishing the approprie referrals based on the veteran's preference or th of their surroge decision-maker.

When approprie and feasible, the incumbent will educe and encourage the veteran to advoce on his/her own behalf, thus fostering a sense of independence and empowerment.

In the event of a medical or psychiric emergency, staff will follow the protocol of their respective mental health unit/program and VA Medical Eastern Colorado Healthcare System.

Provides educion reled to VA and community resources, entitlements, Advance Directives/Living Will and will refer veterans and family members/significant others to the approprie interdisciplinary team member for identified health educion needs.

Review the progress notes from the other providers to accurely determine the strengths and limitions of each veteran.

Assume responsibility for timely completion of all clinical charting and documention .

Participe in LPMHC peer review .

Provide consultion and guidance to less experienced providers on the team .

Serve as a clinical supervisor to unlicensed LPMHCs .

Performs other approprie duties as assigned .

Work Schedule : Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm

Compressed/Flexible :Not Available

Telework : Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Stement # : 54835-A

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 trial 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).

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.

English Language Proficiency: Psychologists must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j.

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 gradued from a CACREP accredited program. Additional informion may be obtained from . NOTE: Traditional Rehabilition counseling programs th are accredited by CACREP do not meet the LPMHC qualificion standards as Traditional Rehabilition counseling differs from Clinical Rehabilition 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 trement.

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 :

Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, GS-12

Experience, Educion, and Licensure: In addition to the basic requirements, candides must have least one year of progressively complex LPMHC experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Senior LPMHCs must have five years of post-licensed experience th demonstres possession of advanced practice skills and judgment, demonstring progressive professional competency and expertise and be licensed to provide clinical supervision to trainees or unlicensed LPMHCs.

Demonstred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-11 grade level, the candide must demonstre all of the KSAs below:

Advanced knowledge of and mastery of theories and modalities used in the specialized trement of complex mental illness. Ability to incorpore complex multiple causion in differential diagnosis and trement of veteran pients, including making psychosocial and psychiric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice. Ability to determine priority of services needed and provide specialized trement.

Advanced and expert skill in a range of specialized interventions and trement modalities for Veterans with complex needs. This includes individual, group, and/or family counseling, or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial, and/or case management interventions used in the trement of Veterans.

Ability to coordine the delivery of specialized psychosocial services and programs. Ability to design system changes based on da.

Ability to provide subject mter consultion to colleagues and trainees on the psychosocial trement of pients, rendering professional opinions based on experience, expertise and role modeling effective clinical skills.

Ability to teach, mentor staff and trainees, and provide supervision for licensure or for specialty certificions.

Ability to engage in written and oral communicion with leadership/staff and community stakeholders regarding policies, procedures, practice guidelines, and issues pertaining to the practice of the profession.

Preferred Experience: Experience providing evidence based psychotherapy.

Reference: For more informion on this qualificion standard, please .

The full performance level of this vacancy is 12. The actual grade which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is 12.

Physical Requirements: Physical demands of the work are generally minor, as the position requires sitting, standing, and walking. The emotional demands can be stressful in working with high-risk for suicide veteran populion and their families. A high level of self-awareness is essential. Work, divided between office and clinical settings, is primarily sedentary. May require prolonged standing, modere walking, and manual dexterity. Requires carrying light items, such as books, files, or laptop computer.

Educion

Note: Only educion or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Educion from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your educion here: . If you are using foreign educion to meet qualificion requirements, you must send a Certifice of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for th educion. For further informion, : .

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.

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 .

Expand Hide additional informion

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

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows des and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documention reled to your active duty service which reflects the des of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and des of impending separion. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Applicion for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as sted on the form. Documention is required to award preference. For more informion on Veterans' Preference, please Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference .

Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.

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 08/11/2025 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

VISN 19 HR Contact Center

Phone

...

...

Address

VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System

1700 N Wheeling St

Aurora, CO 80045

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

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows des and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documention reled to your active duty service which reflects the des of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and des of impending separion. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Applicion for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as sted on the form. Documention is required to award preference. For more informion on Veterans' Preference, please Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference .

Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.

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 08/11/2025 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

VISN 19 HR Contact Center

Phone

...

...

Address

VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System

1700 N Wheeling St

Aurora, CO 80045

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 Service

Signure and false stements

Social security number request

Overview Help Accepting applicions Open & closing des 07/23/2025 to 08/11/2025 Salary $98,811 to - $128,460 per year Pay scale & grade GS 12 Locion Aurora, CO 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 None Job family (Series) Supervisory stus No Security clearance Drug test No Position sensitivity and risk Trust determinion process Announcement number CBSU-12761705-25-VE Control number 841487900
Job ID: 486983739
Originally Posted on: 7/26/2025

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