Summary Incumbent functions as the primary advisor to the Associate Chief of Staff (ACOS of Behavioral Health (BH)) Chief of BH, Chief of Staff, and Medical Center Director on all BH programs. Responsible for the effective and efficient management of all BH programs and services such as Psychology, Psychiatry and Social Work. Ensures timely delivery of patient driven care that includes quality assessment, diagnosis and management (including pharmacotherapy) of inpatient and outpatient BH care. Responsibilities This vacancy will remain open until filled. The first cut-off date is 08/15/2024. Additional applications will be referred as needed. Duties include, but are not limited to: Program Management Developing and implementing appropriate policies, procedures, plans and professional standards that guide and support all Behavioral Health programs. Developing program review and evaluation to ensure that the access, quality of care, customer service, patient satisfaction and utilization management, efficiency dimensions of care are continuously evaluated and improved. Ensuring compliances with all functions and standards of accreditation entities such as The Joint Commission and Commission of Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities that are applicable to Behavioral Health (BH) programs (assessment of the patient; care of the patient; patient rights, organizational ethics; continuum of care, etc.). Ensuring that programs, processes and procedures are in place to meet VHA performance measures and monitors. Using chart reviews and data analytic methods to improve performance and quality problems. Learning about, practices and supporting all existing safety practices relevant to this position. Staying abreast of new safety practices as they are developed. Coordinating and integrating interdepartmental and intradepartmental services especially in evaluation of the clinical delivery of care relevant to the ACOS of BH, Chief of Staff or ADPACS. Actively promoting and effectively managing a culturally diverse workforce which embraces the values and needs of all individuals. This must be accomplished through long-term commitments, strategic and business planning, education and experience which broadens the mindset and by fully managing human resources. Recruiting, training and supervising, well-trained, highly skilled, competent and compassionate staff to provide services within BH Service. In collaboration with Social Work, Psychology, Nursing and Psychiatry; recruiting and selecting employees who provide services as part of BH Product Line programs and teams. Coordinating orientation and in cooperation with the Office of Education, Clinical Providing clinical consultation to various disciplines and levels of training. Academic, Teaching and Training Providing leadership, guidance and consultation on staff education and development. Orienting, teaching and serving as a consultant to other Medical Center staff and trainees and assists in the formulation of psychological characteristics and appropriate treatment. Conducting reviews of manuscripts submitted to scholarly journals. Other In course of duties, has contact on a regular and recurring basis with individuals representing widely divergent backgrounds, interests and points of view. Serving as a member of key EPVAHCS managerial bodies. Serving on System Redesign, Root Cause Analysis, employee candidate selection and other ad hoc committees, as designated by the ACOS of BH. Work Schedule: Full-time, Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Must be accessible 24/7 on an on-call basis by phone in the event of any major issues that must be handled immediately. This is a rare occurrence. Telework: Available - ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Not a Bargaining Unit position Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications 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. 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 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 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. Loss of Licensure: Once licensed, LPMHCs must maintain a full, valid, and unrestricted license to independently practice mental health counseling, which includes diagnosis and treatment. Loss of licensure will result in removal from the GS-0183 LPMHC occupation and may result in termination of employment. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. 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 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). Grade Determinations: Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (Program Manager), GS-13 Experience, Education and Licensure. 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-12 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs below: Ability to make judgments and decisions associated with program management. Ability to monitor program outcomes using data driven quality assurance process. Ability to develop productivity standards appropriate to each service provided. Ability to manage a wide range of programs which include the operation and management of key clinical, training or administrative programs. Preferred Experience: Five or more years of administrative/supervisory experience in managing a behavioral health service that consists of multi-disciplinary staff. Demonstrated experience with disciplinary actions. Experience working in multi-disciplinary teams with privileges at an outpatient clinic or hospital. Must possess experience in overseeing, developing, coordinating and evaluating academic programs within the behavioral health field. 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: The work is sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Accreditation Information: The 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 graduated from a CACREP accredited program. Additional information may be obtained from http://www.cacrep.org/directory/. NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application. NOTE: If your school was accredited by the Council on Social Work Education at the time of graduation but is no longer listed on the Council on Social Work Education website, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (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 rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application 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 application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration 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 status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related 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 vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate 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 tentative job offer (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information.