Supervisory Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (Inpatient Psychiatry)

Quick Facts

• Role: Supervisory Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (Inpatient Psychiatric Unit)

• Setting: 30-bed acute inpatient psychiatric unit for Veterans with co-occurring psychiatric and substance use disorders

• Schedule: M–F, 8:00am–4:30pm

Description

Provide broad administrative and program management leadership for the Inpatient Psychiatric Unit (IPU), ensuring efficient daily operations, staff performance, and an effective therapeutic milieu. Deliver advanced clinical services and oversight, including crisis intervention, assessments, and a full range of therapeutic interventions (individual, group, and marital therapy, psychoeducation, and care coordination). Lead therapeutic programming and special projects using data-driven measurement to maximize patient outcomes and meet accreditation and VA expectations.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and provide technical/professional accountability for the IPU Assistant Program Manager, staff physicians, and night-shift APRNs/PAs
• Build staff competencies, promote effective team relationships, and maintain a therapeutic milieu
• Oversee interdisciplinary interventions at both individual and systems levels
• Maintain environment-of-care standards and coordinate with Bioengineering, Information Technology, Patient Safety, and Environmental Services to correct deficiencies
• Support physical safety awareness; develop and implement safety protocols and ensure regular staff/patient training
• Ensure operations meet or exceed Joint Commission accreditation standards and local/VA Central Office expectations (including OIG and MHEOC)
• Implement measurement systems to assess patient progress and treatment outcomes; modify programming over time
• Lead development and implementation of new programming/special projects to improve efficacy and safety of residential treatment
• Perform psychological and substance abuse assessments as needed
• Provide psychological consultation to non-psychologist team members
• Provide clinical oversight for interns/trainees and participate in the Psychology Training Program and Training Committee
• Support teaching for medical students, medical/psychiatric residents, and nursing students
• Oversee program monitors/outcome measurements, complete required program evaluations, and plan/oversee research projects
• Present outcome data and research results at scientific/professional meetings as applicable

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship
• English proficiency (written and spoken)
• Full, current, unrestricted Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor license for independent practice including diagnosis and treatment
• Master’s or doctoral degree in an eligible counseling field from a CACREP-accredited program
• At least 1 year of progressively complex experience equivalent to GS-11 demonstrating advanced practice skills, judgment, and competency
• GS-12 supervisory capabilities: supervise other providers, maintain a professional environment per policies/safety standards, and clearly set staff expectations

Benefits

Federal employee benefits vary by position and eligibility; details are provided by the hiring agency.