kandidatu USA

Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC)

Veterans Health Administration · Department of Veterans Affairs

This job in plain English

This is a full-time clinician job in the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program at the Erie West VA Outpatient Clinic, part of the Veterans Health Administration. The announcement lists the work location as Syracuse, NY, and the job is on-site only with 1 vacancy that may be used to fill more. It is a permanent job that requires a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) license for full practice.

1 vacancy, which may be used to fill additional vacancies

Can you apply?

Yes, if you are a U.S. citizen: this job is open to everyone.

  • Open to everyoneAny U.S. citizen or national can apply. Some jobs also accept non-citizens; the announcement says so.

This job is open to the public. The announcement says you must be a U.S. citizen to apply, and males born after 12/31/1959 must have registered with Selective Service.

What you would do

  • Conduct psychosocial assessments and develop individualized treatment plans with Veterans.
  • Provide evidence-based therapy such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy.
  • Create crisis-management plans and decide if psychiatric hospitalization is needed.
  • Document care in the electronic health record and coordinate with the clinical team.
  • Develop discharge and transition plans for safe movement between levels of care.

Do you qualify for GS-9 to GS-11?

With experience: For the GS-11 full performance level, you need at least 1 year of post-master's mental health counseling experience (VA or non-VA) and an independent-practice license. The GS-9 entry level is for people with less than 1 year of post-master's experience or for graduates not yet licensed, who must work under close supervision.

With education: You need a master's or doctoral degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling, or a related field such as Addiction, Community, Gerontology, or Marital, Couple, and Family Counseling. The program must be accredited by CACREP. Traditional rehabilitation counseling programs do not qualify. Foreign degrees need a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency.

Licenses and certifications you need:

  • Full, current, unrestricted license to practice independently as a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, including diagnosis and treatment
  • Applicants still completing licensure may be referred and tentatively selected but cannot be hired until all requirements are met

How to apply well

What to send:

  • Long-form resume or curriculum vitae (CV); the 2-page resume limit does not apply
  • Transcript if you use your education to qualify
  • Copy of your license
  • DD-214 if you claim veterans' preference
  • SF-15 if you claim 10-point veterans' preference
  • SF-50 if you are a current or former federal employee

How you will be rated: You will be rated on how well you meet the qualifications. Your application, resume, CV, and supporting documents will be verified, and the agency may run reference checks. Missing required information may result in an ineligible rating or a lower score.

Tips for this job:

  • Be clear and specific about your counseling experience, because the agency will not assume anything about it.
  • Confirm your master's or doctoral program is CACREP accredited and upload a transcript if you use education to qualify.
  • Submit your full application, including the questionnaire and documents, by 11:59 PM ET on 12/31/2026.

Good to know before you apply

Schedule: Full-time, Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Compressed or flexible schedules are not authorized.

Incentives and relocation: Recruitment or relocation incentives such as a sign-on bonus are not authorized. Relocation assistance is not authorized.

Conditions of employment:

  • U.S. citizenship required to apply
  • Selective Service registration for males born after 12/31/1959
  • Must be proficient in written and spoken English
  • Background and security investigation
  • Online onboarding and acceptable identification; non-REAL ID driver's licenses are not accepted
  • Pre-employment physical examination
  • Seasonal influenza vaccination required, or an approved exemption
  • 1 or 2-year trial period

We wrote this summary automatically from the official announcement. The announcement on USAJOBS is the only one that counts: read it before you apply.

Job details

Salary
$61,722 – $97,087 per year
Pay scale and grade
GS-9 to GS-11 · General Schedule
Location
Syracuse, New York
Appointment
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Openings
1
Security clearance
Other
Travel
Not required
Drug test
Not required
Supervisory
No
Occupation
Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (0183)
Announcement
CBTE-13101196-27-DM

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