In a landmark step, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has issued qualification standards formally recognizing licensed professional counselors as mental health specialists within the Veterans Health Administration.
10.4.10
Washington, DC - October 4, 2010 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has issued qualification standards formally recognizing licensed professional counselors as mental health specialists within the Veterans Health Administration. The standards, released internally to the VA late on September 28th and available online, are the culmination of years of work by the American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA), the American Counseling Association (ACA), and the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) to open up mental health provider jobs within the VA to professional counselors. This is a landmark step forward for the counseling profession as well as an important means of expanding the pool of mental health service providers available to meet the growing treatment needs of our nations veterans.
The new standards set categories and criteria for employment within the VA. The standards establish several levels of employment within the GS-101 series for counselors entitled ìLicensed Professional Mental Health Counselors (LPMHC) similar to and on par with the positions currently in place for clinical social workers:
GS-9 Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (Entry Level ñ for individuals with a graduate degree in counseling but who have not yet become licensed)
GS-11 Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor
GS-12 Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor Program Coordinator
GS-12 Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor Supervisor
GS-13 Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor Program Manager
GS-14 LPMHC Program Manager Leadership Assignments
The regulations require counselors to have a master's degree in mental health 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; and marriage and family therapy. A master's degree in mental health counseling is the only degree that will be recognized under the new standards. There are no substitute degrees authorized.
The regulations also contain specific information regarding the employment of counselors who at the time of appointment have not completed all of the requirements to become state licensed. At the time of appointment, the supervisor will provide the unlicensed counselor with the written requirement to obtain licensure, the date by which the license must be acquired and the consequences for not becoming licensed by the deadline. Failure to become licensed within two years from the date of appointment will result in removal from the GS-101 LPMHC series and may result in termination of employment. Once licensed, counselors must maintain a valid and unrestricted license to independently practice mental health counseling, which includes diagnosis and treatment.
We are continuing to work with the VA to obtain a government Occupational Series from the federal Office of Personnel Management (OPM). This General Series would be specific to the counseling profession and would affect all federal agencies. It would facilitate hiring of counselors in the VA and throughout the federal government, and will not slow the VA implementation.
These qualification standards are a major accomplishment and a historic step forward in federal recognition of counselors. While it is the last formal step in the VA employment process, it will take time for counselors to be fully integrated into the system. To help us ensure the process is working, we strongly encourage counselors to contact us to share their experiences in seeking positions within the VA under the new standards. We will be monitoring implementation of the new law to ensure that licensed professional counselors are being adequately recognized for- and hired in- mental health specialist positions within the VA.
If you have questions about your eligibility, please contact the human resources staff at your local VA office.