Mental Health Counselor

Mental Health
Germany
March 2, 2023
Full Time Part Time
Application ends: March 25, 2025

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Job Description

Full Job Description

Duties

The incumbent is a Mental Health Counselor at the RSC and conducts intakes, completes evaluations, facilitates evidence-based groups, and provides the full range of assessment and counseling services to offenders/defendants with behavioral health disorders.

Conducts initial interviews with offenders/defendants to obtain and record accurate information concerning the offenders/defendants’ substance abuse history, historical and current mental health condition. Provides orientation upon intake, conducts searches of personal belongings, and secures the offender’s/defendant’s property. Assists offenders/defendants with documents and enrollment procedures for community-based treatment and support programs. Performs preliminary screening of offenders/defendants and observes offender/defendants’ behavior on an ongoing basis to identify symptoms of decompensation.

Responds to offenders/defendants’ needs by securing appropriate medical services to promote stabilization (i.e., emergency psychiatric assignment, detoxification, etc.). Escorts and transports offenders/defendants to off-site appointments and other approved destinations. Provides evidence-based individual and group counseling to support the offenders or defendant’s mental and emotional wellbeing and treatment readiness. Assures offenders’/defendants’ compliance with prescribed course of treatment as well as program rules.

Attends meetings and provides vital information during interdisciplinary team (IDT) meetings to assess the offenders/defendants’ needs. Provides extensive technical support to case managers and lead counselors by preparing reports, discharge plans, intake forms and a variety of referral and assessment documents. Demonstrates cultural competencies when providing services to a diverse group of offenders/defendants.

Facilitates evidence-based groups that focus on substance abuse, treatment readiness, criminogenic risk factors, as well as behavioral health for offenders/defendants with diagnosed mental health conditions. Maintains accurate progress notes that detail offenders’/defendants’ observed behaviors, and participation and progress in RSC programs and activities. Assists colleagues with developing seminars, workshops, and related group activities. Assists the unit manager in maintaining unit safety, security, and operations.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable
  • Background security investigation, drug test, and favorable adjudication
  • May be required to successfully complete a one year probationary period (unless already completed).
  • All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments directly deposited into a financial institution of their choosing.
  • CSOSA uses E-Verify, if you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS “E-Verify” System.
  • Bargaining Unit Status: This position is represented by American Federation of Government Employees, Local 0727
  • The position is Mission Essential. Mission Essential employees must report for, or remain at, work in emergencies; dismissal or closure announcements do not apply to them unless their supervisor instructs otherwise.
  • Relocation expenses are not authorized.
  • This vacancy announcement may be used to fill future vacancies for identical positions within the next year.
  • Only experience and education obtained by the closing date of this announcement will be considered.
  • You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement and before placement in the position.
  • CSOSA is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
  • This is not a virtual position; you must live within or be willing to relocate within a commutable distance of the duty location.

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENTS
A. Successful completion of a full four-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor’s or higher degree in the behavioral or social sciences, or in a related discipline that included at least 24 semester/36 quarter hours in the behavioral or social sciences.
OR

B. Combination of education and experience that provided the applicant with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.
OR

C. Four years of appropriate experience that demonstrated the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

In addition to meeting the basic entry qualification requirements, applicants must have had either specialized experience and/or directly related education in the amounts shown below. Education and experience may be combined to meet the total experience requirements.

1. The applicant must have completed three (3) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree when it provided the applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.
OR

2. The applicant must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-9.

Specialized experience is experience which is in or related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.

Specialized experience includes performing work to assess the needs of adult offenders/defendants with co-occurring disorders to determine the seriousness or urgency of the situation; observing offenders’/defendants’ behaviors on an ongoing basis to identify symptoms of decomposition or acute mental illness; responding to offenders’/defendants needs by securing appropriate services that promote stabilization. Specialized experience includes assures offenders’/defendants’ compliance with recommended interventions including medications, dietary and nutritional requirements, disciplinary actions and program needs.

Preferred Experience:

  • No less than one year of clinical experience providing clinical services.
  • Clear documentation of experience providing evidenced-based clinical practices (i.e., Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for SUD, Motivational Interviewing, Motivational Enhancement Therapy, CPT, PE, etc.).
  • No less than one year of clinical experience providing substance use treatment and clinical services.

OR

3. Combination of Graduate Education and Professional Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate-level education and specialized experience may be used to meet total experience requirements. Only graduate level education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be combined with experience.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

LICENSE REQUIREMENT:

Applicant must possess current licensure or certification to practice independently in the social services field: Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW), Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) OR comparable certification in a social science discipline such as psychology or social work is required. MUST PROVIDE LICENSURES.

Education

 

ARE YOU USING YOUR EDUCATION TO QUALIFY? You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: (1) official or unofficial transcripts are acceptable, or (2) you may submit a list with all of your courses, grades, semester, year, and credit for the course. All materials must be submitted by the closing date of the announcement.
PASS/FAIL COURSES: If more than 10 percent of your undergraduate course work (credit hours) were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim of superior academic achievement must be based upon class standing or membership in an honor society.
GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school’s definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

 

Additional information

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement.

If you are an eligible Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) applicant, you may apply for special selection over other applicants for this position. Individuals who have special priority selection rights under the CTAP or ICTAP must be well qualified for the position. To be well qualified, applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and meet the mid-level (scoring between 85 and 89) of the rating criteria for all factors or the established cutoff score. CTAP/ICTAP eligibles must submit one of the following as proof of eligibility for the special selection priority: a separation notice; a “Notice of Personnel Action” (SF-50) documenting separation; an agency certification that you cannot be placed after injury compensation has been terminated; an OPM notification that your disability annuity has been terminated; OR a Military Department or National Guard Bureau notification that you are retired under 5 U.S.C. 8337(h) or 8456.

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