Marriage and Family Therapist

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Duties

Summary

The incumbent serves as a Readjustment Counselor at a Vet Center in the Readjustment Counseling Service (RCS) providing direct counseling services, outreach, referral, and follow-up care coordination to eligible individuals. In this capacity, the incumbent functions as a member of a small multi-disciplinary team of 4 or more members, including social workers, other mental health professionals, outreach workers and office managers.

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Responsibilities

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS announcement - Candidates will be considered as vacancies become available; however, the first list of eligible applicants will be made no earlier than 10 days after the opening of this announcement.

NOTE: Readjustment Counselors are multi-disciplinary and can be filled by: Social Worker, Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, Marriage & Family Therapist, and Psychologist. Each discipline is announced separately and applicants must apply to the announcement for which they are qualified.

The incumbent will be responsible for providing services to eligible individuals who are experiencing a variety of military related psychological and psychosocial problems. Incumbents must possess the knowledge and experience to independently implement psychotherapeutic modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups to enhance the readjustment of Veterans, active duty Service members, and their families. Functions and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

* Intake screening and assessment: Complete all readjustment counseling intake procedures, including an assessment of risk for self-harm, military history and military related psychosocial stressors, and assess family readjustment stressors and document identified behaviors or symptoms.
* Readjustment counseling goal setting and service planning: Develop and periodically update an individualized readjustment counseling service plan that reflects a course of therapeutic and psychosocial interventions, including identification of achievable goals and measurable outcomes.
* Direct readjustment counseling service provision: Incorporate complex multiple causation in differential psychosocial assessment and direct service delivery to eligible Veterans, including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnostic inferences within the clinical scope of practice.
* Risk assessment and crisis intervention: Conduct timely assessment of Veterans in crisis to identify immediate needs, evaluate risk, and initiate safety planning as appropriate.
* Care coordination: Links the Veteran with other community services, resources, and opportunities to maximize the Veteran's independence, health, and well-being.
* Coordinating readjustment counseling and outreach: Maintain active coordination with Vet Center outreach workers to ensure seamless referral to Vet Center services for those individuals engaged in the community at outreach events that may require follow-up readjustment counseling.
* Team cohesion and coordination: Actively participate in staff meetings designed to promote team building and staff development.
* Documentation/administrative responsibilities/consultation: Document all clinical interactions with eligible individuals and episodes of care coordination on their behalf as required by policy.
* Other duties as assigned

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Some evenings and weekends required

Telework: Not available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Title/Functional Statement #:Marriage and Family Therapist/PD000000

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not available

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Travel Required

25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status

No

Promotion Potential

11

* Job family (Series)

0101 Social Science

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* Requirements

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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
* You may be required to serve a probationary period
* Subject to a background/security investigation
* Must be proficient in written and spoken English
* 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 Department of Veterans Affairs Personnel

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: Candidates must meet one of the following:
* Hold a master's degree or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy from a program approved by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE),
* Hold a master's degree or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy from a MFT program from a regionally accredited institution, OR
* Hold a master's degree or doctoral degree in a comparable mental health degree (Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, Social Work, Psychiatric Nursing, Psychology, and Psychiatry) that meets the current VA qualification standard of that profession.

* Licensure: Persons hired or reassigned to MFT positions in the GS-0101 series in VHA must hold a full, current, and unrestricted MFT license to independently practice marriage and family therapy in a State.
* NOTE: A MFT who does not yet have a license that allows independent practice may be given a conditional appointment, pending completion of State prerequisites for licensure examinations. The MFT may only provide care under the supervision of a fully licensed MFT with an AAMFT Approved Supervisor credential.
* Exception: VHA may waive the licensure requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure. This exception only applies at the GS-09 level, for the GS-11 level, the candidate must be licensed.

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:

GS-09 Experience, Education and Licensure. The GS-9 grade level is the entry grade level for non-licensed MFTs or for MFTs (master's or doctoral level) who are graduates not yet licensed at the independent practice (Journey) level. Unlicensed MFTs at the GS-9 grade level have completed the required education and are working toward completion of prerequisites for licensure.

In addition to the basic requirements above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):

* Knowledge of human development throughout the lifespan, interventions based on research and family systems theory and therapy, formal diagnostic criteria, risk assessment, evidence-based practice and assessment tools.
* Ability to assess, with supervision, the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members.
* Knowledge to formulate, implement, and re-evaluate a treatment plan through continuous assessment identifying the Veteran's challenges, strengths, readiness to change, external influences and current events surrounding the origins and maintenance of the presenting issue, and interactional patterns within the client system.
* Ability to provide counseling and/or psychotherapy services, under supervision, to individuals, groups, couples and families in a culturally competent manner that facilitates change through restructuring and reorganizing of the client system.
* Basic knowledge and understanding of existing relevant statutes, case law, ethical codes, and regulations affecting professional practice of marriage and family therapy.
* Ability to draft documents, manage data, maintain accurate, timely and thorough clinical documentation, and track quality improvements.

GS-11 Experience, Education and Licensure. In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must have at least one year of post-master's degree experience in the field of marriage and family therapy work (VA or non-VA experience) and must be licensed in a State to practice at the independent practice level.

In addition to the experience above, candidates must demonstrate all of the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):

* Skill to independently assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members.
* Ability to provide counseling and/or psychotherapy services to individuals, groups, couples and families in a culturally competent manner that facilitates change through restructuring and reorganizing the client system.
* Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with Veterans and their families, colleagues, and other professionals in collaboration throughout treatment regarding clinical, ethical and legal issues and concerns.
* Knowledge and understanding of existing relevant statutes, case law, ethical codes..... click apply for full job details