Marriage and Family Therapist- Veterans Readjustment Counselor

Full Job Description

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program.

You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment.

Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (1 to 5 years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application.

Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply. BASIC REQUIREMENTS: The basic requirements for employment as a VHA Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) are prescribed by statute in 38 U.S.C.

§ 7402(b)(10), as amended by section 239 of Public Law 114- 223, enacted Sept 29, 2016.

To qualify for appointment as an MFT in VHA, all applicants must meet the following: Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States.

(Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.) 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 COAMFTE, OR 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-0182 series in VHA must hold a full, current and unrestricted MFT license to independently practice marriage and family therapy in a State.

English Language Proficiency: MFTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3j.

Grandfathering Provision: All persons employed in VHA as a MFT on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held, including positive education that is part of the basic requirements of the occupation.

For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply.

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements above for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade level for each candidates.

Marriage and Family Therapist, GS-11 (Full Performance Level): Experience, Education and Licensure: In addition to the basic requirements, the GS-11 full performance level requires completion of a minimum of 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 at the independent practice level.

~OR~ Experience, Education and Licensure: In addition to the basic requirements, a doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy or comparable degree in mental health that meets the current VA qualification standard of that profession (Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, Social Work, Psychiatric Nursing, Psychology, and Psychiatry) may be substituted for the required one year of marriage and family therapy experience in a clinical setting and must be licensed in a State at the independent practice level.

~AND~ Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to meeting the KSA's for the GS-09 grade level, candidates must demonstrate the GS-11 KSAs below: 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, regulations and VA policies affecting the practice of marriage and family therapy.

This includes the ability to assist Veterans and their families in making informed decisions relevant to treatment to include limits of confidentiality.

Ability to provide orientation, training and consultation to new MFTs including clinical oversight of MFT graduate students, and/or provide clinical supervision to pre-licensure MFTs.

Skill in the use of computer software applications for drafting documents, data management, maintaining accurate, timely and thorough clinical documentation, and tracking quality improvements.

Preferred Experience: Working with combat Veterans in providing family counseling services. Working with Veterans who were sexually traumatized/harassed while in the military.

Conducting psycho-social assessments and the provision of processing psychotherapy for trauma related conditions. Implement treatment plans for combat Veterans/and their families.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-0182-11.

Physical Requirements: The work does not inherently include physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with a workplace accommodation.

Major Duties:

The incumbent serves as an RCS Vet Center Readjustment Counselor, providing counseling services, outreach, referral, and follow up care coordination to eligible individuals, couples, and family members.

In this capacity, the incumbent functions as a member of a small multi-disciplinary team of 4 or more staff members.

This entails the incumbent contributing proactively to internal coordination of care and collaborative planning and problem solving among all staff.

Duties include, but are not limited to: Screening and Assessment: Will work directly with eligible individuals to establish a therapeutic relationship sufficient for completing all required readjustment counseling intake procedures to include an assessment of risk for self-harm and psychosocial functioning.

This information will be used as the foundation for identifying the presenting clinical focus areas and for developing the readjustment counseling service plan.

Counseling Planning/Goal Setting: 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 Counseling Service Provision: Will implement the individualized counseling plan through an appropriate course of individual, group, couple and/or family readjustment counseling.

Will maintain an effective therapeutic relationship with eligible clients fully guided by professional ethics throughout the course of readjustment counseling.

Risk Assessment and Crisis Intervention: Will apply risk assessment procedures during the initial assessment and periodically throughout the planned course of readjustment counseling as required and appropriate.

For individuals identified from intermediate to high risk, the incumbent will work with the individual to develop a safety plan that identifies the precipitating life stressors and safety procedures identified by the client.

Will provide crisis case management services inclusive of coordinating services with the individual's family members.

Care Coordination: Will establish and maintain a network of community care relationships, internal and external to VA, to coordinate access to readjustment counseling through community referrals to the Vet Center, and to ensure that eligible individuals and/or family members receive the full spectrum of services to support the veteran's readjustment that are outside the scope of readjustment counseling.

In support of client care coordination, the incumbent maintains a general knowledge and understanding of the military experience and available VA benefits and services such as VA health care and VBA service-connected benefits.

Outreach: Will maintain active coordination with Vet Center outreach workers to ensure seamless referral to Vet Center services for those individuals and family members engaged in the community at outreach events that may require follow-up readjustment counseling.

Team Cohesion and Coordination: Will actively participate in Vet Center staff meetings designed to promote team building and staff development through co-joint planning and problem solving, staff discussion of problematic cases, coaching and mentoring new hires.

Documentation/Consultation: Will document all clinical interactions with eligible individuals and episodes of care coordination on their behalf as required by RCS policy.

Will provide consultation services to other staff inclusive of other community partners. Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 8:00am - 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: PD13265A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.

Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance.

Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized NOTE: Readjustment Counselors are multi-disciplinary and can be filled by: Social Worker, Psychologist, Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, and Marriage & Family Therapist.

Each discipline is announced separately, and applicants must apply to the announcement for which they are qualified.