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.
Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. 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. English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in both spoken and written English in accordance with VA policy. Education: Candidates must meet one of the following: (1) Hold a master's degree or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy from a program approved by Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE), ~OR~ (2) Hold a master's degree or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy from a MFT program from a regionally accredited institution, ~OR~ (3) 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. Exception: The Secretary, or his/her designee, may waive the licensure requirement for persons who are otherwise qualified, pending completion of State prerequisites for licensure examinations for a period not to exceed three years from the date of employment on the condition that MFTs appointed on this basis provide care only under the supervision of a fully licensed MFT with an AAMFT approved license. Non-licensed MFTs who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may be given an appointment as an MFT under the authority of 38 U.S.C.§ 7401(3). This exception only applies at the entry grade level (GS-9). For grades at or above the full performance 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. GS-09 (Entry Level): Experience, Education and Licensure: The entry level grade is used 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. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition, the candidates must demonstrate the following KSAs: 1. 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. 2. Ability to assess, with supervision, the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members. 3. 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. 4. 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. 5. Basic knowledge and understanding of existing relevant statutes, case law, ethical codes, and regulations affecting professional practice of marriage and family therapy. 6. Ability to draft documents, manage data, maintain accurate, timely and thorough clinical documentation, and track quality improvements. 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 licensure in a State at the independent practice level. ~OR~, 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 licensure to practice at the independent practice level. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition, the candidates must demonstrate the following KSAs: 1. Skill to independently assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members. 2. 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. 3. 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. 4. 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. 5. 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. 6. 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 the GS-0182 Marriage and Family Therapist job series is GS-11. The actual grade at which a candidate may be selected for this vacancy is either the GS-09 or the GS-11 grade level. 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.
Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) Authorized: This position is eligible for EDRP, a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of your start date. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP Participants are ineligible to apply for the program. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov for questions/assistance. 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. 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 cojoint 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. Responsiveness to Other Duties as Assigned: The incumbent will proactively address all other duties as assigned and directed by the Vet Center Director. Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:30pm; Monday - Friday, standard operational hours with occasional evenings and weekends based on operational need of the facility Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 13264A, 13265A 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