Marriage and Family Therapist-Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs Counselor

Summary

This clinical position include the delivery of evidence-based psychosocial and environmental interventions for reducing behavioral and psychological symptoms, such as various mental health conditions, dementia, and other neuropsychiatric conditions. Delivers clinical case management and specialized, complex, highly professional services that are important program components of the Sheridan VA HCS and VISN 19's compendium of mental health services.

Duties

Identifies problems/needs from the assessment to be treated and develops the individual treatment plan. Provides individual professional input and addressing the social aspect of the patient's situation with the treatment team. Assists Veterans and the treatment team in navigating problems in the residential milieu. Ensures all case management as assigned for the duration of the Veteran's admission through post-discharge follow-up. Conducts therapeutic counseling in accordance with specific guidelines and handles crises regularly with minimal supervision. Serves as therapist/counselor with individuals and groups. Observes and documents behavior and reaction patterns of patients to be utilized by the multidisciplinary treatment team, and final disposition for follow-up. Develops and conducts lectures and educational presentations for patients related to various specialty aspects of general mental health, substance use disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or Serious Mental Illness (SMI). Educates the veteran, their families, and the team on all the options available to them and will collaborate with the veteran and family on the preferred option. Develops, organizes, and implements a wide variety of outpatient aftercare treatment for patients and their collaterals. Develops and implements methods to motivate veterans to attend aftercare and/or participate in the outpatient program. Transports veterans to assist them in assessing resources or taking care of essential business. Government vehicle will be used as well as all processes, trainings, and requirements related to Government vehicle use. Collaborates with other service providers in reassessing the Veteran's needs. Educates the veteran and/or caregiver about the available services and assisting them in establishing the appropriate referrals based on the veteran's preference or that of the surrogate decision-maker. Serves as a field instructor, preceptor, and/or mentor to interns, new/unlicensed, or newly licensed clinicians and peers as needed. Enters all veteran/family contacts in the electronic record using appropriate/approved formats and templates. Establishes and maintains positive working relationships with employees, volunteers, consumers, and stakeholders within the VA and outside community agencies. Attends all appropriate staff meetings, team meetings, committee meetings, or group meetings and perform other duties as required. Collaborates in the performance improvement process and complies with performance measures as required by the appropriate program offices and local policies. Serves as a consultant to other medical center staff and trainees and assists in their formulation of the psychological characteristics and appropriate treatment. Offers consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients treated in specialty areas, rendering professional opinions based on experience and expertise, and role modeling effective clinical practice skills. Demonstrates the ability to teach and mentor staff and students in the special area of practice and to provide supervision for licensure or specialty certifications. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 7:30am - 4:00pm Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 51238-A; 51239-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May Be Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Qualifications

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. 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 COAMFTE, (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. 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. Grade Requirements Marriage and Family Therapist, GS-9 (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 listed in paragraph 3b above, and are working toward completion of prerequisites for licensure. Demonstrated KSAs In addition to meeting the KSAs for GS-9 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: 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 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. 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)