The United States Space Force (USSF) Space Rapid Capabilities Office, Guardian Resilience Team at Kirtland Air Force Base is searching for a Licensed Mental Health Provider (NH-0101-03, GS 12/13 equivalent).

Description:
Are you passionate about making a positive change across the Department of Defense and leaving a lasting impact? The incumbent will provide primary and secondary intervention services within operational Guardian Resilience Teams (GRTs), intervening at the lowest level to promote protective factors and increase positive behaviors. As a member of a GRT and the Holistic Health Approach (HHA) team, the incumbent will directly support Guardians, aiming to build resiliency, enhance human performance, and improve unit mission effectiveness. Clinical and administrative duties will focus on education and prevention, psychosocial assessment and diagnosis, and evidence-based interventions and treatment.

The Holistic Health Approach (HHA) is an innovative, science-based approach to wellness that emphasizes total fitness, encompassing continuous physical activity, preventive medicine, and education and skill-building to promote positive behaviors. The goal of HHA is to optimize overall health and maintain a higher level of individual and unit readiness. HHA comprises three elements designed to promote long-term and short-term health goals across all domains of fitness: Continuous Fitness Assessment, Performance Health Optimization, and Education.

GRTs operationalize HHA and consist of multidisciplinary subject matter experts embedded with Guardians in their work environments. HHA is built on the principles of the Guardian Ideal, which includes innovation, integrated resilience, year-round fitness, and movement throughout the day. The ideal candidate has passed the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination (NCMHCE) or an examination determined by the Director, Defense Health Agency (DHA), to be equal in scope, intent, and content to the NCMHCE. Furthermore, they must possess a master's degree or higher, with graduation from a mental health counseling program of education and training accredited for Mental Health Counseling or Clinical Mental Health Counseling by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs, along with post-master's degree counseling practice qualifying for independent licensure.

The ideal candidate must also possess and maintain a current, unrestricted license to practice clinical counseling independently, including diagnosis and treatment. A minimum of two years of full-time independent Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) adult clinical practice is required. Full-time experience is defined as diagnosing, treating, and maintaining a clinical caseload without supervision after passing the licensure exam. This experience shall include a combination of brief therapy as well as providing therapy for complex cases such as trauma (using CPT, PE, or EMDR) and/or modalities such as CBT/DBT for Major Depressive Disorder.

In addition, the ideal candidate must have actively practiced their discipline within the past two years, encountering a sufficient number of clinical cases to represent a broad spectrum of privileges requested, and must have satisfactorily practiced the discipline as determined by the results of ongoing professional practice evaluation. Practice will require clinical privileges at the host MTF. Active clinical privileges must be maintained for the duration of employment. Candidates must sustain current competency to practice at the independent/unsupervised level.

Key Skills and Abilities:
1. Professional knowledge of clinical counseling practices, principles, theories, and administrative requirements to be able to apply them in a clinical or occupational setting and medical documentation.
2. Professional knowledge of evidence-based treatments for a full range of psychiatric disorders to plan and provide treatment to patients.
3. Knowledge of diagnostic issues related to psychiatric disorders IAW the most current version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) of the American Psychiatric Association.
4. Knowledge of military organizations and culture and the unique stressors upon workers in an operational military workplace.
5. Knowledge of administration, scoring, and interpretation of select psychological and psycho-social screening measures to properly assess patient's needs. Understanding of behavioral risk management and ability to engage appropriate protections as needed when risk of harm to self or others is present.
6. Ability to provide guidance and consultation services to medical professionals and military leaders, and facilitate referrals to military or community-based human service agencies and resources, e.g., Protective Services or financial aid organizations.
7. Knowledge of social services delivery systems to ensure effective program management and communication.

Conditions of employment

• U.S. Citizenship Required
• Not eligible for Telework
• PCS will be paid IAW JTR and AF Regulations. If receiving an authorized PCS, you may be subject to completing/signing a CONUS agreement. Incentive is authorized.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.
• Required to handle and safeguard sensitive and/or classified information in accordance with regulations to reduce potential compromise.
• Work may occasionally require travel away from the normal duty station on military or commercial aircraft.
• Incumbent may share on-call duty phone with other IOS like skilled providers when they are TDY and/or on leave.
• Completion of appropriate clinical and administrative duties may involve “after hours” care or work in addition to regular duties.
• May be required to work extended hours or rotating shifts to include evenings, weekends, and holidays to engage with Service members during their designated work hours/shifts.
• Must have passed the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Examination (NCMHCE) or an examination determined by the Director, DHA as equal in scope, intent, and content to the NCMHCE.
• Must have passed and maintained a licensed/certification by a US jurisdiction at a level that allows practice of clinical social work without supervision.
• Must have completed a Master of Social Work or higher degree from an accredited school of social work; and post-master’s degree counseling practice qualifying for independent licensure.
• Possess a current and must maintain, unrestricted license to practice LCSW or LPC independently, which includes diagnosis and treatment, in any one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or the U.S Virgin Islands.
• Must have actively practiced in their discipline within the past two year as an independent LCSW or LPC adult clinical practice.
• Must have actively pursued the practice of their discipline within the past 2 year by having encountered a clinical case that is peer reviewable and satisfactorily practiced as determined by the results of ongoing professional practice evaluation.
• Must meet credential requirements and be granted full qualified privileges to preform independently and unsupervised within the scope of their clinical practice at the installation MTF prior to receiving the firm job offer and starting the new job.
• Must complete Military Employee Health Program screening and immunization requirements IAW DoD and AF 44-108 directive through the military treatment facilities Public Health department prior to any engagement in patient interactions.
• MUST maintain active clinical privileges for the duration of employment. Must sustain current competency to practice at the independent/unsupervised level.
• Must possess and maintain a certificate of completion of training for and ability to deliver an Evidence Based Treatment modality to treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
• Must possess and maintain Basic Life Support (BLS) certification through American Heart Association or American Red Cross.

Qualifications

The 0101 series has an individual occupational requirement that must be met and can be viewed here. In addition to the above requirements, you can view the experience level requirements here. Please scroll down to the 4th section titled Professional and Scientific Positions.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies as related to the series and grade of the position being filled. Final qualifications determinations will be assessed based on OPM's General Schedule Qualifications Standards found here:

Interviews: You will be contacted by e-mail and/or telephone if your application is identified as qualifying for a position being filled. An interview may be conducted. If interviewed, you will be asked to address the same knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies used to initially qualify your application for the position.

Resume:You must submit a resume that may NOT exceed two pages, and the font size should not be smaller than 10 pts. You will not be considered for this vacancy if your resume exceeds two pages or is illegible/unreadable. Do NOT include photographs, inappropriate material, inappropriate content, nor personal information such as age, gender, religion, social security number, etc., on your resume. If the resume you submit contains such information you will not be considered for this vacancy. Your resume must provide:

1. Personal information - your full name, email and mailing addresses, phone number
2. Education information - the name of the school and the dates you attended
3. Work experience - paid and unpaid work with the following information:
   • Job title
   • Detailed duties and accomplishments
   • Employer's name and address
   • Supervisor's name and phone number
   • Starting and ending dates (If actual dates are not known, provide your best-estimated timeframes.)
   • Hours per week
   • Salary, if applicable
4. Other qualifications - skills, certifications/licenses, honors, awards, special accomplishments, and job-related training courses

College Transcripts (if applicable): Please see the Education section of this announcement for detailed information about transcripts.

Next steps