Summary
The incumbent serves as Marriage and Family Therapist on the multidisciplinary team that is located in a community-based Vet Center that provides Veterans, service members, and their family members with community outreach, counseling, therapy, treatment, direct services, and referral to VA and community resources and community education in the effort to address problems, needs, and to make the transition from military to civilian life successful.
Duties
Major Duties Include (But are not limited to):
- Providing services to eligible individuals who are experiencing a variety of military related psychological and psychosocial problems.
- 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.
- Independently conducts readjustment counseling intake procedures, including assessments of risk for self-harm, military history, and military related psychosocial stressors, assesses family readjustment stressors, and documents identified behaviors or symptoms.
- Formulate, implement, and periodically update individualized readjustment counseling service plans that reflects a course of therapeutic and psychosocial interventions, including the identification of measurable, achievable objectives, treatment goals, and desired outcomes.
- Provides case management and care coordination, incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment, and makes psychosocial and psychiatric diagnostic inferences, within the clinical scope of practice.
- Conduct timely assessments of Veterans in crisis to identify immediate needs, evaluate risks, and initiate safety planning, as appropriate.
- Utilizes community resources to make appropriate referrals to community and / or other government agencies to coordinated services, opportunities, and care to maximize individual's independence, health, and well-being.
- Establish and maintains a network of community care relationships, internal and external to VA, to coordinate access to readjustment counseling services and to ensure that eligible individuals receive the full spectrum of services to support their readjustment that are outside the scope of readjustment counseling.
- Will periodically engage in Vet Center outreach activities to promote Vet Center access for eligible individuals, to include establishing and maintaining ongoing education programs for Veterans, service members, community representatives and agencies, students, and staff to facilitate understanding of social work interventions specific to Veteran and military populations.
- Actively participate in staff meetings designed to promote team building and staff development.
- Documenting all clinical interactions with eligible individuals and episodes of care coordination on their behalf as required by RCS policy.
- Other duties as assigned.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; may be required to work
some evenings and weekends, based upon the operational needs
Compressed / Flexible: May be available, based upon operational needs
Telework: May be available, based upon operational needs
Virtual: This is not a virtual position
Position Title / Functional Statement #: Marriage and Family Therapist - Readjustment Counseling Services / 13265-A
Relocation / Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required
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
- Must be proficient in written and spoken English
- You may be required to serve a probationary period
- Subject to background / security investigation
- Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
- You may be required to pass pre-employment physical examination
- 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 Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details
Qualifications
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement,
11/15/2024.
Time-in-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade at any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet Time-in-Grade requirements, by the closing date of this announcement.
If you have not held a GS grade at any time in the past 52 weeks, this requirement does not apply to you.
Basic Requirements
- Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States
- Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services
- English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English
Licensure: Applicants must hold a full, current, and unrestricted MFT license to independently practice marriage and family therapy in a state.
GS-11 Specialized Experience: For this position, you 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) equivalent to at least the next lower grade,
GS-09, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes, but is not limited to:
- Knowledge of community resources, how to make appropriate referrals to community and other governmental agencies for services, and ability to coordinate services
- Skill in independently conducting psychosocial assessments and treatment interventions for a wide variety of individuals from various socio-economic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and other diversified backgrounds
- Knowledge of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities and treatment procedures (i.e. acute, chronic and traumatic illnesses / injuries, common medications and their effects / side effects, and medical terminology) to formulate a treatment plan
- Skill in independently implementing different treatment modalities in working with individuals, families, and groups who are experiencing a variety of psychiatric, medical, and social problems to achieve treatment goals
- Ability to provide consultation services to new Social Workers, Social Work Graduate Students, and other staff about the psychosocial needs of patients and the impact of psychosocial problems on health care and compliance with treatment
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g. Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g. professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Note:
A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.
References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G44, Marriage and Family Therapist Qualification Standard, dated April 18, 2018.
Education
GS-11 Education Requirement: Applicants must possess one of the following (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED):
- 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,
- Hold a Master's Degree or Doctoral Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from a MFT program from a regionally accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE), OR,
- Hold a Master's Degree or Doctoral Degree in a comparable mental health degree (i.e. Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, Social Work, Psychiatric Nursing, Psychology, and Psychiatry) that meets the current VA qualification standard of that profession.
IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here:
http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit:
https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and / or qualifications for this position. Please use this
checklist to ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current / former Federal employees), etc.
- Cover Letter
- DD-214/ Statement of Service
- Disability Letter (Schedule A)
- Disability Letter (VA)
- License
- Professional Certification
- Proof of Marriage Status
- Resume
- Separation Notice (RIF)
- SF-15
- SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
- Transcript
Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP / CPS / XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD-214(s) which show dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled Veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans)
must also submit an SF-15 (Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference) with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit
Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
How to Apply
All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 11/15/2024 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12552109.
- To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
- Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USA JOBS account,
https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USA JOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USA JOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.
NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.