Marriage and Family Therapist (Vet Center Director)

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 (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply

Requirements:

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

• 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.

Education : This position requires that 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. Have passed the Association of Marriage and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB) examination

Licensure : Must hold a full, current, and unrestricted MFT license to independently practice marriage and family therapy in a state, and must have an American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) Approved Supervisor credential . Specialized Experience

GS-13 Specialized Experience : For this position, you must have at least five (5) years of post-licensed clinical experience (VA or Non-VA) in family systems theory / therapy, including one-year (1) equivalent to at least the next lower grade, GS-12 , in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Experience must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills, judgment, and progressive professional competency and expertise. Specialized experience is:

1. Knowledge and understanding of the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
2. Knowledge of methods, principles, and theories sufficient to intervene and stabilize combat Veterans suffering from multiple diagnoses
3. Ability to conduct psychosocial assessments and implement treatment plans for combat Veterans and their families
4. Ability to establish and maintain referral networks through community outreach to provide services to Veterans
5. Experience in working with Veterans, especially combat Veterans, Veterans who were sexually traumatized and / or harassed while in the military
6. Experience in providing family counseling services to Veterans and their family
7. Experience working with combat Veterans and their families who have PTSD or readjustment issues and the ability to make independent judgments and recommendations about a number of serious and complex cases
8. Special knowledge and skill in community resource identification and development, public speaking, basic principles of education, staff recruitment and development, and program design and management
9. Knowledge of VA and community resources available to Veterans and their family
10. Develops and manages a clinic's budget and program funds
11. Working knowledge of electronic records
12. Plans work to be accomplished by subordinates and sets guidelines for clinical, therapeutic, and treatment priorities
13. Incumbent must possess supervisory and management skills

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 5005/101 Marriage and Family Therapist GS-0182 Qualification Standard Appendix G44, Part II dated April 18, 2018.

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. A pre-placement exam is not required.