Details
Posted: 10-May-22
Location: Bay Pines, Florida
Salary: Open
Categories:
Mental Health/Social Services
Internal Number: 653289500
The incumbent serves as Marriage & Family Therapist aligned within the Mental Health & Behavioral Sciences Service assigned to the C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center. As an LMFT, the incumbent is expected to independently practice professional counseling and to provide mental health services within the scientific knowledge base, theory, and training foundations of marriage and family therapy and professional counseling. 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: (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-0101 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. 1) MFTs that are not licensed at the time of appointment must become licensed at the independent level (Journey level) within three years of their appointment as a MFT. Most States require two years of post-graduate MFT experience as a pre-requisite to taking the licensure examination; VHA allows MFTs one additional year to pass the licensure exam. (2) It is VHA policy that a MFT who does not yet have a license that allows independent practice must be clinically supervised by an AAMFT approved licensed MFT at or above the journey level who is a VA staff member and who has access to the electronic health record. Physical Requirements: Must be able to pass a pre employment physical or an evaluation English Language Proficiency. MFTs must be proficient in spoken and written English Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA as a MFT on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held, including positive education that is part of the basic requirements of the occupation. Grade Determinations: Marriage and Family Therapist, GS-11 (Full Performance Level) (a) 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. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs in subparagraph (b) below. OR, 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 the candidate must be licensed to practice at the independent practice level. Demonstrated KSA's 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 Preferred Experience: Prefer at least 3 years experience as an independently licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Strong preference for individuals with at least 1 year's experience in VA. Physical Requirements: The physical demands of the work are generally minor. The work is primarily sedentary in nature and usually occurs within climate controlled clinical and administrative settings. There may be occasional light lifting/carrying (15 pounds or less) requirements to relocate boxed materials from one area to another, equipment and room set up, and ambulation related to physical inspections of the facilities. The incumbent will be expected to successfully negotiate various functional requirements (i.e., lifting, ambulating, reaching above their shoulder(s), the use of hands or fingers, sitting, standing, repeated bending, using stairs or elevators, functional vision, clear speech, hearing, and emotional stability) and environmental factors (i.e., working independently and at times closely with others, moving about the campus for appointments and/or meetings) for the position, with or without the use of adaptive devices, technology, or reasonable accommodations that are more thoroughly evaluated in the current version of Certificate of Medical Examination, U.S. Office of Personnel Management Optional Form 178 . Use of fingers may be required to operate computers. ["Major duties include but are not limited to; Provides comprehensive, evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions, including individual, group, couples and family psychotherapy to promote improved functioning within the family/relationship. Provides education to patients, family members, and significant others. Provides consultation to professional staff within the BPVAHCS, concerning clinical findings and appropriate treatment plans for patients. Develops, implements, and documents the psychotherapeutic treatment plan for an assigned caseload of patients, including prompt completion of clinical reminders. Assumes complete professional responsibility for their clinical findings, patient care decisions, and documentation. Develops patient education materials/modules and assists with Veteran Peer and Family activities as assigned. Conducts patient care services through telehealth mediums, to include, but not limited to face-to-face, telephonic, and video encounters. Adheres to operational policies and procedures for the treatment team, assigned program, MH&BSS, and BPVAHCS. Facilitates liaisons with other treatment programs/settings in order to effectively coordinate services. Complies with national and local performance measures, including timely health care screening and completion of clinical reminders for all patients. Complies with all CPRS documentation procedures, including timeliness standards for documentation and proper patient check out procedures (e.g., entering diagnostic and procedures, etc. Attends and participates in administrative and informational meetings held by the Service Chief, Program Manager and facility Director. Work Schedule: M-F 8:00am-4:30pm\nCompressed/Flexible: Not Available\nTelework: Not Available\nVirtual: This is not a virtual position.\nPosition Title/Functional Statement #:Marriage Family Therapist/PD000000\nRelocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized\nEDRP: Not Authorized\nPermanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized\nPCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized\nFinancial Disclosure Report: Not required"]