The Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) serves within the Family Therapy Services program of the Mental Health Care Line (MHCL) as a member of a multi-disciplinary team at the Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center. This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until September 29, 2023 or until these positions are filled. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be August 22, 2023 and every Tuesday until it closes or as needed.

Duties

If you are a current permanent VA employee, Federal employee from another Federal agency or a current/past/upcoming HPT Graduate, you should apply under CBST-11928607-23-AYC The Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) is responsible for providing primarily family, couple, and marriage counseling to Veterans within the Mental Health Care Line (MHCL). The MFT conducts intakes, assessment interviews, develops treatment plans, and provides treatment to eligible Veterans and their families. Treatment modalities may include crisis intervention as well as both short term and long-term services. The MFT may refer patients to other programs and professionals to include other programs within MHCL, the Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center, and the local Vet Centers. The MFT participates in all MHCL functions as required, including consultations with others, emergency care, and interaction in MHCL trainings and staff meetings. Major duties include but are not limited to: Interviews Veterans and their significant others to determine specific problems. Independently conducts intake and needs assessment of Veterans and their significant others and establishes relationships with the Veterans within the counseling setting. This includes making DSM diagnosis as appropriate to level of training. Develops comprehensive and unique goal-directed treatment plans that reflect a course of therapeutic intervention to address the needs identified in the assessment. Provides individual, conjoint, family, couples and group therapy for Veterans and significant others, including the potential use of Evidence Based Psychotherapies. Provides crisis intervention, stabilization, and follow-up for Veterans and significant others. This includes evaluation and management of suicidal/homicidal patients and other psychiatric emergencies. Keeps abreast of current state of the art procedures, processes, and date-driven treatment approaches, including VA trained Evidence Based Psychotherapies. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: Available, based on the needs of the service Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 580-00916-F: GS-09; 580-00917-F: GS-11 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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 Requirement -You must submit a transcript showing you were awarded a master's or doctoral degree or on track to completing it by time of hire to receive credit. 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. Candidates must hold a full, current, and unrestricted MFT license to independently practice marriage and family therapy in a State. You must provide an unexpired copy to receive credit. Exception: Non-licensed applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may be given a temporary appointment at the GS-9 grade under the authority of 38 U.S.C. ? 7401(3) for a period not to exceed three years from the date of employment on the condition that such a MFT provide care only under the supervision of a fully licensed MFT with an AAMFT approved license. Failure to obtain licensure during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment. English Language Proficiency Requirement - Per VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, Paragraph 3j: No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C., chapter 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English. Grade Determinations: In addition to meeting the above Basic Requirements, you must also meet the Grade Determination criteria below: Marriage and Family Therapist, GS-9 (Entry Level) (a) 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 under Basic Requirements, and are working toward completion of prerequisites for licensure. In addition, the candidates must demonstrate the below Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). You must submit a transcript showing you were awarded a master's or doctoral degree or on track to completing it by time of hire to receive credit. (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition, the candidates must demonstrate the following KSAs in their resumes: 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. Ability to assess, with supervision, the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members. 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. Ability to provide counseling and/or psychotherapy services, under supervision, to individuals, groups, couples and families in a culturally competent manner that facilitates change through restructuring and reorganizing of the client system. Basic knowledge and understanding of existing relevant statutes, case law, ethical codes, and regulations affecting professional practice of marriage and family therapy. 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) (a) Experience, Education and Licensure. Candidates must meet one of the following: 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 below KSAs. OR, To receive credit, you must list hours worked per week and demonstrate your experience through job tasks in your resume. In addition to the basic requirements, 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 and they must demonstrate the following KSAs. You must submit a transcript showing you were awarded a doctoral degree or on track to completing it by time of hire and an unexpired copy of a full, current, and unrestricted MFT license to independently practice marriage and family therapy in a State to receive credit. (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition, the candidates must demonstrate the following KSAs in their resumes: Skill to independently assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members. 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. 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. 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. Ability to provide orientation, training and consultation to new MFTs including clinical oversight of MFT graduate students, and/or provide clinical supervision to pre-licensure MFTs. Skill in the use of computer software applications for drafting documents, data management, maintaining accurate, timely and thorough clinical documentation, and tracking quality improvements. Preferred Experience: Experience working with couples Experience with evidence-based treatments Experience running groups References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G44, Marriage and Family Therapist Qualification Standard dated April 18, 2018. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-09 to GS-11. Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary but also demands standing, walking, bending, twisting, and carrying and lifting of light items (under 15 pounds) and requires the ability to hear (aid may be permitted).

Education

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center 2002 Holcombe Boulevard Houston, TX 77030 US
• Name: Timothy Countryman
• Phone: 303-330-7566
• Email: [email protected]