These requirements apply to all VHA MFTs in the GS-0182 series including those assigned to VA Medical Centers, Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), Readjustment Counseling Service (RCS)/Vet Centers, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) offices, and VHA Central Office. Marriage and Family Therapist is one of the core mental health professions recognized by the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. MFTs work with couples, families, individuals, and groups.

Duties

This position is at the GS-11 full performance level and is used for MFTs who possess 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. A. Clinical Responsibilities: 1. Provides evidence-based, evidence-informed psychotherapeutic interventions, including marital, couples, family, individual, and group psychotherapies. Provides treatment to patients with a wide variety of problems, including PTSD, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, and personality disorders, among others. 2. Conducts bio-psychosocial assessments of Veterans and their identified significant others. Develops treatment plans in collaboration with the Veteran/family and with the interdisciplinary treatment team, if applicable. Possesses the skills to offer relationships-focused interventions and measures outcomes to interventions. 3. Coordinates community-based services, including information gathering and referrals for additional services from other VA programs, other government programs, and community agency programs. 4. Participates in triaging and identifies high-risk patients, seeking to address underlying concerns as well as the presenting complaint, coordinates family conferences, and serves as a liaison to family members. 5. Recognizes emergency situations, summons appropriate help, and responds appropriately including assistance with crisis intervention services, including warm handoffs to the emergency department. 6. Provides consultation services to other staff regarding evaluation and appropriate treatment planning for patients with marital, family, and psychosocial problems. Able to evaluate own practice through professional peer review, case conferences, and other organizational means. Communicates effectively, both orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds. 7. Has working knowledge and experience in use of medical and mental health diagnoses, disabilities, and treatment procedures. This includes acute, chronic, and traumatic illnesses/injuries, common medications, and their effects/side effects. 8. Provides psychoeducation to patients, family members, and significant others. Leads workshops and/or psychoeducational series on relationship health, marriage, and family issues. Develops patient education materials/modules and assists with Veteran Peer and Family activities as assigned. 9. Able to meet the needs of customers while supporting VA missions. Consistently communicates and treats customers (Veterans, their representatives, visitors, and all VA staff) in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner. Provides the customer with consistent information according to established policies and procedures. 10. Is responsible for timely completion of all clinical charting and documentation required by the Medical Center or healthcare system, as appropriate. B. Administrative Responsibilities: 1. Has working knowledge and skill in the use of word-processing, data management, and other computer systems, especially those programs in use by VHA. 2. Adheres to operational policies and procedures for the treatment team, assigned program and/clinic, Mental and Behavioral Health Services (MBHS) Line, and Durham VA Health Care System. 3. May represent Mental Health programs in various workgroups and committees at the Medical Center, VISN, and/ or National VA committees. 3. Remains actively involved in Mental and Behavioral Health Services trainings, Marriage and Family Therapist training, education, and administrative activities as indicated. 4. Actively participates in and assumes responsibilities associated with committee assignments to include Performance Improvement, Peer Review, and Performance Measures .5. Assists as requested, with staff education and training on assigned topics. 6. Complies with national and local performance measures, including timely healthcare screening and completion of clinical reminders for all patients. 7. Responsible for furthering one's own professional growth through education, appropriate to area of assignment, and providing coverage during absences of other therapists in the work unit. SUPERVISORY CONTROLS The Marriage and Family Therapist independently exercises judgment in the practice and provision of patient/program services assigned (clinical care, consultation, and education). The Marriage and Family Therapist consults with peers, the first line supervisor, the designated supervisory psychologist within the Outpatient Division for MBHS, and the Associate Chief of Staff for MBHS, as needed. The DVA HCS Chief of Psychology acts as the approving official for the MFT to ensure adherence to professional standards. Work Schedule: M-F, 8am to 4:30pm Telework: Reg Teleworks 6+ Days/PP Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation: Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

Requirements

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENTS. The basic requirements for employment as a VHA MFT are prescribed by statute in 38 U.S.C. § 7402(b)(10), as amended by section 239 of Public Law 114-223, enacted Sept 29, 2016. To qualify for appointment as an MFT in VHA, all applicants must: a. Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.) b. Education. 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. c. 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). (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. d. Failure to Obtain License. In all cases, unlicensed MFTs must actively pursue meeting State prerequisites for licensure starting from the date of their appointment. At the time of appointment, the Human Resource Officer will provide the unlicensed MFT with the written requirements for licensure, the date by which the license must be obtained, and the consequences for not becoming licensed by the deadline. e. Loss of Licensure. Once licensed, MFTs must maintain a full, current and unrestricted license to remain qualified for employment. Loss of licensure will result in removal from the GS-0101 MFT series and may result in termination of employment. f. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. g. English Language Proficiency. MFTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3j. References: VA Handbook 5005/101 Part II Appendix G44 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 11. GRADE REQUIREMENTS. a. Creditable Experience (1) Knowledge of current professional marriage and family therapy practices. To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with current professional marriage and family therapy practice. The experience must be post-master's degree or above. The experience should include working with couples, families, individuals and/or groups utilizing family systems theory/therapy. (2) Quality of Experience. Experience is only creditable if it is obtained following graduation with a master's or higher degree in marriage and family therapy or comparable degree in mental health (Social Work, Psychiatric Nursing, Psychology, Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor and Psychiatry) and includes work as an MFT directly related to the position to be filled. Qualifying experience must also be at a level comparable to marriage and family therapy experience at the next lower grade level. (3) Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience as an MFT is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, an MFT employed 20 hours a week, or on a 1/2-time basis, would receive one fulltime workweek of credit for each two weeks of service. Grade Determinations. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. 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, 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 KSA. (b) Demonstrated KSAs. In addition to meeting the KSAs for GS-11 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate all the KSAs below: 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. (c) Assignments. MFTs at the full performance level are licensed to independently practice marriage and family therapy. MFTs can provide general mental health services to Veterans within the ethics and guidelines of the professional standards. MFTs at this level formulate, implement, and re- evaluate treatment plans 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. In the event that, Advanced or Supervisory level assignments are not established/supportable, the incumbents at this level can be responsible for clinical supervision for licensing purposes only, provided they have an AAMFT approved supervisor credential.

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 Durham VA Medical Center 508 Fulton Street Durham, NC 27705 US
• Name: Gary Byles
• Phone: 919-286-0411 X4949
• Email: [email protected]