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.

Duties

Clinical Functions: Screenings and Assessments - The Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) interviews Veterans and their significant others to determine specific problems. Independently conducts intake and needs assessment of Veterans and their significant others and establishes a relationship with the Veterans within the counseling setting. This includes making DSM diagnosis as appropriate to level of training. Treatment Planning and Goal Setting - The MFT is responsible for developing comprehensive and unique goal-directed treatment plans that reflect a course of therapeutic intervention to address the needs identified in the assessment. Clinical Counseling - The MFT provides individual, conjoint, family, couples and group therapy for Veterans and significant others, including the potential use of Evidence Based Psychotherapies. Crisis Intervention - The MFT will provide crisis intervention, stabilization, and follow-up for Veterans and significant others. This includes evaluation and management of suicidal/homicidal patients and other psychiatric emergencies. Is responsible for timely completion of all clinical charting and documentation required by the Medical Center as appropriate and may present outcome data as appropriate. Consults with medical center staff on a wide variety of patient care issues Remains involved in program evaluation. Maintains full clinical privileges as a member of the medical staff. Abides by Medical Staff By-Laws for own practice and via oversight for Medical Staff within the Mental Health Service Line. Professional Competency - The MFT will keep abreast of current state of the art procedures, processes, and date-driven treatment approaches, including VA trained Evidence Based Psychotherapies Administrative Functions: Serves as a consultant to other medical center staff and trainees. Serves on Medical Center, VISN, and/or National VA committees or task forces. Represents Mental Health Service Line on committees at the medical center. Represents the medical center at professional/program community groups/events and committees. Other Duties: The incumbent is responsible for all other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 0800-1630 Compressed/Flexible:Authorized Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact VHAEDRPProgramSupport@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

Qualifications

This position may also be filled by a Senior Social Worker, Internal: USAJOBS - Job Announcement; External: USAJOBS - Job Announcement or a Senior Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, Internal: USAJOBS - Job Announcement; External: USAJOBS - Job Announcement To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. 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. 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. 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 Licensure: Persons hired or reassigned to MFT positions in the GS-0182 series in VHA must hold a full, current, and unrestricted MFT license to independently practice marriage and family therapy in a State. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: Marriage and Family Therapist (Advanced), GS-12. Experience, Education, and Licensure. Candidate must have successfully completed evidence based training in family therapy and must have graduated from a COAMFTE accredited program OR have passed the AMFTRE. Candidate must have at least five years of post-licensed clinical experience in delivery of family systems therapy including one-year equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. This experience must demonstrate the use of an evidence based family therapy model while exhibiting progressive professional competency and expertise. Assignments requiring responsibility for providing clinical supervision must have an AAMFT Approved Supervisor credential. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the professional KSAs listed below. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 1. Ability to provide specialized consultation for complex cases involving individuals, families and/or couples utilizing evidenced-based family systems theory/therapy. 2. Ability to provide crisis intervention which includes assessment, safety planning and complex treatment planning using independent clinical judgment utilizing family systems theory/therapy. 3. Ability to provide family systems therapy, which seeks to address Veterans and their family members on an individual level and deals with interpersonal interactions. 4. Ability to provide unlicensed MFT staff/trainees with systemic clinical supervision towards licensure from a family systems theory/therapy perspective. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: None

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Anchorage VA Medical Center 1201 North Muldoon Road Anchorage, AK 99504 US
• Name: Michelle Rootes
• Phone: (907)257-3713
• Email: michelle.rootes@va.gov