Marriage & Family Therapist (Program Coordinator) – Intensive Outpatient Program

Basic Requirements: 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.) Education. Candidates must meet one of the following: Hold a master’s degree or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy from a program approved by COAMFTE, Hold a master’s degree or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy from a MFT program from a regionally accredited institution, OR, 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-0182 series in VHA must hold a full, current, and unrestricted MFT license to independently practice marriage and family therapy in a State. 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-0182 MFT series and may result in termination of employment. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. 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. 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. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: Such employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, demoted, but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. MFTs who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Employees who are retained as a MFT under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qua Grade Determinations: Marriage and Family Therapist (Program Coordinator), GS-12 Experience, Education, and Licensure. In addition to the basic requirements, completion of one year of progressively responsible assignments and experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level which demonstrates knowledge, skills, and abilities that are directly related to the specific assignment. MFT program coordinators of family programs must be trained in family systems therapy/theory. If the assignment is responsible for providing systemic clinical supervision for licensure the individual must have an AAMFT Approved Supervisor credential. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the professional KSAs below: Demonstrated KSAs. In addition to meeting the KSAs for GS-12 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: Ability to organize work, set priorities, meet multiple deadlines, delegate tasks and facilitate team building. Ability to manage and direct the work of others to accomplish program goals and objectives. Ability to devise innovative ways to adapt work operations to new and changing programs, to develop staffing and budget requirements, and to translate management goals and objectives into well- coordinated and 10 controlled work operations and ensure compliance with pertinent VHA policies. Ability to establish and monitor performance priorities according to standards and program evaluation criteria. Knowledge of family systems theory/therapy in coordination of family programs. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Marriage and Family Therapist Qualification Standard (va.gov) The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.
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.