Marriage and Family Therapist (BHIP)

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred & 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. English Language Proficiency: MFTs must be proficient in spoken & written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3j. Education: Candidates must meet one of the following: Hold a master’s degree or doctoral degree in marriage & family therapy from a program approved by COAMFTE. Hold a master’s degree or doctoral degree in marriage & family therapy from a MFT program from a regionally accredited institution. Hold a master’s degree or doctoral degree in a comparable mental health degree (Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, Social Work, Psychiatric Nursing, Psychology, & 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, & unrestricted MFT license to independently practice marriage & 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. 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. 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 & who has access to the electronic health record. Grade Determinations: Marriage & Family Therapist, GS-9 (Entry Level) Experience, Education & 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 in paragraph 3b above, & are working toward completion of prerequisites for licensure. In addition, the candidates must demonstrate the Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities (KSAs) below. Demonstrated KSAs: In addition to meeting the experience, education and licensure for GS-9 grade level, the candidate must also demonstrate all of the KSAs below: Knowledge of human development throughout the lifespan, interventions based on research & family systems theory & therapy, formal diagnostic criteria, risk assessment, evidence-based practice & assessment tools. Ability to assess, with supervision, the psychosocial functioning & needs of Veterans & their family members. Knowledge to formulate, implement, & re-evaluate a treatment plan through continuous assessment identifying the Veteran’s challenges, strengths, readiness to change, external influences & current events surrounding the origins & maintenance of the presenting issue, & interactional patterns within the client system. Ability to provide counseling &/or psychotherapy services, under supervision, to individuals, groups, couples & families in a culturally competent manner that facilitates change through restructuring & reorganizing of the client system. Basic knowledge & understanding of existing relevant statutes, case law, ethical codes, & regulations affecting professional practice of marriage & family therapy. Ability to draft documents, manage data, maintain accurate, timely & thorough clinical documentation, & track quality improvements. Marriage & Family Therapist, GS-11 (Full Performance Level) Experience, Education & 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 & family therapy work (VA or non-VA experience) & licensure in a State at the independent practice level. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs below. OR, In addition to the basic requirements, a doctoral degree in marriage & 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, & Psychiatry) may be substituted for the required one year of marriage & family therapy experience in a clinical setting AND, The candidate must be licensed to practice at the independent practice level & they must demonstrate the following KSA. Demonstrated KSAs: In addition to meeting the experience, education and licensure for for GS-11 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: Skill to independently assess the psychosocial functioning & needs of Veterans & their family members. Ability to provide counseling &/or psychotherapy services to individuals, groups, couples & families in a culturally competent manner that facilitates change through restructuring & reorganizing the client system. Ability to establish & maintain effective working relationships with Veterans & their families, colleagues, & other professionals in collaboration throughout treatment regarding clinical, ethical & legal issues & concerns. Knowledge & understanding of existing relevant statutes, case law, ethical codes, regulations & VA policies affecting the practice of marriage & family therapy. This includes the ability to assist Veterans & their families in making informed decisions relevant to treatment to include limits of confidentiality. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is 11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 9 to 11. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospital, warehouses, & similar areas for meetings & to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to & attendance at meetings &/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry & lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds. The incumbent must possess a current Driver’s License & drive a government vehicle in carrying out professional duties when deemed necessary.
This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.