Assignment Readiness Counselor

This position provides coverage in short-term, surge, and on-demand situations for military needs, such as post-deployment events or to cover absences of existing counselors. The Summer ARC counselor role covers assignments from May 15th through September 15th, coinciding with the school summer break.

About the Role

With minimal guidance and oversight, the Assignment Ready Counselor (ARC) delivers the full breadth of Adult or Child and Youth Behavioral (CYB) counseling services to military service members and their families at military installations. Services may include non-medical counseling, training, health and wellness presentations, consultation with parents and personnel at child daycare centers and schools, and consultation with installation command regarding behavioral health issues.

ARC CYB counselors may be assigned to DoDEA schools, community schools, youth programs, summer camps, and on-demand assignments. CYB counselors must have experience working in a school setting. ARC adult counselors may support Military and Family Life Counseling (MFLC) services in military community and readiness centers, as well as on-demand and surge assignments.

The counselor works closely with installation and military branch Points of Contact (POC) to ensure the program is delivered within scope and meets installation needs.

Responsibilities

• Provide non-medical, short-term, solution-focused counseling directly to adults, children, and youth of service members, including assessment, brief counseling, consultation, action planning, referral to resources, and follow-up.
• Support staff and personnel of child development centers (CDCs), DoDEA and community schools, youth programs, and summer camps, as well as provide parent training and guidance.
• Deliver training and health and wellness presentations, participate in health fairs, and other base/installation activities.
• Enter counselor activity data daily via smartphone or web application to ensure accurate reporting while maintaining confidentiality and anonymity.
• Establish a presence on the installation where service and family members feel comfortable approaching the counselor and recognize the program as confidential. For CYB counselors, create a presence in child and youth settings and be available to children, youth, and staff.
• Abide by line-of-sight protocol when working with children.
• Establish and maintain working relationships with community resources and provide appropriate linkages.
• Partner with POC to deliver Adult and CYB services in a manner that addresses installation/facility needs.
• Develop strong working relationships with installation/facility POCs.
• Manage duty-to-warn and restricted reporting situations according to DoD protocol and staff cases with Regional Supervisor/Regional Director.
• Communicate with Regional Supervisors and participate in regular individual and group supervision, sharing trends and issues from assigned installations/facilities.
• Respond to critical incidents and special requests as directed by the POC and approved by the OSD program manager.

Requirements

• Master’s Degree from an accredited graduate program in a mental health-related field or social work.
• Willingness to accept assignments of undefined periods, including weekends, on short notice.
• Ability to cover full-time assignments of varying lengths, from a weekend to two weeks.
• Quickly build rapport with service personnel, clients, family members, students, parents, and co-workers.
• Adaptability to new working conditions, varying location rules, and adjusting working style to align with each environment.
• Ability to work effectively with minimal instruction and guidance.
• Participate in regular in-services, training, Quality Improvement committees, or other contract activities with minimal notice.
• Ability to engage and communicate with military members, spouses, or children in emergent situations across various physical locations on a military installation or school setting, including traversing short/long distances, rugged or uneven terrain, and outdoor weather conditions.
• Compliance with site-specific requirements, such as current immunizations or vaccinations, for certain assignments.
• Proof of U.S. citizenship and fluency in English.
• Advanced knowledge of brief therapy and solution-focused counseling methods.
• Prior military service, military family experience, or strong familiarity with military culture is desired.
• For CYB positions, must meet Magellan MFLC CYB criteria for experience with children and youth, and specialty in child and adolescent development/psychology.

Qualifications

• Current licensure that meets State, Commonwealth, or customer-specific requirements.
• Valid in-state driver’s license.
• Must be an independently licensed behavioral health clinician (e.g., LPC – Licensed Professional Counselor).

Pay

This is a Service Contract Act (SCA) covered position. The pay rate and health and welfare allowance are specified in the applicable wage determination agreement.