Assignment Readiness Counselor - Short Term or On Demand

About the role

Candidates must be local or willing to relocate to become local and licensed at the independent level as a Social Worker (LCSW, LICSW, LCSW-R or LICSW-CP), Mental Health Counselor (LPC or LMHC), or Therapist (LMFT) or equivalent independent licensure. The Assignment Ready Counselor (ARC) will provide coverage in short-term, surge and on demand situations resulting from the Military needs such as a post-deployment event or to cover an existing assignment for counselors who are absent.

Responsibilities

• Provides the full breadth of Adult or Child and Youth Behavioral (CYB) counseling services to military service members and their families at military installations.
• Enters counselor activity data daily through smart phone or web application assure that reporting is accurate from assigned installation while maintaining confidentiality and anonymity of service / family member.
• Works closely with the installation and military branch Points of Contact (POC) to assure that the program is provided within scope and meets the needs of the installation.
• Provides non-medical, short term, solution focused, counseling directly to adults, children, and youth of service members.
• Participates in health fairs and other base/installation activities.
• Provides training and health and wellness presentations.
• Communicates with Regional Supervisors and participate in regular individual and group supervision, sharing information regarding trends and issues on the installations and in facilities to which they are assigned for substitute or on call services.
• Responds 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.
• With short notice, willing to accept assignments of undefined periods to include weekends. Can cover, on a full-time basis, assignments of varying length from a weekend to two weeks.
• Quickly builds rapport with service personnel clients, family members, students, parents and co-workers.
• Able to work effectively with minimal instruction and guidance.
• Listens carefully to instructions provided.
• Adaptable to new working conditions, varying location rules, etc.; adjusts working style to align with each work environment.
• Requires ability to quickly engage and communicate with military members, spouses or children as assigned, in order to accomplish job functions, and to respond quickly to emergent situations in any physical location on a military installation and/or within a school setting, which includes the need to traverse short and/or long distances within the base to both indoor and outdoor locations, to maneuver through rugged, outdoor or uneven locations (e.g., steep inclines, stairs, grass), and work in outdoor weather and other military base conditions.

Qualifications

• Advanced knowledge of brief therapy and solution-focused counseling methods.
• Prior military service/military family member and/or strong familiarity with military culture desired.
• For CYB positions must meet the Magellan MFLC CYB criteria for experience with children and youth and specialty in child and adolescent development/psychology.
• Creates a presence on the installation in which the service and family members feel comfortable approaching the counselor and recognizes the program to be confidential; for CYB counselors -- creates a presence in child and youth settings, is available to children, youth, and staff.
• Establishes and maintains working relationships with community resources and provides appropriate linkages.
• Manages duty to warn and restricted reporting situations according to DoD protocol and staffs the cases with Regional Supervisor/Regional Director.

Skills

• Ability to prove US Citizenship and must be fluent in English.
• Fluent in English.

Benefits

Due to the nature of working on military installations or related worksites, counselors may need to comply with various site-specific requirements to work at designated locations. For example, for some assignments, counselors will need to have certain current immunizations or vaccinations and provide record of receipt.

Pay

The pay rate and health and welfare allowance are specified in the applicable wage determination agreement.

Schedule

Summer ARC counselor position covers assignments during the May 15th through September 15th time period, coinciding with the school summer break.