Interdisciplinary (Non-Medical Clinical Counselor)

About the role

Serve as a Non-medical Clinical Counselor within Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC), Fleet and Family Readiness Department (N9), Family Readiness Division (N91), Fleet and Family Support Program (FFSP). This position provides nonmedical clinical counseling to individuals, couples, families, and groups on family dynamics, parent-child interaction, adjustment to commonly occurring personal and family issues/circumstances, adjustment to military life, and psycho-educational programs.

Responsibilities

• Receive and assess referrals for individuals, couples, families, and groups experiencing situational stressors such as deployment, grief, relocation, separation, relationship issues, parent/child issues, family hardships, and other military life challenges.
• Provide direct, short-term, solution-focused nonmedical counseling using psychotherapeutic services including cognitive therapy, solution-focused brief therapy, family systems therapy, and expressive therapies.
• Assess individual and family needs, explore basic personality structure in relation to behavior patterns, mechanisms, and symptoms.
• Coordinate and manage specialized assessment and intervention services for individuals, couples, children, families, and groups on matters pertaining to family maltreatment, and provide subject matter expertise and consultation on family violence.
• Independently manage assigned cases, consulting with the FFSC Counseling and Advocacy Program Supervisor, Regional Counseling and Advocacy Program Coordinator, or Regional Quality Assurance Specialist for highly complex cases or those presenting special issues.
• Maintain case records, treatment plans, statistics, and utilization rates in accordance with Navy policies and regulations; update the FFSMIS and scheduling programs as required.
• Provide immediate intervention and risk assessment in accordance with best practices in the mental health community; educate and ensure adequate referral and follow-up for any case presenting suicidal or homicidal risk.
• Provide after-hours coverage for the FFSP when required.
• Assess all reports of alleged child and domestic abuse, including interviews with alleged offenders, victims, children, and other witnesses.
• Develop appropriate, risk-focused treatment and interventions for victims and perpetrators of child and domestic abuse in accordance with Navy Certification standards.
• Represent the Navy at community liaison meetings, educate on domestic violence risk/protective factors, collaborate on coordinating services for military members and their families, and engage in community domestic violence prevention and awareness activities.
• Provide summaries of liaison meetings for supervisor review and make recommendations to reduce duplication of service and expand program offerings.
• Educate and provide case-specific consultation to military and civilian agencies about counseling services, FAP, risk assessment, clinical issues, treatment, and Incident Determination Committee (IDC/CCSM) processes.
• Educate and consult with military and civilian agencies on scope of practice, service engagement, available counseling services, clinical issues and treatment, and provide training on clinical areas of interest (e.g., sleep hygiene, healthy communication) when requested and feasible.
• Collaborate with civilian community service boards and organizations on issues unique to the military population.

Requirements

• Must pass all applicable records and background checks.
• Must successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check; any discrepancies must be resolved as a condition of employment.
• This is a non-critical sensitive position requiring access to IT II system and/or PII; employee must obtain/maintain eligibility for a Secret Security clearance; a Tier 3 (T3) investigation is required.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a state driver’s license.
• Position is subject to the Health Practitioner Credential Review and Privileging requirements.
• Child Care National Agency Check and Inquiry (CNACI) background check is required.
• Must have and maintain a current and valid state clinical license that permits the incumbent to function as an independent health practitioner and fully meet and maintain the Tier II or Tier III SECNAVINST 1754.8 requirements.
• Must be current in continuing education credits/units to maintain license.

Qualifications

• The incumbent shall be Tier II qualified as outlined in Navy FFSP Credentials Review and Clinical Privileging requirements, including:
  • Current, valid, unrestricted state licensure or certification that provides legal authority to provide clinical services as an independent practitioner.
  • If the state licensing or certification requires a written examination, the candidate must have achieved a passing score on that examination.
• Possess at least a master’s degree from an accredited program in one of the following clinical fields:
  • Social Work or an equivalent degree,
  • Marriage and Family Therapy from a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) or an equivalent degree, or
  • Doctorate in Psychology approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) or equivalent degree from an accredited program.
• Have engaged in 2 years (includes at least 2,000 hours) of full-time, post-masters supervised clinical experience.

Knowledge, skills, and abilities

• Thorough knowledge of the CNIC Fleet and Family Support Program and comprehensive knowledge of military lifestyles including common stressors to effectively modify treatment programs to meet the needs of the military community.
• Professional knowledge of and skill in applying laws, rules, regulations, policies, procedures, directives and instructions governing child and spouse abuse and family violence issues; ability to identify situations of family violence, conduct risk assessments and coordinate safety planning.
• In-depth knowledge of family systems related to patterns of abusive behavior, abuse response, substance abuse, human behavior, human sexuality, attention deficit disorder, and juvenile delinquency; skill in applying the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) to recognize, identify, and assess mental disorders and personal and social problems, reach accurate conclusions and provide appropriate solutions.
• Expert knowledge of and skill in employing various evidence-based and trauma-informed counseling approaches, clinical treatment principles and practices, research methods, group dynamics, motivational interviewing, developmental psychology, and family systems therapy to counsel individuals, couples, families and groups.
• Skill in applying various counseling approaches to assess, triage, refer and manage difficult and serious cases involving individuals and families who present at-risk behavior.
• Professional knowledge of and skill in using various verbal communication methods and techniques to effectively work with individuals and families from diverse racial, ethnic, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds; to present sensitive or controversial information to various groups; discuss cases; deliver presentations; and develop and maintain professional relationships with other treatment professionals.
• Professional knowledge of and skill in using various written communication methods and techniques and using FFSP management information systems and other applicable software and web-based programs to document case management and treatment plans, explain nonmedical counseling requirements and services provided, facilitate completion of work assignments, and develop multi-media presentations.

Education

A master’s degree or doctorate in Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, Counseling or Clinical Psychology or related field from an accredited institution in any US State. Foreign education must be comparable to education received at accredited educational institutions in the United States. Only degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education are acceptable.