Marriage and Family Therapist

About the role

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 are ineligible to apply.

Responsibilities

• Clinical Responsibilities:
  • Provide a full range of assessment, providing formal diagnosis of mental disorders using DSM-5-TR criteria and determination of psychosocial functioning and needs of the Veteran, with collaborative input from family members, partners, and other identified supports.
  • Provide psychosocial and mental health education to patients, family members, partners, and other identified supports.
  • Provide comprehensive recovery and psychotherapeutic interventions, including individual, family, and group psychotherapy, and including tele-mental health services, based on research and family systems theory.
  • Provide consultation to professional staff within the VA Medical Center and other stakeholder concerning clinical assessment findings and appropriate treatment plans for patients.
  • Develop, implement, and document the psychotherapeutic treatment recovery plan for an assigned caseload of patients, including prompt completion of clinical reminders and program measurement-based care instruments.
  • Functions at the VA Medical Center, and assumes professional responsibility for clinical assessment findings, patient care decisions, and documentation.
  • Family Services are delivered in compliance with VHA Directive 1163.04 Family Services.
• Administrative Responsibilities:
  • May assist LMFT Program Manager and Behavioral Health Service Line Manager (BHSLM). in the design, development, and implementation of clinical programs for a team of treatment providers.
  • May assist the Chief of Psychology and BHSLM in the execution of ongoing program evaluation and data-driven quality improvement projects to monitor the effectiveness of the clinical program.
  • Facilitates liaisons with other health care programs in order to effectively coordinate services.
  • Complies with national and local performance measures, including timely health care screening and completion of clinical reminders for all patients.
  • Complies with all CPRS documentation procedures, including timeliness standards for documentation and proper patient check out procedures (e.g., entering diagnostic and procedure codes).
  • Complies with and participates in peer review, Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluations (OPPE), Focused Professional Practice Evaluations (FPPE), and/or recommendations from the Professional Standards Board (PSB).
  • Attend and participate in administrative and informational meetings held by the LMFT Program Manager, Mental Health Clinic Program Manager, Assistant Chief of Psychology, and the Chief of Behavioral Health, and other meetings as assigned to participate.
  • Attend regular Psychology Service staff meetings, Medical staff meetings, and Behavioral Health Service Line staff meetings.
• Other Responsibilities:
  • Serve on Medical Center or healthcare system, VISN, and/or National VA committees or task forces.
  • Represent the Medical Center at professional community group/events and committees, in conferences/meetings with higher ranking managers, supervisors, and staff from other disciplines or work units, and/or with representatives of local public interest groups, congressional district offices and employees of State and local governments.
  • Prepare Issue Briefs and responses to Congressional inquiries as needed.

Qualifications

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.
• 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. 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.

Physical Requirements

The physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation and would generally not require a pre-placement examination.