Marriage and Family Therapist

Summary

The Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) serves as a member of the Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP). The BHIP is a multi-disciplinary team of mental health professionals which provides comprehensive - accessible - Veteran-centered mental health care. The MFT assigned to BHIP is responsible for coordinating and providing specialty mental and health therapy with a focus on couples - families - individuals - and groups utilizing systemic health theories.

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

  • English Language Proficiency: Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs) must be proficient in spoken and 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 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
    • 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

  • May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria)

Experience

• Experience - Education and 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 and family therapy work (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure in a State at the independent practice level

• In addition - the candidate must demonstrate the KSAs below

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)

• Independent assessment of psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members

• Counseling and - or psychotherapy services to individuals - groups - couples and families that facilitates change through restructuring and reorganizing the client system

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with Veterans and their families - colleagues - and other professionals in collaboration throughout treatment regarding clinical - ethical and legal issues and concerns

• Knowledge and understanding of existing relevant statutes - case law - ethical codes - regulations and VA policies affecting the practice of marriage and family therapy

• Assist Veterans and their families in making informed decisions relevant to treatment to include limits of confidentiality

• Provide orientation - training and consultation to new MFTs including clinical oversight of MFT graduate students - and/or provide clinical supervision to pre-licensure MFTs

• Use of computer software applications for drafting documents - data management - maintaining accurate - timely and thorough clinical documentation - and tracking quality improvements

Duties

• Provides a full range of psycho-diagnostic services which requires advanced and expert skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations

• This includes individual - group - and/or family psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial and/or case management interventions used in treatment of Veterans with a range of DSM diagnoses - substance abuse/dependence - and poly-traumatic injuries

• The incumbent may have clinical program management responsibilities under the direction of program managers - program coordinators - or discipline specific supervisors which include the operation and management of various psychology or mental health programs within the VA Central Iowa Healthcare system (VACIHCS)

• The incumbent may assist with coordinating administrative and programmatic resources of various clinical programs with oversight by program managers - program coordinators - or discipline specific supervisors

• The incumbent may coordinate programming within the various mental health programs with managers of other programs in mental health as well as with discipline supervisors of affected staff assigned to these programs

• The incumbent will assist managers of mental health programs in making sure that work is assigned in a systematic way and meets facility and VA guidelines/standards

• The incumbent may serve as the representative for Psychology Service on various Psychology Service - Mental Health Service Line - System - or VISN administrative committees or work groups as assigned

• The incumbent should have the ability to provide subject matter consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients treated in the specialty area - rendering professional opinions based on experience and expertise and role modeling effective practice skills

• In addition - there may be opportunities to teach and mentor staff and students in the specialty area of practice

• The incumbent should have the ability to expand clinical knowledge in the profession - demonstrating innovation in the creation of new models of psychosocial assessment or intervention to identify and address specialized clinical needs

• Able to assist in drafting policies - procedures - and/or practice guidelines pertaining to the specialty population or specialty treatment program as assigned

Work Schedule

Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm

Telework

Ad-hoc

Virtual

This is not a virtual position