Military and Family Life Counselor - Short Term Assignments or On Demand

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

About the Role

With minimal guidance and oversight, the Assignment Ready Counselor (ARC) delivers the full range 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 and health/wellness presentations
• Consultation with parents, child daycare personnel, schools, and installation command regarding behavioral health issues

ARC CYB counselors may be assigned to DoDEA schools, community schools, youth programs, summer camps, or on-demand assignments. Adult counselors may support Military and Family Life Counseling (MFLC) services in military community and readiness centers, as well as surge assignments. Counselors work closely with installation Points of Contact (POC) to ensure the program meets installation needs.

Responsibilities

• Provide non-medical, short-term, solution-focused counseling to adults, children, and youth of service members, including assessment, brief counseling, action planning, resource referral, and follow-up.
• Support staff and personnel at child development centers (CDCs), DoDEA and community schools, youth programs, and summer camps.
• Deliver parent training and guidance.
• Conduct training, health and wellness presentations, and participate in health fairs and base/installation activities.
• Enter counselor activity data daily via smartphone or web application while maintaining confidentiality.
• Establish a visible and approachable presence on the installation or in child/youth settings, ensuring service members and families recognize the program as confidential.
• Adhere to line-of-sight protocols when working with children.
• Build and maintain relationships with community resources and provide appropriate linkages.
• Partner with POCs to deliver services addressing installation/facility needs.
• Manage duty-to-warn and restricted reporting situations according to DoD protocol, staffing cases with Regional Supervisors.
• Communicate with Regional Supervisors and participate in regular supervision, sharing trends and issues from assigned installations.
• 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 short-notice assignments of undefined periods, including weekends, and cover full-time assignments ranging from a weekend to two weeks.
• Ability to quickly build rapport with service members, families, students, parents, and co-workers.
• Adaptability to new working conditions, varying location rules, and adjusting working style to each environment.
• Ability to work effectively with minimal instruction and guidance.
• Strong listening skills and responsiveness to instructions.
• Ability to engage and communicate with military members, spouses, or children in emergent situations across military installations or school settings, including traversing short/long distances, uneven terrain, and outdoor conditions.
• Compliance with site-specific requirements (e.g., current immunizations/vaccinations) for military installations.
• 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/youth and specialty in child/adolescent development/psychology.

Qualifications

• Current licensure meeting state, commonwealth, or customer-specific requirements (e.g., LPC, independently licensed behavioral health clinician).
• Valid in-state driver’s license.

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.