Substance Use Disorder Services (SUD) Advanced Marriage and Family Therapist

About the role

The Substance Use Disorder Services (SUD) Advanced Marriage and Family Therapist provides advanced clinical services to the Substance Use Disorders SUD/MAT clinics and exercises full professional responsibility to provide effective services to Veterans with a wide range of addictive and co-occurring psychological disorders.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements

• United States Citizenship – Must be a citizen of the United States (non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.g.).
• English Language Proficiency – Per VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, Paragraph 3j: no person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. chapters 73 or 74 to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English.
• Education Requirement – Must meet one of the following:
  • Hold a master's degree or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy from a program approved by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE); OR
  • Hold a master's degree or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy from a Marriage and Family Therapist (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, or Psychiatry) that meets the current VA qualification standard of that profession.
• Licensure – Must hold a full, current, and unrestricted license to independently practice marriage and family therapy in a State.
• Grandfathering Provision – 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).

Grade Determinations (GS-12 Level)

• Must have successfully completed evidence-based training in family therapy and must have:
  • Graduated from a COAMFTE accredited program OR have passed the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Board Examination (AMFTRBE); AND
  • At least five years of post-licensed clinical experience in delivery of family systems therapy including one-year equivalent to the GS-11 grade level.
• This experience must demonstrate the use of an evidence-based family therapy model while exhibiting progressive professional competency and expertise.
• In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:
  • Ability to provide specialized consultation for complex cases involving individuals, families, and/or couples utilizing evidence-based family systems theory/therapy.
  • Ability to provide crisis intervention which includes assessment, safety planning, and complex treatment planning using independent clinical judgment utilizing family systems theory/therapy.
  • Ability to provide family systems therapy – which seeks to address Veterans and their family members on an individual level and deals with interpersonal interactions.
  • Ability to provide unlicensed MFT staff/trainees with systemic clinical supervision towards licensure from a family systems theory/therapy perspective.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements

All candidates must be physically and mentally able to perform efficiently the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation, without hazard to themselves or others. Candidates must meet the physical requirements outlined in Section II and Section VI of the OPM Operating Manual – Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions and must possess emotional and mental stability. The job is sedentary but requires movement throughout the medical center.

Responsibilities

• Independently assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of referred veterans and their family members.
• Identify the patient's problems, strengths, readiness to change, external influences, and current events surrounding the origins and maintenance of the presenting issue.
• Formulate, implement, and re-evaluate treatment plans through continuous assessment.
• Independently provide and/or coordinate therapeutic/clinical activities to include screening, clinical assessment, individual, group, collateral family counseling/therapy, and psychoeducational sessions in the residential SUD Program.
• Make provision for referral services to other agencies or organizations, community resources (e.g., halfway house, shelter) or other governmental resources to resolve problems, as appropriate; refer Veterans with more serious problems to appropriate treatment resources within and outside the medical center.
• Act as liaison between various treatment programs with the Mental Health Service in providing education, counseling, and treatment recommendations for patient cases, according to program-specific criteria.
• Participate in the multidisciplinary SUD services team in provision of therapeutic services along the continuum of Stepped Care for SUD veterans.
• Work collaboratively with the patient and treatment team members to develop a comprehensive treatment plan, incorporating patient strengths and weaknesses and the pertinent problems identified during psychosocial assessments.
• Develop comprehensive aftercare plans to facilitate continued recovery post-completion.
• Assist in monitoring record keeping procedures to ensure compliance with all applicable state and federal regulations and requirements of accrediting bodies.

Schedule

Work Schedule: Monday–Friday, 7:45 am–4:30 pm. Telework is available as determined by agency policy. This is not a virtual position.

Additional Information

Functional Statement #: 61349F. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.