Marriage and Family Therapist - PTSD Clinical Team

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 ineligible to apply.

*** This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT & will remain open until December 29, 2025, or until the position is filled. The initial cutoff date for referral of eligible applications will be October 28, 2025. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as needed basis until positions are filled. *** Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred & tentatively selected, but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. Education. Candidates must meet one of the following: Hold a master's degree or doctoral degree in marriage & family therapy from a program approved by COAMFTE, Hold a master's degree or doctoral degree in marriage & 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, & 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, & unrestricted MFT license to independently practice marriage & family therapy in a State. Exception: VHA, 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. 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. English Language Proficiency. MFTs must be proficient in spoken & written English. Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA as a MFT on the effective date of this qualification standard (4/18/2018) are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held, including positive education that is part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it must meet one of the provisions listed in the qualification standard. Grade Determinations. Marriage and Family Therapist, GS-9 (Entry Level) Experience, Education & Licensure. The entry level grade is used for non-licensed MFTs or for MFTs (master's or doctoral level) who are graduates not yet licensed at the independent practice level. Unlicensed MFTs at the GS-9 grade level have completed the required education listed in above, & are working toward completion of prerequisites for licensure. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities. In addition to meeting the experience, education, & licensure for the GS-9 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: Knowledge of human development throughout the lifespan, interventions based on research & family systems theory & therapy, formal diagnostic criteria, risk assessment, evidence-based practice & assessment tools. Ability to assess, with supervision, the psychosocial functioning & needs of Veterans & their family members. Knowledge to formulate, implement, & re-evaluate a treatment plan through continuous assessment identifying the Veteran's challenges, strengths, readiness to change, external influences & current events surrounding the origins & maintenance of the presenting issue, & interactional patterns within the client system. Ability to provide counseling &, or psychotherapy services, under supervision, to individuals, groups, couples and families in a manner that facilitates change through restructuring & reorganizing of the client system. Basic knowledge & understanding of existing relevant statutes, case law, ethical codes, & regulations affecting professional practice of marriage & family therapy. Ability to draft documents, manage data, maintain accurate, timely & thorough clinical documentation, & track quality improvements. Marriage and Family Therapist, GS-11 (Full Performance Level) Experience, Education & Licensure. In addition to the basic requirements, the GS-11 full performance level requires completion of a minimum of 1 year of post-master's degree experience in the field of marriage & family therapy work (VA or non-VA experience) & licensure in a State at the independent practice level. OR, In addition to the basic requirements, a doctoral degree in marriage & family therapy or comparable degree in mental health that meets the current VA qualification standard of that profession (Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, Social Work, Psychiatric Nursing, Psychology, and Psychiatry) may be substituted for the required 1 year of marriage & family therapy experience in a clinical setting. & The candidate must be licensed to practice at the independent practice level & they must demonstrate the following KSAs. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities (KSAs). In addition to meeting the experience, education, & licensure for GS-11 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: Skill to independently assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans & their family members. Ability to provide counseling &, or psychotherapy services to individuals, groups, couples & families that facilitates change through restructuring & reorganizing the client system. Ability to establish & maintain effective working relationships with Veterans & their families, colleagues, & other professionals in collaboration throughout treatment regarding clinical, ethical & legal issues & concerns. Knowledge & understanding of existing relevant statutes, case law, ethical codes, regulations & VA policies affecting the practice of marriage & family therapy. This includes the ability to assist Veterans and their families in making informed decisions relevant to treatment to include limits of confidentiality. Ability to provide orientation, training & consultation to new MFTs including clinical oversight of MFT graduate students, &/or provide clinical supervision to pre-licensure MFTs. Skill in the use of computer software applications for drafting documents, data management, maintaining accurate, timely & thorough clinical documentation, & tracking quality improvements. Preferred Experience: Extensive experience in working with PTSD, including familiarity with cognitive behavior therapy (CPT) for PTSD, prolonged exposure (PE), written exposure therapy (WET) for PTSD, & other evidence-based protocols (EBPs). Proficient in suicide prevention and capable in mental health crisis care. Completion of evidence-based protocols (EBPs) training with certification. 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-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to GS-11. Physical Requirements: Must be physically & mentally able to efficiently perform the essential functions of the position without hazard to themselves or others. Requires visual acuity (with the ability to read typewritten characters without strain, corrective lenses are permitted), keen hearing (aid permitted), clear distinctive speech, & manual dexterity. Moderate levels of lifting & carrying (15-44 pounds). Occasional exposure to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. Must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. Must complete annual Employee Health requirements, such as annual TB screening or testing, as a condition of employment.