Supervisory Marriage & Family Therapist (BHIP) - EDRP Approved

Summary
This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.
This job is open to

• Internal to an agency
  Current federal employees of this agency.

Clarification from the agency
This announcement is open to (Current & Permanent) Employees of the Texas Valley Coastal Bend VA Health Care System Only. This position is also posted as a Psychology Program Manager, Social Worker (Program Coordinator) and a Supervisory Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor. Please see the additional information section of this announcement for details.
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Duties
The Supervisory Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) exhibits leadership that is characterized by substantial and continuous responsibility and accountability for population groups served through BHIP that cross service and discipline lines and influence organizational mission and health care. The Supervisory LMFT provides administrative, technical, and clinical supervision necessary for accomplishing the work of BHIP.
The Supervisory Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT):

• assists with performance measure monitoring, evaluation and action plans for program improvement/enhancement as well as accreditation reviews and pertinent site visits.
• oversees BHIP, determining staffing requirements and assignments in conjunction with members of treatment teams and staff areas where individual skills are best utilized. These duties include development of functional statements, position descriptions, and performance standards with service personnel as well as function as the professional expert relative to BHIP practice issues.
• assists with directing operation and management of all clinical, training, and administrative tasks for all BHIP.
• provides oversight of administrative and programmatic resources for BHIP, delivering specialized, complex, and highly professional mental health services that are integrated within the primary care setting, are important to program components, and significantly impact the health care provided to Veterans.
• works with all local medical center, health care center and community-based outpatient clinic leadership to meet site specific administrative and operational goals and may assume local leadership functions as necessary and as approved by Chief of Psychology.
• works with Chief of Psychology in identifying and prioritizing BHIP resource needs to include staffing and equipment needs of BHIP Services providers.
• as delegated, is responsible for the oversight of funds assigned to Psychology Section control points.
• Completes the following duties related to the area of clinical guidance: i. Coordinates and monitors clinical training/development of staff who provide psychotherapy, mental health assessments, care management, and other psychosocial services within BHIP; and, ii. Responsible for assessing, verifying, monitoring, and reporting on the clinical competency of staff providing these services; and,
• Considers and recommends staff members for further clinical training and development based on staff abilities, goals, and clinic operational needs.
• performs the following duties related to the area of research and research integration into clinical practice: i. Guides BHIP staff in application of current psychological research to their clinical work; and, ii. Encourages utilization of evidence-psychotherapy protocols; and,
• Encourages research activities deemed beneficial to VHA patient care of Veterans or to clinical and health care system operations
• is responsible and accountable for assisting the Chief of Psychology, the Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health, the Chief of Staff, and the Director in planning, organizing, and coordinating all MHSL programs.
• may be called on to act for other System-level Program Managers including serving as the Acting Chief of Psychology or Acting Chief of Staff for Mental Health
• performs the following duties related to practice evaluation and management including the following: i. Reviewing, analyzing, approving or disapproving all new program developments or role changes within the BHIP; and, ii. Presenting, interpreting and implementing new policies and procedures or changes in the previous ones to ensure continued alignment with accrediting bodies (i.e., Joint Commission and other accrediting/auditing bodies).
• orients, teaches and serves as a consultant to Primary Care and Medical Care staff and trainees and assists in their formulation of the psychological characteristics and appropriate treatment expectations regarding their patients.
• provides leadership, guidance, and consultation on staff education and development to all BHIP staff, as appropriate

Duties are continued in the Education Section of this announcement.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 4:30 PM
Telework: Ad/Hoc Telework may be authorized.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Contact the EDRP Coordinator at visn17edrp2@va.gov for questions/assistance. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required
Requirements
Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

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:
  
  • (1) Hold a master's degree or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy from a program approved by COAMFTE,
  • (2) Hold a master's degree or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy from a MFT program from a regionally accredited institution, OR,
  • (3) 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-0101 series in VHA must hold a full, current, and unrestricted MFT license to independently practice marriage and family therapy in a State.

May meet basic requirements through grandfathering provision.
Grade Determinations:
Supervisory Marriage and Family Therapist, GS-12
Experience, Education, and Licensure.
Candidates must have successfully completed evidence based training in marriage and family therapy and must have graduated from a COAMFTE Accredited Program (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED)
OR
have passed the AMFTRBE. (MUST SUBMIT PROOF WITH APPLICATION)
Candidates must have at least five years of post-licensed clinical experience in delivery of family systems therapy includingone-year equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. This experience must demonstrate possession of using evidence based family therapy model while demonstrating progressive professional competency and expertise.
Assignment requires clinical supervision. Candidates must have an AAMFT Approved Supervisor credential.
Demonstrated KSAs. In addition to meeting the KSAs for GS-11 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:
GS-12 Knowledge Skills and Abilities

• Ability to provide specialized consultation for complex cases involving individuals, families and/or couples utilizing evidenced-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.

GS-11: Knowledge Skills and Abilities

• Skill to independently assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members
• Ability to provide counseling and/or psychotherapy services to individuals, groups, couples and families in a culturally competent manner that facilitates change through restructuring and reorganizing the client system
• Ability to 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. 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 and consultation to new MFTs including clinical oversight of MFT graduate students, and/or provide clinical supervision to pre-licensure MFTs
• Skill in the use of computer software applications for drafting documents, data management, maintaining accurate, timely and thorough clinical documentation, and tracking quality improvements.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience organizing work, setting priorities, delegating tasks, and meeting multiple deadlines.
• Experience utilizing evidence-based practices and clinical practice guidelines.
• Experience supervising others in the use of evidence-based practice guidelines.
• Experience working effectively with individuals or groups representing widely divergent backgrounds, interests, and points of view.
• Experience in managing and directing the work of others to accomplish program goals and objectives.
• Experience in translating management goals and objectives into well coordinated and controlled work operations.
• Experience establishing and monitoring production and performance priorities and standards.
• Experience in analyzing organizational problems and to develop and implement solutions that result in sound operation of the program.

References: VA Handbook 5005 Part II Appendix G44 Marriage and Family Therapist Qualification Standard dated April 18, 2018.
Physical Requirements:
There are no set physical requirements for this position. Use of eyes, hands, walking/standing and hearing may be needed to perform some functions. Mental, emotional, and cognitive stability are required.
The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12.
Education
IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
Note: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.
Note: If your school was accredited by COAMFTE (or a regionally accredited institution) at the time of graduation but is no longer listed on the COAMFTE (or a regionally accredited institution) website; MFT Training Programs (coamfte.org), you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet.
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.
The Supervisory Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) exhibits leadership that is characterized by substantial and continuous responsibility and accountability for population groups served through BHIP that cross service and discipline lines and influence organizational mission and health care. The Supervisory LMFT provides administrative, technical, and clinical supervision necessary for accomplishing the work of BHIP.
Duties Continued:

• provides general and beneficial supervision for BHIP staff and participates in the performance appraisal process for all directly supervised clinical, support, and administrative staff. Incumbent completes the following duties:
• Observes employee performance and conducts work performance critiques in accordance with performance expectations, which includes professional competencies; and,
• Provides informal feedback and periodically evaluates employee performance formally; and
• • Exercises Supervisory authorities and responsi...