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Summary 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. Responsibilities The Marriage and Family Therapist will function as the nonsupervisory Program Coordinator of the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Program, located within the Behavioral Health Service (BHS). The PTSD Program is a specialty clinic designated to provide evidenced-based treatments and health maintenance services to Veterans diagnosed with PTSD. The incumbent ensures the PTSD Program staff are aware of, and adhere to, all current directives of VHA, Joint Commission, and other regulatory agencies. Assists in the planning, establishing, and implementing of policies and procedures. Duties may include but are not limited to: Provides clinical services including direct care to Veterans enrolled in the PTSD Program; individual, group, couples, and family therapies as well as psychological assessments. Conducts comprehensive psychosocial assessments. Ensures PTSD screening criteria are met and program procedures are maintained. Develops comprehensive treatment plans in coordination with interdisciplinary team members, including goals, objectives, and interventions for psychosocial clinical treatment. Participates in the assignment of Veterans to treatment teams and programs. Responsible for all entries in the Veteran's medical record (CPRS) and timely completion thereof, including discharge summaries and patient encounters. Responsible for identification of patient problems requiring consultation with other multi-disciplinary medical center staff and making appropriate referrals. Completes required measures in the Behavioral Health Lab, and required treatment plans using the Mental Health Suite. Fully accountable for practice, including documenting Veteran visits, measuring outcomes to interventions, and meeting productivity standards. Adheres to HIPAA, privacy regulations and VHA Directives related to release of information. Consultant, liaison, and point of contact for programs within Behavioral Health Services, throughout the hospital, and within the community. Participates fully in peer review, assessing the quality of professional practice standards provided in the organization. Oversees the day-to-day operations of the PTSD Program staff. Prepares reports and statistics for VASNHS, VISN, and national use, as well as drafting responses to Congressional inquiries. Evaluates the quality of the professional services provided. Incumbent devises methods of obtaining and evaluating data to determine the effectiveness of treatment and identifies consistent qualities of successful and non-successful interventions within the PTSD program. Responsible for oversight of required clinical records as well as any reports due to higher level reporting agencies. Assists with coordinating clinical and supportive program development across disciplines and in collaboration with other Service Lines. Participates with Performance Improvement activities, including taking the lead on PTSD-related SAIL measures. Participates in local, VISN, and national committees/community networking activities and/or meetings. Accountable for practice, including Veteran visits, measuring outcomes to interventions, and meeting productivity standards. Participates in research, through case finding and referral of Veterans to clinical investigators engaged in research or through participating in research studies. Applies new approaches to Veteran care through integration of approved investigative and research methods, basing interventions on evidence-based effectiveness. Participates in education/CME lectures, research, specialty care programs, and/or clinics as assigned by the Chief of Behavioral Health. Assumes responsibility for professional development by attending relevant trainings and regularly reviewing the literature to improve clinical competencies. May be involved in training programs, the training of social work interns, marriage and family therapy interns, psychiatric residents, medical students, and nursing students, as appropriate. Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday-Friday Telework: Available (Ad Hoc) Functional Statement #: 0000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized 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. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. 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-0182 series in VHA must hold a full, current, and unrestricted MFT license to independently practice marriage and family therapy in a State. English Language Proficiency. MFTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3j. Experience, Education, and Licensure. In addition to the basic requirements, completion of one year of progressively responsible assignments and experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level which demonstrates knowledge, skills, and abilities that are directly related to the specific assignment. MFT program coordinators of family programs must be trained in family systems therapy/theory. If the assignment is responsible for providing systemic clinical supervision for licensure the individual must have an AAMFT Approved Supervisor credential. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the professional KSAs in subparagraph (b) below: (b) Demonstrated KSAs. In addition to meeting the KSAs for GS-12 grade level, the candidate must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: Ability to organize work, set priorities, meet multiple deadlines, delegate tasks and facilitate team building. Ability to manage and direct the work of others to accomplish program goals and objectives. Ability to devise innovative ways to adapt work operations to new and changing programs, to develop staffing and budget requirements, and to translate management goals and objectives into well- coordinated and controlled work operations and ensure compliance with pertinent VHA policies. Ability to establish and monitor performance priorities according to standards and program evaluation criteria. Knowledge of family systems theory/therapy in coordination of family programs. Assignments. MFT Program Coordinators are administratively responsible for a clinical program providing treatment to Veterans in a specialty area as defined by the National Mental Health Office. Examples include RCS/Vet Centers, Homeless Veterans program and Mental Health Intensive Case Management (MHICM). They coordinate the daily operations of the program, develop policies and procedures for program operation and prepare reports and statistics for facility, VISN and national use. At this level, MFTs are licensed to independently provide mental health services and may supervise for licensure other MFTs. 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). Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA as a MFT on the effective date of this qualification standard 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, the following provisions apply: (1) Such employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, demoted, but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. (2) MFTs who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard (3) Employees who are retained as a MFT under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry as a MFT. Preferred Experience: Leadership; Team Coordination; EBP PTSD Treatment Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: In accordance with VA Directive and Handbook 5019. Education 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.