Summary This Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) will be assigned to a Behavioral Health program within the Behavioral Health Service (BHS) at the West Texas Veterans Affairs Health Care System (WTXVAHCS). The incumbent will provide face-to-face and/or telemental health (e.g., VA Video Connect, CVT) services to Veterans across WTXVAHCS sites of care. Responsibilities The LMFT is responsible for providing comprehensive, evidence-based mental health care and therapeutic services, utilizing systemic theories and expertise in interpersonal relationships to address a range of mental health issues. Duties include conducting behavioral health assessments, developing treatment plans, and providing consultation to Behavioral Health Service Providers to determine eligibility and appropriate levels of care for veterans requiring services. The incumbent delivers direct therapy to couples, families, individuals, and groups, ensuring that treatment is tailored to the unique needs of the veteran population. Additionally, the LMFT collaborates closely with other Behavioral Health Service programs to facilitate seamless transitions to appropriate care services for veterans. In the outpatient setting, the LMFT is tasked with providing crisis intervention as needed. The incumbent must hold a master's degree in marriage and family therapy or a related field accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) and possess a full, current, and unrestricted license to independently practice marriage and family therapy. The Marriage & Family Therapist: Establishes and maintains effective therapeutic relationships with Veterans and/or their families, independently working with those experiencing a wide range of complicated medical, psychiatric, emotional, behavioral, and psychosocial problems. Completes intake assessments independently to determine the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and/or their families, utilizing these assessments to facilitate the Veteran's maximum use of treatment and attainment of the highest level of independence possible. Actively participates as a member of an interdisciplinary treatment team, collaborating with Veterans, families, and team members in the development and implementation of treatment plans. Possesses a basic working knowledge and experience in behavioral health and substance use diagnoses and treatment procedures. Facilitates discharge planning in collaboration with Veterans, their families, and interdisciplinary team members to ensure timely execution of appropriate discharge plans. Serves as a liaison between Veterans and/or their families and VA and community resources to ensure thorough delivery of services. Independently implements treatment modalities, providing counseling and/or supportive groups for Veterans and families. Provides consultation and education to Veterans and their families regarding community resources, VA benefits, specialty programs, and advance directives, including information and referral for additional services from other VA programs, government programs, and community programs. Provides consultation to other treatment team members and staff regarding the psychosocial needs of Veterans and/or their families and the impact of identified psychosocial problems on their healthcare planning, compliance with treatment, and discharge planning. Provides case management services to Veterans and their families throughout the continuum of care, utilizing principles of human growth and development over the lifespan to assist Veterans in coping with the loss and grief experiences from disability and terminal illness. Demonstrates effective communication skills, both orally and in writing, with people from varied backgrounds. Supports the mission, policies, and procedures of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the appropriate Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN), and the facility. Serves on committees and work groups at the facility as deemed appropriate by the supervisor. Furthers professional growth through continuing education, ensuring continuing education appropriate to the area of assignment. Provides assistance with the orientation and learning of less experienced Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists and serve as a preceptor for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist students when appropriate. Duties are continued in the Education Section. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 4:30 PM Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #:000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized Recruitment Incentives. Recruitment incentives may be authorized to full-time, part time[,] or intermittent individuals in their first appointment as a Federal employee or to a newly appointed former Federal employee with at least a 90-day break in service Relocation Incentives. Relocation incentives may be authorized to full-time Federal employees who must change worksite[s] and physically relocate to a different geographic area when the approving official determines that without the incentive, it would be difficult to fill the position with a high-quality candidate. 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. 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 1 or 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. English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. Education - Master's or doctoral degree in one of the following: Marriage and Family Therapy from a program approved by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE), OR Marriage and Family Therapy from a MFT program from a regionally accredited institution, OR 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 - Must hold full, current, and unrestricted Marriage and Family Therapy license to independently practice marriage and family therapy in a state or pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure. 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). Grandfather Provision - An MFT employed in VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard (4/18/2018) who did not meet all the basic requirements in this standard may not be promoted beyond the full performance level (GS-11) or be newly placed in supervisory or managerial positions until meeting all qualification requirements. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements stated above, the following qualification criteria must be met for each grade. The candidate's qualifications must clearly demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade. GS-11 MFT (Full Performance Level) Requirements: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-11 you must have at least one year of post-master's degree experience in the field marriage and family therapy work (VA or non-VA experience) OR a doctoral degree in marriage and 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) which may be substituted for the required one year of marriage and family therapy experience in a clinical setting that demonstrate the following 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 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 working in a VA Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program or within the VA Experience in delivering Evidenced Based Psychotherapies Experience facilitating care for patients with Serious Mental Illness (SMI), PTSD, and substance use disorder Experience in working on a Behavioral Health interdisciplinary team and coordinating care with other services and providers Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation and would generally not require a pre-placement examination 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/. Education - Master's or doctoral degree in one of the following: Marriage and Family Therapy from a program approved by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE), OR Marriage and Family Therapy from a MFT program from a regionally accredited institution, OR 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. 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 an acceptable accrediting body (as indicated above) at the time of graduation but is no longer listed on the accrediting body's website, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet. Duties Continued: Demonstrates knowledge and skill in the use of software applications for drafting documents and data management, as well as other computer systems in use by the VHA. Maintains a level of productivity and quality consistent with the complexity of the assignment and consistent with Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist standards, Joint Commission standards, and facility standards. Documents in the Veteran's electronic medical record (CPRS), completing assessments and treatment plans in the electronic medical record system. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit for 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.
