Marriage and Family Therapist (Program Manager Whole Health)

A RELOCATION INCENTIVE MAY BE AUTHORIZED

The Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) Whole Health Program Manager is accountable to the Chief of Social Work and is responsible for broad program management of the Whole Health Program the Suicide Prevention Program and all assigned staff.

Clinical Responsibilities (51%):

• Conduct Complementary and Integrative Health (CIH) approaches to include biofeedback clinical hypnosis guided imagery and meditation within clinical privileges or scope of practice.
• Provide whole health coaching to individuals or groups in outpatient and/or inpatient settings using motivational interviewing and coaching techniques to assist with SMART goal setting.
• Counsel Veterans to promote health and wellness in a variety of settings across the Alaska VA HCS.
• Serve as needed and as a backup for suicide prevention clinical duties.

Supervisory & Administrative (49%):The MFT Program Director has broad program management and supervisory responsibilities that include:

• Direct Supervisor of Whole Health and Suicide Prevention hired staff.
• Full responsibility to manage and supervise all phases of the Whole Health Program at the Alaska VA.
• Manage and supervise the Suicide Prevention Program at the Alaska VA.
• Establish and maintain a continuous and systematic process of curriculum development assessment review revision evaluation and implementation of the Whole Health and Suicide Prevention programs.
• Plan and develop policies procedures and goals and implement and educate staff on applicable Veterans Health Administration (VHA) directives handbooks or other policies.
• Measure progress toward goals and reports to the appropriate officials at a local Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) and National level.
• Serve as the professional and technical advisor in Whole Health for the facility; promote Whole Health principles to facility employees.
• Provide direct budgetary supervision of Whole Health programs and is accountable for resources used directly and indirectly.
• Ensure inventory procedures and logistical procedures for all Whole Health supplies.
• Coordinate the development and implementation of the patient-centered care concept throughout the organization. Use individual and aggregate needs assessments standards of professional practice and strategic plans in the process of program development.
• Chair the Whole Health committee(s).
• Use knowledge expertise principles or models and current research to plan implement and evaluate organizational progress towards accomplishing patient-centered care initiatives.
• Responsible for supporting the New Employee Orientation New Patient Orientation and will routinely communicate needs for resources as necessary.
• Have advanced knowledge and mastery of theories and modalities used in the specialized treatment of complex physical or mental illness.
• Perform specialized treatment of complex physical or mental illness.
• Incorporate complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of Veteran patients including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses within approved clinical privileges or scope of practice.
• Demonstrate the ability to determine priority for services and provide specialized treatment services.
• Have advanced expert skill in a range of specialized interventions and treatment modalities used in specialty treatment programs or with special patient populations. This includes individual group and family counseling or psychotherapy and advanced level psychosocial case management interventions used in the treatment of all Veterans.
• Offer consultation to colleagues and students on the psychosocial treatment of patients treated in the specialty areas rendering professional opinions based on experience and expertise and role model effective social work practice skills.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

Work Schedule: Mon - Fri 8:00am to 4:30pm.
Telework: Ad-hoc.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: MAY BE AUTHORIZED.
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

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 ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued dentification 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 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

To qualify for this position applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS.
The basic requirements for employment as a VHA MFT are prescribed by statute in 38 U.S.C. 7402(b)(10) as amended by section 239 of Public Law114-223 enacted Sept 29 2016. To qualify for appointment as an MFT in VHA all applicants must:

• Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with applicable law).
• Education. Candidates must meet one of the following:
  • (1) Hold a masters 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
  • (2) Hold a masters degree or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy from a MFT program from a regionally accredited institution.
  • OR
  • (3) Hold a masters 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 38 U.S.C. 7402(d).

GRADE DETERMINATIONS.
In addition to the basic requirements for employment the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

Marriage and Family Therapist (Program Manager) GS-13.
(a) Education Experience and Licensure. In addition to the basic requirements completion of one year of progressively responsible assignments and experience equivalent to that equivalent to the GS-12 grade level which demonstrates knowledge skills and abilities that are directly related to the specific assignment. MFT Program Manager must have graduated from a COAMFTE approved program OR have passed the AMFTRB examination. MFT Program Manager must have five years of post- licensed clinical experience in family systems theory/therapy and must demonstrate possession of advanced practice skills and judgment demonstrating progressive professional competency and expertise. MFT Program Manager must have an AAMFT Approved Supervisor credential.

(b) Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities. In addition to meeting the KSAs for GS-12 grade level the candidate must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:
1. Skill in assessing qualifications and abilities of current and prospective employees to include staff performance evaluation and may include evaluations of lower level assignments and support staff.
2. Ability to facilitate professional development of other MFTs across programs/or locations (i.e. CBOC outpatient clinics etc.) and guide them in current practice guidelines.
3. Ability to collaborate with leaders of other disciplines within facilities the community VISN and VACO.
4. Skill in managing and directing the work of others to accomplish program goals and objectives reporting requirements and the ability to devise ways to adapt work operations to new and changing programs staffing and budget requirements. This includes knowledge of VA policy and procedures as well as fair principled and decisive leadership practices.
5. Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems and to develop and implement solutions that result in sound operation of the program.
6. Ability to clinically supervise in areas related to the provision of marital and family therapy services to accomplish organizational goals and objectives.

(c) Assignments.
1. MFT Program Managers have broad program management responsibilities which include the operation and management of key clinical training or administrative programs. Responsibilities include development and implementation of programs policies and procedures; oversight of administrative and programmatic resources; and monitoring of outcomes using a data driven quality assurance process. Decisions made affect staff and other resources associated with the programs managed and are made while exercising wide latitude and independent judgment. Such programs deliver specialized complex highly professional services that are important program components and significantly impact the health care provided to Veterans and their families. They have responsibility for staffing work assignments budget clinical services provided and admission criteria for the program day-to-day program operations and all reporting requirements. Additionally program managers at this grade generally have collateral assignments determined by the needs of the local facility RCS/Vet Center the VISN and or VACO.

2. MFT Program Managers may also have full responsibility for oversight of the professional practice of MFTs to assure the highest quality of mental health care provided to Veterans and their families throughout the facility and affiliated clinics. This responsibility also includes insuring that all MFTs in the facility and its affiliated clinics meet the requirements of this qualification standard. At this advanced performance level GS-13 MFTs are licensed to independently provide marital and family therapy services with program management responsibilities.

Preferred Experience: Program Development Whole Health practice experience supervisory experience.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit full performance level of this vacancy is GS-13.

Physical Requirements: The physical demands of this position require light lifting (under 15 pounds); moderate carrying (15-44 pounds); use of fingers; walking (up to 2 hours); standing (up to 2 hours); near vision correctable at 13 to 16 to Jaeger 1 to 4; far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and to 20/40 in the other; both eyes required; hearing (aid may be permitted); and emotional and mental stability.

Environmental Factors: Work may be performed outside and inside; dry atmospheric conditions; prolonged sitting; and you must be able to work alone and closely with others.