Marriage and Family Therapist PTSD Clinical Team

• Provides specialized treatment of PTSD and associated mental health needs in the Mental Health Programs.
• Incorporates complex multiple causation in differential diagnosis and treatment of Veterans patients including making psychosocial and psychiatric diagnoses.
• Evaluates the clients situation including the Veterans reaction and ability to deal with it and arrives at a reasoned conclusion.
• Provides individual group and family psychotherapy interventions used in the treatment of Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and comorbid mental health needs.
• Implements use of Measurement-Based Care for measuring effectiveness of clinical practice and services in specialty areas utilizing outcome evaluations to improve treatment services.
• Develops treatment plans in coordination with appropriate PCT and BHIP Team Members including goals for treatment.
• Provides independent consultation and makes recommendations to interdisciplinary team on course of treatment.
• Demonstrates the ability to make treatment plan changes based on empirical findings as well as to provide a flexible work schedule to accommodate emergency or urgent care matters.
• Interviews Veterans and their family members/significant others to establish facts about the Veterans situation presenting problems and their causes and the impact of such problems on the Veterans functioning and health.
• Uses subjective and objective data in making clinical assessment of the Veterans needs. Effectively uses professional skill objectivity and insight. Uses advanced clinical training and experience to identify viable treatment options and makes appropriate referrals for care.
• Works with Veterans who are not able to engage in the detailed depth of PCT care by aiding in their return to Behavioral Health Interdisciplinary Program (BHIP) where they will gain coping skills in effort to improve the success rate in future Evidence-Based Psychotherapies (EBP).
• Assesses at-risk factors and develops a preliminary disposition plan involving the Veterans and family or significant others.
• Assesses serious and complicated cases involving psychiatric illness catastrophic medical conditions dementia and other high-risk diagnoses.
• Makes independent professional decisions and recommendations for treatment.
• Finds a suitable means of treatment to help Veterans and/or significant others cope with stressful situations.
• Provides quality therapy by utilizing Evidence-Based Psychotherapies (EBP) in the treatment of Veterans served and utilizes nationally provided EBP templates to properly capture care provided.
• Concludes the appropriate action even in instances where actions can have serious impact on the life of the Veterans.
• Evaluates his/her practice as a clinician on an on-going basis through participation in professional peer review case conferences or other organized means.
• Acts as a community and family liaison by initiating and maintaining necessary contact with the patient his/her family VA Healthcare System service programs and personnel mental health agencies and other related resource agencies.
• Provides support and consultation to these varying individuals programs and agencies as necessary or in the best interest of the patient.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 7:30am - 4:00pm
Telework: Ad-hoc.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 59259A; 59260A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: May be Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact 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

*** 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.

Basic Requirements:
Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States.
Education. Candidates must meet one of the following:

1. Hold a masters degree or doctoral degree in marriage & family therapy from a program approved by COAMFTE
2. Hold a masters degree or doctoral degree in marriage & 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 & 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 (masters 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:

1. 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.
2. Ability to assess with supervision the psychosocial functioning & needs of Veterans & their family members.
3. Knowledge to formulate implement & re-evaluate a treatment plan through continuous assessment identifying the Veterans challenges strengths readiness to change external influences & current events surrounding the origins & maintenance of the presenting issue & interactional patterns within the client system.
4. 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.
5. Basic knowledge & understanding of existing relevant statutes case law ethical codes & regulations affecting professional practice of marriage & family therapy.
6. 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-masters 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 & 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 KSA.

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:

1. Skill to independently assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans & their family members.
2. Ability to provide counseling & or psychotherapy services to individuals groups couples & families that facilitates change through restructuring & reorganizing the client system.
3. Ability to establish & maintain effective working relationships with Veterans & their families colleagues & other professionals in collaboration throughout treatment regarding clinical ethical & legal issues & concerns.
4. 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.
5. Ability to provide orientation training & consultation to new MFTs including clinical oversight of MFT graduate students &/or provide clinical supervision to pre-licensure MFTs.
6. 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 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 (15-44lbs). 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. Completes annual Employee Health requirements such as annual TB screening or testing as a condition of employment.