Substance Use Disorder Services (SUD) Advanced Marriage and Family Therapist

Veterans Health Administration • Johnson City, TN

7d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Substance Use Disorder Services (SUD) Advanced Marriage and Family Therapist provides advanced clinical services to SUD/MAT clinics and exercises full professional responsibility for delivering effective services to Veterans with a wide range of addictive and co-occurring psychological disorders. The therapist independently assesses the psychosocial functioning and needs of referred Veterans and their family members, identifies problems, strengths, readiness to change, external influences, and events related to the origins and maintenance of presenting issues, and formulates, implements, and reevaluates treatment plans through continuous assessment.

The position provides therapeutic services in the residential SUD Program and works with the multidisciplinary SUD services team across the continuum of Stepped Care. The therapist collaborates with patients and treatment team members to develop comprehensive treatment and aftercare plans, makes referrals to appropriate clinical, community, agency, and governmental resources, and helps ensure records comply with applicable regulations and accrediting-body requirements.

The schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telework may be available as determined by agency policy; the position is not virtual. The job is sedentary but requires movement throughout the medical center. Relocation and recruitment incentives and permanent change of station are not authorized.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
• Proficiency in written and spoken English.
• A master’s or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy from a COAMFTE-approved program, or from an MFT program at a regionally accredited institution; alternatively, a comparable mental health degree meeting the applicable VA qualification standard.
• A full, current, and unrestricted state license to independently practice marriage and family therapy, unless qualifying under the applicable grandfathering provision for current VHA employees.
• Successful completion of evidence-based training in family therapy.
• Graduation from a COAMFTE-accredited program or passage of the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Board Examination (AMFTRBE).
• At least five years of post-licensed clinical experience delivering family systems therapy, including one year equivalent to the GS-11 grade level.
• Experience demonstrating use of an evidence-based family therapy model and progressive professional competency and expertise.
• Ability to provide specialized consultation for complex cases involving individuals, families, and/or couples using evidence-based family systems theory and therapy.
• Ability to provide crisis intervention, including assessment, safety planning, and complex treatment planning using independent clinical judgment and family systems theory and therapy.
• Ability to provide family systems therapy addressing Veterans and family members individually and their interpersonal interactions.
• Ability to provide systemic clinical supervision to unlicensed MFT staff and trainees toward licensure.
• Ability to perform the essential functions efficiently, with or without reasonable accommodation, without hazard to oneself or others, and to meet the position’s physical requirements with emotional and mental stability.
• Compliance with background/security investigation, onboarding, identification, application-documentation, and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements.
• Willingness to serve the required one- or two-year trial period.

Nice To Haves

• Prior work experience or military service may be considered for annual leave accrual credit, subject to request and approval; this credit is not guaranteed.

Responsibilities

• Independently assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of referred Veterans and their family members.
• Identify patients’ problems, strengths, readiness to change, external influences, and current events surrounding the origins and maintenance of presenting issues.
• Formulate, implement, and reevaluate treatment plans through continuous assessment.
• Provide and/or coordinate screening, clinical assessment, individual and group therapy, collateral family counseling or therapy, and psychoeducational sessions in the residential SUD Program.
• Refer patients to agency, organizational, community, or governmental resources, including halfway houses and shelters, and refer Veterans with more serious problems to appropriate resources within or outside the medical center.
• Act as a liaison between treatment programs and Mental Health Service by providing education, counseling, and treatment recommendations for patient cases according to program-specific criteria.
• Participate in the multidisciplinary SUD services team to provide therapeutic services along the continuum of Stepped Care for SUD Veterans.
• Collaborate with patients and treatment team members to develop comprehensive treatment plans incorporating patient strengths, weaknesses, and problems identified during psychosocial assessments.
• Develop comprehensive aftercare plans to facilitate continued recovery after program completion.
• Assist in monitoring record-keeping procedures to ensure compliance with applicable state and federal regulations and accrediting-body requirements.
• Provide specialized consultation for complex cases involving individuals, families, and/or couples using evidence-based family systems theory and therapy.
• Provide crisis intervention, including assessment, safety planning, and complex treatment planning using independent clinical judgment and family systems theory and therapy.
• Provide family systems therapy addressing Veterans and their family members individually and their interpersonal interactions.
• Provide systemic clinical supervision to unlicensed MFT staff and trainees pursuing licensure.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package; specific benefits depend on position eligibility.
• Selected applicants may qualify for annual leave accrual credit based on prior work experience or military service, subject to approval.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior