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

Veterans Health Administration • Johnson City, TN

8d

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 addictive and co-occurring psychological disorders. The therapist independently assesses the psychosocial functioning and needs of referred Veterans and family members, identifies problems, strengths, readiness to change, external influences, and circumstances related to the origins and maintenance of presenting issues, and formulates, implements, and re-evaluates treatment plans through continuous assessment.

The position provides and coordinates clinical services in the residential SUD Program, including screening, clinical assessment, individual and group therapy, collateral family counseling and therapy, and psychoeducation. The therapist coordinates referrals to agency, community, and governmental resources; collaborates with patients and multidisciplinary teams on treatment and aftercare plans; provides consultation and liaison services across treatment programs; and helps ensure record-keeping compliance with applicable regulations and accrediting requirements.

The position is scheduled 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 position 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, a regionally accredited institution, or 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, or eligibility under the stated grandfathering provision for qualifying 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 on complex cases involving individuals, families, and/or couples using evidence-based family systems theory and therapy.
• Ability to provide crisis intervention, 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 their 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 stated physical requirements with emotional and mental stability.
• Complete required background/security investigation, onboarding, identification, application documentation, and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period and receive written certification for continued employment after that period.

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 circumstances surrounding the origins and maintenance of presenting issues.
• Formulate, implement, and re-evaluate treatment plans through continuous assessment.
• Provide and/or coordinate screening, clinical assessment, individual and group therapy, collateral family counseling and therapy, and psychoeducational sessions in the residential SUD Program.
• Arrange referrals to agencies, organizations, community resources, or governmental resources, and refer Veterans with more serious problems to appropriate treatment resources inside or outside the medical center.
• Act as a liaison between treatment programs and Mental Health Service, providing education, counseling, and treatment recommendations 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 assessment findings.
• Develop comprehensive aftercare plans to support continued recovery after program completion.
• Assist in monitoring record-keeping procedures for 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.
• Provide family systems therapy addressing Veterans and family members individually and their interpersonal interactions.
• Provide systemic clinical supervision to unlicensed MFT staff and trainees toward licensure.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package available to eligible employees and their families.
• Annual leave accrual may be credited for prior federal work or military service, subject to request and approval before appointment.

What This Job Offers

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