Military and Family Life Adult Counselor

Magellan Health • Norfolk, VA

2d • $59,922 - $100,280

About The Position

Provides the full breadth of Military and Family Life Counseling (MFLC) consultation and counseling services to military commands, service members, and their families at military installations. The role delivers non-medical, short-term, solution-focused, walk-around counseling; training and health and wellness presentations; and consultation to installation command on behavioral health issues, with an understanding of military units, culture, and mission. The counselor works with regional leadership, installation representatives, and military branch Points of Contact (POCs) to ensure services remain within scope and meet installation needs.

The counselor provides assessment, brief counseling, consultation, action planning, referrals and linkage to resources, and follow-up as indicated. The position also responds to critical incidents, surge and on-demand events, and special requests, and may flex its schedule to meet urgent needs. It includes activity reporting, maintaining client confidentiality, managing duty-to-warn and restricted-reporting situations under DoD protocol, and participating in supervision, training, quality improvement, initiatives, studies, and pilot programs.

The position requires frequent engagement across military installations and, when applicable, school settings. The counselor may need to travel beyond an installation, meet site-specific requirements such as immunizations, and respond quickly to emergent situations in varied indoor and outdoor environments. The role requires U.S. citizenship, English fluency, required background clearances, and a valid U.S. state driver's license unless waived by the FEDSIM COR.

Requirements

• Master’s degree from an accredited graduate program in a relevant field, including mental health fields such as social work, psychology, marriage/family therapy, or counseling.
• Valid, unrestricted independent counseling license from a U.S. state, the District of Columbia, a U.S. territory, or commonwealth, authorizing independent practice.
• Less than 2 years of post-licensure clinical experience.
• Intermediate competency with technology and software, including Microsoft Suite, internet navigation, smartphones/tablets and applications, and video-conferencing platforms.
• Ability to engage and communicate with military members or children as assigned and respond quickly to emergent situations.
• Ability to traverse short or long distances on installations, including rugged, outdoor, or uneven terrain, stairs, grass, and steep inclines, and to work outdoors in varying weather and military base conditions.
• Ability to travel to locations outside military installations in varied physical environments.
• Ability to meet site-specific requirements, which may include receiving specified immunizations or vaccinations and providing proof.
• Ability to prove U.S. citizenship and fluency in English.
• Understanding, sensitivity, and empathy for service members and their families, with the ability to develop trusting helping relationships.
• Ability to work with individuals and families from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Pass a National Agency Check and Inquiries (NACI) clearance, Installation Records Check (IRC), criminal background check, and FBI fingerprints check.
• Possess a valid U.S. state vehicle operator’s license unless specifically waived by the FEDSIM COR.
• May be required to pass tests and obtain a U.S. military vehicle operator’s permit for commercial sedans and similar vehicles for use at Temporary Duty locations, if required.
• Comply with position-specific security responsibilities and controls and applicable legal, regulatory, contractual, and internal policy requirements.

Responsibilities

• Provide non-medical, short-term, solution-focused, walk-around counseling to eligible service members and family members at assigned primary and secondary locations.
• Conduct assessments, brief counseling, consultation, action planning, referrals and resource linkages, and follow-up as indicated.
• Deliver training and health and wellness presentations and participate in health fairs and other installation activities as requested or directed.
• Enter counselor activity data daily using a smartphone or web application while maintaining client and service-member confidentiality.
• Maintain visibility within the assigned brigade or regiment so MFLC services are accessible.
• Establish and maintain working relationships with community resources and provide appropriate linkages for service members and their families.
• Partner with installation POCs to deliver services that address installation needs and maintain a professional working relationship with them.
• Respond to critical incidents, surge and on-demand events, and special requests as directed by the POC and approved by the OSD program manager; flex schedule as needed for urgent requests.
• Manage duty-to-warn and restricted-reporting situations according to DoD protocol and consult with the Regional Supervisor or Regional Director.
• Communicate with Regional Supervisors and participate in individual and group supervision, sharing trends and issues from assigned installations.
• Participate in in-service training, Quality Improvement committees, and other contract activities as assigned or appropriate.
• Participate in customer- or Magellan-directed initiatives, studies, and pilot programs, including required certification and training, activity documentation, integration of pilot activities into counseling work, and use of applicable technology.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• May be eligible for short-term incentives.
• Comprehensive benefits package.
• Health, life, voluntary, and other benefits and perks supporting physical, mental, emotional, and financial wellbeing.

What This Job Offers

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