Military and Family Life Counselor - Child and Youth and School

Magellan Health • Calcium, NY

19h • Onsite

About The Position

This position supports the Child and Youth Center affiliated with Fort Drum, NY, providing comprehensive Child and Youth Behavioral (CYB) counseling services to children of military service members and their families, including civilian expeditionary work force families when activated. Services encompass non-medical counseling, training, health and wellness presentations, and consultation with parents, child development centers, and installation command regarding behavioral health issues affecting children and youth. CYB counselors are assigned to child development centers, youth programs, and summer camps, and may take on on-demand assignments. They work closely with installation and military branch Points of Contact (POC) to ensure the program meets the installation's needs. The role involves providing non-medical, short-term, solution-focused counseling, including assessment, brief counseling and consultation, action planning, referral to resources, and follow-up. Counselors also focus on supporting staff at Child Development Centers (CDC), youth programs, and summer camps, and provide parent support, training, and guidance. They participate in health fairs and other base/installation activities. Daily activity data must be entered via smartphone or web application, maintaining confidentiality. Counselors establish and maintain relationships with community resources, remain visible within assigned locations, and adhere to line-of-sight protocol when working with children. They partner with POCs to deliver services effectively, manage duty to warn and restricted reporting situations according to Department of Defense (DoD) protocol, and communicate regularly with Regional Supervisors. The role requires responding to critical incidents and special requests, flexing schedules as needed, and participating in ongoing training, Quality Improvement committees, and other contract activities.

Requirements

• Candidates must be local to Fort Drum, NY.
• Licensed at the independent level as a Mental Health Counselor (LPC or LMHC), Therapist (LMFT), Social Worker (LCSW) or equivalent independent licensure.
• Master’s Degree from an accredited Graduate Program in a Mental Health related field.
• Valid unrestricted independent counseling license from a State, District of Columbia, US Territory or Commonwealth that grants authority to provide counseling services as an independent practitioner.
• A minimum of two years of post-license clinical experience.
• Demonstrate intermediate-level competencies in technology and software (i.e., Microsoft Suite, Internet navigation, Smartphone/Tablet and application navigation, video-conferencing platform navigation).
• Ability to engage and communicate with military members or children as assigned, in order to accomplish job functions, and to respond quickly to emergent situations in any physical location on a military installation and/or within a school setting, which includes the need to traverse short and/or long distances within the base to both indoor and outdoor locations, to maneuver through rugged, outdoor or uneven locations (e.g., steep inclines, stairs, grass), and work in outdoor weather and other military base conditions.
• Comply with various site-specific requirements to work at designated locations (e.g., current immunizations or vaccinations and provide record of receipt).
• Ability to prove US Citizenship.
• Must be fluent in English.
• Understanding, sensitivity and empathy for children, service members and their families.
• Ability to develop trusting, helping relationships.
• Ability to work effectively with individuals and families from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Pass a Child National Agency Check and Inquiries (CNACI) Clearance and an Installation Records Check (IRC), Criminal History Background Check and FBI Fingerprints Check.
• Possess a valid U.S. state vehicle operator’s license (Unless specifically waived by the FEDSIM COR).
• Meet the Magellan MFLC CYB criteria for experience with children and youth and specialty in child and adolescent development/psychology.
• School assigned counselors must have past work experience in a school setting to qualify for assignment.

Responsibilities

• Providing the full breadth of Child and Youth Behavioral (CYB) counseling services to children of all ages of military service members and their families at military installations to include civilian expeditionary work force and their families (when activated).
• Providing non-medical counseling, training/health and wellness presentations, consultation with parents, personnel at child development centers, and consultation to installation command regarding behavioral health issues affecting children and youth.
• Providing non-medical, short-term, solution focused counseling directly to eligible children and youth of service members at assigned primary and secondary locations.
• Services include assessment, brief counseling and consultation, action planning, referral to resources (assuring linkage as appropriate), and follow-up as indicated.
• Supporting the staff and personnel of Child Development Centers (CDC), youth programs and summer camps (if available/assigned) as well as providing parent support, training, and guidance.
• Providing training and health and wellness presentations, participate in health fairs and other base/installation activities focused on children and youth.
• Entering counselor activity data daily through smart phone or web application to assure that reporting is accurate from assigned installation while maintaining confidentiality and anonymity of service/family member.
• Establishing and maintaining working relationships with community resources focused on children and youth and provides appropriate linkages.
• Consistently visible within the assigned location(s) which allows MFLC services to be accessible.
• Abiding by line-of-sight protocol when working with children (Another adult with responsibility for the child must be able to see the counselor and child they are working with at all times).
• Partnering with POC to provide CYB services in a manner that addresses the needs of the installation/facility.
• Developing an effective and professional working relationship with the installation/facility POC.
• Managing duty to warn and restricted reporting situations according to Department of Defense (DoD) protocol and staffs the cases with Regional Supervisor/Regional Director.
• Communicating with Regional Supervisors and participates in regular individual and group supervision, sharing information regarding trends and issues on the installations and in facilities to which the counselor is assigned.
• Responding to critical incidents and special requests as directed by the POC and approved by the Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD) program manager.
• Flexing schedule to respond to urgent requests as needed or at the request of the Regional Supervisor/Regional Director.
• Participating in regular in-services/training, Quality Improvement committees, initiatives, studies, pilot programs other contract activities as assigned/appropriate as directed by the customer and/or Magellan.
• Completing activity documentation, integration of pilot activities in non-medical counseling work, and the utilization of applicable technology to complete required activities.
• All other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Short-term incentives (may be eligible)
• Comprehensive benefits package
• Broad range of health, life, voluntary and other benefits and perks that enhance your physical, mental, emotional and financial wellbeing.
• Professional growth and development
• Total health and wellness
• Rewards and recognition
• Employee unity

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees