Military and Family Life Counselor - Healthy Steps Specialist

Magellan Health•Fort Bragg, NC

8d•Onsite

About The Position

This position is in support of military families at Fort Bragg. Candidates must be local to Fort Bragg or willing to relocate to become local and licensed at the independent level as a Social Worker (LCSW), Therapist (LMFT), or Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC/LPC). This position has the primary responsibility of providing the full breadth of Healthy Steps counseling services to military parents/guardians and their children ages 0-5 to include expeditionary work force and their families, at military medical facilities. These services may include assessments, walk-around counseling, brief solution-based counseling and consultation, anticipatory guidance, action planning, psychoeducation, referral to community and military resources (assuring linkage as appropriate), and follow-up as indicated. Collaborate with a pediatric team regarding needs of children 0-3 and their families. Works closely with the Champion Physician to assure that the program is provided within scope and meets the needs of the medical facility and their population. Provides non-medical, short term, solution focused, counseling directly to eligible military parents/guardians at assigned primary and secondary locations. Services include assessment, walk-around counseling, brief solution-based counseling and consultation, anticipatory guidance, action planning, psychoeducation, referral to community and military resources (assuring linkage as appropriate), and follow-up as indicated. Services take place in a military medical center, pediatric department. Focuses on supporting the pediatric physicians and staff as well as providing parent support, consultation, training, and guidance. Provides training and health and wellness presentations, participate in health fairs and other base/installation activities focused on 0-3 child development. Enters counselor activity data daily through smart phone or web to assure that reporting is accurate from assigned medical facility while maintaining confidentiality and anonymity of service / family member. Counselors may document in electronic medical records as required by location. Establishes and maintains knowledge and working relationships with community resources focused on early childhood development and provides appropriate linkages to local and national resources. Consistently visible within the medical facility in which the service and family members feel comfortable approaching the Healthy Steps Specialist and recognize the program to be confidential. When working with children, counselor must abide by line -of-sight protocol. (Another adult with responsibility for the child must be able to see the counselor and child they are working with at all times.) Partners with Champion Physician to provide Healthy Steps Specialist services in a manner that addresses the needs of the medical facility. Manages duty to warn and restricted reporting situations according to DoD protocol and staffs the cases with Regional Supervisor/Regional Director. Communicates 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. Responds to critical incidents and special requests as directed by the POC and approved by the Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD) program manager. The Healthy Steps Specialist will flex schedule to respond to urgent requests as needed or at the request of the Regional Supervisor/Regional Director. Participates 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. This includes participation in pilot program certification and training processes, completion of activity documentation, integration of pilot activities in non-medical counseling work, and the utilization of applicable technology to complete required activities. The job duties listed above are representative and not intended to be all-inclusive of what may be expected of an employee assigned to this job. A leader may assign additional or other duties which would align with the intent of this job, without revision to the job description.

Requirements

Master’s Degree from an accredited Graduate Program in a Mental Health related field.
Knowledge and experience in infant mental health.
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.
Less than 2 years of post-licensure clinical experience.
Intermediate-level competencies in technology and software (i.e., Microsoft Suite, Internet navigation, Smartphone/Tablet and application navigation, video-conferencing platform navigation, electronic medical records (EMR)).
Ability to engage and communicate with military members or children.
Ability to respond quickly to emergent situations in any physical location on a military installation and/or within a school setting.
Ability to traverse short and/or long distances within the base to both indoor and outdoor locations.
Ability to maneuver through rugged, outdoor or uneven locations (e.g., steep inclines, stairs, grass).
Ability to work in outdoor weather and other military base conditions.
Compliance with various site-specific requirements to work at designated locations (e.g., certain current immunizations or vaccinations).
Ability to prove US Citizenship.
Fluent in English.
Advanced knowledge of brief therapy and solution-focused child and family counseling methods.
Past work experience in early childhood education and/or medical settings.
Pass a Child National Agency Check and Inquiries (CNACI) Clearance and an Installation Records Check (IRC), Criminal History Background Check and FBI Fingerprints Check.
Ability to obtain common access card (CAC).
Possess a valid U.S. state vehicle operator’s license.
Meet the Magellan MFLC CYB criteria for experience with children and youth and specialty in child and adolescent development/psychology.

Nice To Haves

Local to Fort Bragg or willing to relocate.
Willing to relocate to become local.
Willing to obtain a U.S. military vehicle operator’s permit for commercial sedans and similar, for use at Temporary Duty (TDY) locations, if required.

Responsibilities

Providing the full breadth of Healthy Steps counseling services to military parents/guardians and their children ages 0-5.
Conducting assessments, walk-around counseling, brief solution-based counseling and consultation, anticipatory guidance, action planning, psychoeducation, referral to community and military resources, and follow-up.
Collaborating with a pediatric team regarding the needs of children 0-3 and their families.
Working closely with the Champion Physician to ensure the program meets the needs of the medical facility and its population.
Providing non-medical, short-term, solution-focused counseling.
Supporting pediatric physicians and staff, and providing parent support, consultation, training, and guidance.
Providing training and health and wellness presentations, and participating in health fairs and other base/installation activities focused on 0-3 child development.
Entering counselor activity data daily.
Documenting in electronic medical records as required by location.
Establishing and maintaining knowledge of and working relationships with community resources focused on early childhood development.
Abiding by line-of-sight protocol when working with children.
Managing duty to warn and restricted reporting situations according to DoD protocol.
Communicating with Regional Supervisors and participating in regular individual and group supervision.
Responding to critical incidents and special requests.
Flexing schedule to respond to urgent requests as needed.
Participating in regular in-services/training, Quality Improvement committees, initiatives, studies, pilot programs, and other contract activities.
Completing activity documentation, integrating pilot activities in non-medical counseling work, and utilizing applicable technology.