Military and Family Life Counselor - Temporary Backfill

Magellan Health•Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, NC

About The Position

The Assignment Ready Counselor (ARC) provides short-term, surge, and on-demand coverage for military counseling needs, including post-deployment events and coverage for counselors who are absent. This temporary backfill role covers assignments during the May 15 through September 15 summer period, with assignments that may last one or two days, one week to 30 days, or longer based on program needs. Candidates must live near Camp Lejeune, Camp Geiger, or MCAS New River, or be willing to become local, and must hold independent North Carolina licensure as an LCSW, LMFT, or LCMHC. With minimal guidance and oversight, the counselor provides adult or Child and Youth Behavioral (CYB) counseling services to military service members and their families at military installations. Services may include non-medical counseling, training and health and wellness presentations, parent consultation, consultation with childcare and school personnel, and consultation with installation command about behavioral health issues. CYB assignments may be in DoDEA or community schools, youth programs, summer camps, and other on-demand settings; school backfill assignments require school-setting experience. Adult counselors may work in military community and readiness centers as well as in surge and on-demand assignments. Counselors coordinate closely with installation and military branch Points of Contact (POCs) to ensure services are within scope and meet installation needs. The counselor provides short-term, solution-focused services, including assessment, brief counseling, consultation, action planning, referrals and linkage to resources, and follow-up as indicated. CYB counselors also support staff at childcare centers, schools, youth programs, and summer camps, and provide parent training and guidance. The counselor participates in health fairs and installation activities, delivers training and wellness presentations, and enters activity data daily through a smartphone or web application while protecting client confidentiality and anonymity. The role requires adaptability to changing locations and site rules, the ability to work effectively with minimal direction, and participation in assigned training, quality improvement, and other contract activities. Counselors may respond to critical incidents and special requests as directed by the POC and approved by the OSD program manager. The duties listed are representative rather than exhaustive, and additional duties consistent with the role may be assigned.

Requirements

Master’s degree from an accredited graduate program in a mental health-related field or social work.
Current independent behavioral health licensure that meets North Carolina requirements; the posting identifies LCSW, LMFT, or LCMHC.
Must reside near Camp Lejeune, Camp Geiger, or MCAS New River, or be willing to make themselves local.
Available Monday through Friday and for occasional weekend assignments; willing to accept assignments of undefined duration with short notice.
Able to cover full-time assignments of varying lengths, from a weekend to two weeks; assignment durations may vary based on program needs.
Able to quickly build rapport with service personnel, family members, students, parents, and coworkers.
Adaptable to new work conditions, locations, and site-specific rules, and able to work effectively with minimal instruction and guidance.
Able to listen carefully to instructions and respond quickly to emergent situations.
Able to travel short or long distances around a military installation or school setting, including indoor and outdoor locations and rugged or uneven terrain such as steep inclines, stairs, and grass; able to work in outdoor weather and other military-base conditions.
Able to meet site-specific requirements for assigned locations; some assignments may require current immunizations or vaccinations and proof of receipt.
Must be able to prove U.S. citizenship and be fluent in English.
Advanced knowledge of brief therapy and solution-focused counseling methods.
For CYB positions, must meet Magellan MFLC CYB experience criteria for working with children and youth and have a specialty in child and adolescent development or psychology.
For CYB school backfill assignments, must have experience working in a school setting.
When working with children, must abide by line-of-sight protocol.
Must comply with position-specific security responsibilities and controls and applicable legal, regulatory, contractual, and internal requirements.

Nice To Haves

Prior military service, being a military family member, or strong familiarity with military culture.

Responsibilities

Provide short-term, non-medical, solution-focused counseling to service members, adults, children, and youth, including assessment, brief counseling, consultation, action planning, referrals, resource linkage, and follow-up as indicated.
Provide coverage for short-term, surge, on-demand, and backfill assignments, including post-deployment events and coverage for absent counselors.
For CYB assignments, support staff and personnel at childcare centers, schools, youth programs, and summer camps, and provide parent training and guidance.
Deliver training and health and wellness presentations and participate in health fairs and other installation activities.
Enter counselor activity data daily through a smartphone or web application while maintaining confidentiality and anonymity.
Coordinate with installation and military branch POCs to ensure services meet installation or facility needs and remain within program scope.
Establish and maintain relationships with community resources and provide appropriate referrals and linkages.
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 information about trends and issues at assigned installations and facilities.
Respond to critical incidents and special requests as directed by the POC and approved by the OSD program manager.
Participate, with minimal notice, in assigned in-services, training, Quality Improvement committees, and other contract activities.