Military and Family Life Counselor - Temporary Backfill

Magellan Health•Bethesda, WA

7d•Onsite

About The Position

The Military and Family Life Counselor (MFLC) Assignment Ready Counselor (ARC) provides short-term coverage for military counseling needs, including on-demand assignments, surge support, and backfills when counselors are absent. Assignments may last one or two days, a week, up to 30 days, or longer depending on program needs. The Summer ARC position covers assignments from May 15 through September 15. Candidates must reside near Joint Base Andrews, Naval Air Station Patuxent River, or Naval Support Activity Bethesda, or be willing to become local, and must hold an independent Maryland license as an LCSW-C, LCMFT, or LCPC. 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 include confidential, non-medical, short-term, solution-focused assessment and counseling; consultation; action planning; referral and linkage to resources; and follow-up as indicated. Counselors may also deliver training and health and wellness presentations, consult with parents and staff at child daycare centers and schools, and advise installation command on behavioral health issues affecting military personnel and families. CYB counselors may work in DoDEA or community schools, youth programs, and summer camps, and must have school-setting experience to back up a school assignment. They support children, youth, parents, and staff, including through parent training and guidance, and must follow line-of-sight protocols when working with children. Adult counselors may support MFLC services at military community and readiness centers, as well as on-demand and surge assignments. Counselors coordinate with installation and military branch Points of Contact (POCs), establish community-resource relationships, and work with Regional Supervisors and Directors on supervision, trends, and cases. They respond to critical incidents and special requests as directed by the POC and approved by the OSD program manager, and manage duty-to-warn and restricted-reporting situations according to DoD protocol. Counselor activity data must be entered daily through a smartphone or web application while preserving client confidentiality and anonymity. The role requires availability Monday through Friday, with occasional weekend assignments and short-notice assignments of varying durations. Counselors must be able to cover assignments ranging from a weekend to two weeks on a full-time basis, adapt to differing work settings and site rules, work effectively with minimal instruction, and participate in assigned training, quality-improvement committees, and other contract activities. The position is covered by the Service Contract Act; the pay rate and health and welfare allowance are specified in the applicable wage determination agreement. Duties listed are representative and not exhaustive; additional aligned duties may be assigned.

Requirements

Master’s degree from an accredited graduate program in a mental-health-related field or social work.
Current independent license meeting Maryland requirements; the posting identifies LCSW-C, LCMFT, or LCPC.
Must reside near Joint Base Andrews, NAS Patuxent River, or NSA Bethesda, or be willing to become local.
Must be available Monday through Friday and for occasional weekend assignments, and willing to accept assignments of undefined duration on short notice.
Able to cover full-time assignments ranging from a weekend to two weeks; assignment lengths may vary and may extend based on program needs.
Able to build rapport quickly with service members, family members, students, parents, and coworkers; communicate effectively and respond quickly to emergent situations.
Adaptable to new working conditions, locations, and site rules; able to work effectively with minimal instruction and follow directions.
Able to participate in assigned training, in-services, Quality Improvement committees, and other contract activities with minimal notice.
Able to traverse short or long distances on military installations and in school settings, including stairs, steep inclines, grass, and uneven or rugged outdoor areas, and work in outdoor weather and other military-base conditions.
May need to meet site-specific requirements, including having current immunizations or vaccinations and providing proof of receipt for some assignments.
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.
Must maintain confidentiality, follow applicable DoD protocols, and comply with role-specific security responsibilities, security controls, legal, regulatory, contractual, and internal requirements.

Nice To Haves

Prior military service, military family-member experience, or strong familiarity with military culture.
For counselors backing up a school position, experience working in a school setting.

Responsibilities

Provide short-term, non-medical, solution-focused counseling to military service members and their adult or child and youth family members.
Conduct assessments, brief counseling, consultation, action planning, resource referrals and linkage, and follow-up as indicated.
Provide training, health and wellness presentations, and participate in health fairs and other installation activities.
Consult with parents, childcare personnel, school staff, youth-program personnel, and installation command regarding behavioral health needs.
For CYB assignments, support children, youth, parents, and staff in schools, daycare centers, youth programs, and summer camps; provide parent training and guidance and follow line-of-sight protocol when working with children.
Coordinate with installation and military branch POCs to deliver services within scope and address installation needs; develop and maintain working relationships with POCs and community resources.
Enter counselor activity data daily using a smartphone or web application while maintaining confidentiality and anonymity.
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 and facilities.
Respond to critical incidents and special requests as directed by the POC and approved by the OSD program manager.
Accept short-notice coverage, surge, backfill, and on-demand assignments of varying duration, including occasional weekends.
Participate in assigned in-services, training, Quality Improvement committees, and other contract activities.