Military and Family Life Counselor - School

Magellan Health•Lillington, NC

19d•Onsite

About The Position

The Military and Family Life Counselor provides Child and Youth Behavioral (CYB) counseling services to children of military service members and their families at schools affiliated with Fort Bragg, military installations, and off-installation locations. The position is in person; candidates must be local or willing to relocate to become local. School-assigned counselors serve in Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) and community schools and must have prior school-setting experience. Assignments may also include youth programs, summer camps, and on-demand services. The counselor provides non-medical, short-term, solution-focused services, including assessment, brief counseling, consultation, action planning, referrals and linkage to resources, and follow-up as appropriate. The role also supports school and program personnel, provides parent training and guidance, and delivers training and health and wellness presentations. Counselors work with installation and military branch Points of Contact (POCs), community resources, and supervisors to address local needs and ensure services remain within program scope. The role requires daily entry of activity data using a smartphone or web application while protecting the confidentiality and anonymity of service and family members. Counselors must follow line-of-sight protocol when working with children, manage duty-to-warn and restricted-reporting situations according to DoD protocol, participate in supervision and program activities, and respond to urgent requests and critical incidents as directed. The counselor may need to flex their schedule and work in varied indoor and outdoor locations on military installations or in school settings.

Requirements

Master’s degree from an accredited graduate program in a mental-health-related field.
Valid, unrestricted independent counseling license from a U.S. state, the District of Columbia, a U.S. territory, or commonwealth, authorizing independent practice; examples listed include LCSW, LMFT, and LPC/LCHMC.
Less than 2 years of post-licensure clinical experience.
Intermediate-level 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 and respond quickly to emergent situations in varied locations.
Ability to traverse short or long distances on installations, including indoor and outdoor areas, uneven terrain, inclines, stairs, and grass, and work in outdoor weather and other military-base conditions.
Ability to comply with site-specific requirements; some assignments may require current immunizations or vaccinations and proof of receipt.
Ability to prove U.S. citizenship and fluency in English.
Understanding, sensitivity, and empathy for service members and their families; ability to develop trusting helping relationships and work with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
Pass National Agency Check and Inquiries (NACI), Installation Records Check (IRC), criminal background, and FBI fingerprint checks.
Possess a valid U.S. state vehicle operator’s license unless waived by the FEDSIM COR; personnel may also be required to pass tests for and obtain a U.S. military vehicle operator’s permit for commercial sedans and similar vehicles for TDY locations, if required.
Meet Magellan MFLC CYB criteria for experience with children and youth and specialty in child and adolescent development or psychology.
School-assigned counselors must have past work experience in a school setting.
Be local to the Fort Bragg area or willing to relocate to become local.

Responsibilities

Provide non-medical, short-term, solution-focused counseling to eligible children and youth of service members at assigned locations.
Conduct assessments, brief counseling, consultation, action planning, referrals and resource linkage, and follow-up as indicated.
Support DoDEA and community school personnel, 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 focused on children and youth.
Enter counselor activity data daily through a smartphone or web application while maintaining confidentiality and anonymity.
Establish and maintain relationships with community resources focused on children and youth and provide appropriate linkages.
Remain visible and accessible in assigned schools and follow line-of-sight protocol when working with children.
Partner with installation or facility POCs to provide services that address local needs and maintain professional working relationships.
Manage duty-to-warn and restricted-reporting situations according to DoD protocol and consult with the Regional Supervisor or Regional Director on cases.
Communicate with the Regional Supervisor and participate in individual and group supervision, sharing trends and issues from assigned locations.
Respond to critical incidents and special requests as directed by the POC and approved by the OSD program manager; flex schedule for urgent needs as required.
Participate in in-services, training, Quality Improvement committees, initiatives, studies, pilot programs, and other assigned contract activities, including associated documentation and technology use.
Perform other duties as assigned.