Military and Family Life Counselor - School

Magellan Health • Havelock, NC

1d

About The Position

The Military and Family Life Counselor - School supports a school affiliated with MCAS Cherry Point and provides Child and Youth Behavioral (CYB) counseling services to children of military service members and their families. Candidates must be local or willing to relocate to become local and must hold an independent-level counseling license. School-assigned counselors must have prior experience working in a school setting. Counselors may also serve youth programs, summer camps, and on-demand assignments, working with installation and military branch points of contact to ensure services meet local needs and remain within program scope.

The role provides non-medical, short-term, solution-focused counseling at assigned primary and secondary locations. Services include assessment, brief counseling, consultation, action planning, referrals and linkage to resources, and follow-up as indicated. Counselors also support school and camp staff, provide parent training and guidance, deliver health and wellness presentations, participate in health fairs and installation activities, and establish relationships with community resources focused on children and youth.

Counselors maintain a visible presence in schools and follow line-of-sight protocol, ensuring another responsible adult can see the counselor and child at all times. They enter activity data daily through a smartphone or web application while maintaining confidentiality and anonymity. Counselors work with installation points of contact, manage duty-to-warn and restricted-reporting situations according to DoD protocol, consult with regional supervisors, and participate in supervision, training, quality improvement activities, studies, pilot programs, and other assigned contract activities. They may respond to critical incidents and special requests and flex their schedule for urgent needs. Additional duties may be assigned.

Requirements

• Master’s degree from an accredited graduate program in a mental health-related field.
• Valid, unrestricted independent counseling license from a state, the District of Columbia, a U.S. territory, or a commonwealth authorizing independent practice; examples listed include LCSW, LMFT, and LCMHC/LPC.
• Less than two 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 physical locations.
• Ability to traverse short or long distances on base, access indoor and outdoor locations, maneuver over rugged or uneven terrain including inclines, stairs, and grass, and work outdoors in military base conditions.
• Ability to meet site-specific requirements for designated locations; 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 individuals and families from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Pass a National Agency Check and Inquiries (NACI) clearance, Installation Records Check (IRC), Criminal Background Check, and FBI Fingerprints Check.
• Possess a valid U.S. state vehicle operator’s license unless specifically waived by the FEDSIM COR.
• May 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 specialization in child and adolescent development or psychology.
• School-assigned counselors must have past work experience in a school setting.

Responsibilities

• Provide non-medical, short-term, solution-focused counseling to eligible children and youth of service members.
• Conduct assessments, brief counseling, consultations, action planning, referrals and resource linkages, and follow-up as indicated.
• Provide consultation to parents, school personnel, installation personnel, and command regarding behavioral health issues affecting children and youth.
• Support DoDEA and community school staff and personnel, youth programs, and summer camps as assigned.
• Provide parent training and guidance, health and wellness presentations, and participate in health fairs and other installation activities focused on children and youth.
• Establish and maintain working relationships with community resources serving children and youth and provide appropriate referrals and linkages.
• Maintain a visible presence in assigned schools and comply with line-of-sight protocol.
• Enter counselor activity data daily using a smartphone or web application while maintaining confidentiality and anonymity.
• Partner with installation and facility points of contact to deliver CYB services that address local needs, and maintain effective professional working relationships with them.
• Manage duty-to-warn and restricted-reporting situations according to DoD protocol and consult with the Regional Supervisor or Regional Director.
• Communicate with the Regional Supervisor and participate in regular individual and group supervision, sharing relevant trends and issues.
• Respond to critical incidents and special requests as directed by the point of contact and approved by the OSD program manager.
• Flex the schedule to respond to urgent requests as needed or as requested by the Regional Supervisor or Regional Director.
• Participate in in-services, training, Quality Improvement committees, initiatives, studies, pilot programs, and other assigned contract activities.
• Complete documentation, training, certification, technology, and other activities required for pilot programs and assigned duties.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Broad range of health, life, voluntary, and other benefits and perks supporting physical, mental, emotional, and financial wellbeing.
• May be eligible for short-term incentives.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time