Military and Family Life Counselor - Temporary Backfill

Magellan Health•Moody AFB, GA

8d•Onsite

About The Position

The Assignment Ready Counselor (ARC) provides short-term, surge, on-demand, and backfill coverage based on military needs, including post-deployment events and coverage for absent counselors. The Summer ARC position covers assignments from May 15 through September 15, coinciding with school summer break. Assignments may last one to two days, one week to 30 days, or longer depending on program needs. The role requires availability Monday through Friday and occasional weekends, and candidates must reside near Moody Air Force Base or be willing to become local. The counselor must hold independent licensure in Georgia as an LCSW, LMFT, or LPC. With minimal guidance and oversight, the counselor provides Adult or Child and Youth Behavioral (CYB) services to military service members and their families at military installations. Services include non-medical, short-term, solution-focused counseling; assessment; brief counseling; consultation; action planning; referrals and linkage to resources; and follow-up as indicated. Other services may include health and wellness presentations, training, parent guidance, consultation with childcare and school personnel, and consultation to installation command about behavioral health issues. CYB counselors may serve in DoDEA or community schools, youth programs, summer camps, and other on-demand assignments. Those backing up school positions must have school-setting experience and meet Magellan MFLC CYB experience criteria. Adult counselors may support MFLC services at military community and readiness centers as well as surge and on-demand assignments. Counselors coordinate with installation and military branch Points of Contact (POCs) to ensure services meet installation needs and remain within program scope. The counselor records activity data daily using a smartphone or web application while maintaining confidentiality and anonymity. The role also involves building relationships with community resources, following DoD protocols for duty-to-warn and restricted-reporting situations, participating in supervision and program activities, and responding to critical incidents or special requests as directed and approved. Duties listed are representative rather than exhaustive; additional duties aligned 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 licensure to practice in Georgia as a social worker (LCSW), therapist (LMFT), or mental health counselor (LPC); position requires a current license meeting applicable state, commonwealth, or customer-specific requirements.
Must reside near Moody Air Force Base or be willing to make themselves local.
Must be available Monday through Friday and for occasional weekend assignments, including assignments with short notice and undefined duration.
Ability to cover assignments on a full-time basis for varying lengths, from a weekend to two weeks; assignments may also range from one to 30 days or longer based on program needs.
Ability to prove U.S. citizenship and fluency in English.
Advanced knowledge of brief therapy and solution-focused counseling methods.
Ability to quickly build rapport with service members, family members, students, parents, and coworkers.
Ability to adapt to new working conditions and location-specific rules and to work effectively with minimal instruction and guidance.
Ability to listen carefully to instructions and quickly engage and communicate with military members, spouses, or children, including responding to emergent situations.
Ability to move short or long distances around military installations and school settings, including indoor and outdoor areas, rugged or uneven terrain, steep inclines, stairs, and grass, and to work in outdoor weather and other military base conditions.
Must comply with site-specific work requirements; some assignments may require current immunizations or vaccinations and proof of receipt.
For CYB assignments, must meet Magellan MFLC CYB experience criteria for work with children and youth and have a specialty in child and adolescent development or psychology.
For CYB counselors backing up a school position, experience working in a school setting is required.
Must follow line-of-sight protocol when working with children.
Must understand, comply with, and attest to position-specific security responsibilities and controls, as well as applicable legal, regulatory, contractual, and internal requirements.

Nice To Haves

Prior military service, military family membership, or strong familiarity with military culture.

Responsibilities

Provide short-term, surge, on-demand, and backfill counseling coverage according to military program needs.
Provide non-medical, short-term, solution-focused counseling to adults, children, and youth of service members.
Conduct assessments, brief counseling, consultation, action planning, referrals and resource linkage, and follow-up as indicated.
For CYB assignments, support staff and personnel at childcare centers, DoDEA and community schools, youth programs, and summer camps; provide parent training and guidance.
Deliver training and health and wellness presentations and participate in health fairs and other installation activities.
Consult with parents, childcare and school personnel, and installation command on behavioral health issues affecting military personnel and their families.
Coordinate with installation and military branch POCs to provide services that address installation or facility needs and remain within program scope.
Enter counselor activity data daily through a smartphone or web application while protecting service and family member confidentiality and anonymity.
Establish and maintain working relationships with community resources and provide appropriate referrals and linkages.
Create an approachable presence for service members and families; for CYB roles, be available to children, youth, and staff and follow line-of-sight protocol when working with children.
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.
Participate, with minimal notice, in in-services, training, Quality Improvement committees, and other assigned contract activities.
Respond to critical incidents and special requests as directed by the POC and approved by the OSD program manager.
Adapt to changing locations, site rules, work conditions, and assignment requirements, and work effectively with minimal instruction.