Military & Family Life Counselor - Pensacola, FL

Military Spouse Corporate Career Network•Pensacola, FL

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Military & Family Life Counselor (MFLC) Assignment Ready Counselor provides short-term, surge, on-demand, summer camp, and backfill coverage for the MFLC program in the Pensacola, Florida area. Counselors may cover assignments of varying lengths, from a weekend to two weeks, and summer assignments during the May 15 through September 15 period. The role supports military service members and their families at installations, readiness centers, schools, youth programs, summer camps, and other military community settings. Candidates must be local to the Pensacola area and independently licensed in a state as a mental health counselor, therapist, or social worker. With minimal guidance and oversight, the counselor provides non-medical, short-term, solution-focused counseling to adults, children, and youth. Services include assessment, brief counseling, consultation, action planning, referrals and linkage to resources, and follow-up as indicated. Depending on assignment, the counselor may also consult with parents, school and child-care personnel, youth-program staff, and installation leadership on behavioral health matters. Child and Youth Behavioral (CYB) counselors may be assigned to DoDEA or community schools, youth programs, and summer camps, and must have relevant school-setting experience to back up a school position. When working with children, counselors must follow line-of-sight protocol. The counselor delivers training and health and wellness presentations, participates in health fairs and other installation activities, and works with installation and military-branch Points of Contact (POCs) to ensure services meet local needs and remain within program scope. The counselor builds relationships with community resources and maintains a visible, approachable presence while protecting the confidentiality and anonymity of service members and families. Counselor activity data must be entered daily through a smartphone or web application. The position requires flexibility to accept assignments at short notice, including weekend work, and to adapt to varying locations, site rules, and working conditions. Counselors may participate in in-services, training, quality-improvement committees, supervision, and other contract activities. They may need to respond to emergent situations and critical incidents, follow DoD protocols for duty-to-warn and restricted-reporting situations, and coordinate cases with regional supervisors or directors. 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 applicable state, commonwealth, or customer-specific requirements; examples listed include LPC and other independently licensed clinician credentials.
Must be local to the Pensacola, Florida area.
Must be able to prove U.S. citizenship and be fluent in English.
Must be willing to accept assignments on short notice and for undefined periods, including weekends; must be able to cover assignments ranging from a weekend to two weeks on a full-time basis.
Must be able to build rapport quickly with service personnel, family members, students, parents, and coworkers.
Must adapt to new working conditions, varying location rules, and different work environments, and work effectively with minimal instruction and guidance.
Must be able to quickly engage and communicate with military members, spouses, and children and respond to emergent situations.
Must be able to traverse short and long distances on military installations and in school settings, including indoor and outdoor areas, rugged or uneven ground, steep inclines, stairs, and grass, and work in outdoor weather and other military-base conditions.
Must comply with site-specific requirements for assigned locations; some assignments may require current immunizations or vaccinations and proof of receipt.
Must follow line-of-sight protocol when working with children.
Must follow applicable DoD protocols for duty-to-warn and restricted-reporting situations.

Nice To Haves

Prior military service, military-family membership, or strong familiarity with military culture.
For CYB positions, experience working with children and youth and a specialty in child and adolescent development or psychology meeting Magellan MFLC CYB criteria.
School-setting experience for CYB counselors who may back up a school assignment.

Responsibilities

Provide non-medical, short-term, solution-focused counseling to military service members, adults, children, and youth.
Conduct assessments, brief counseling, consultations, action planning, referrals and resource linkages, and follow-up as indicated.
Provide training and health and wellness presentations and participate in health fairs and other installation activities.
For CYB assignments, support children, youth, parents, and personnel at schools, child development centers, youth programs, and summer camps.
Consult with parents, school and child-care personnel, youth-program staff, and installation command regarding behavioral health needs.
Coordinate with installation and military-branch Points of Contact to provide services that address installation or facility needs and remain within program scope.
Establish and maintain working relationships with community resources and provide appropriate referrals and linkages.
Create an approachable presence on installations and, for CYB counselors, in child and youth settings while maintaining confidentiality and anonymity.
Enter counselor activity data daily using a smartphone or web application.
Manage duty-to-warn and restricted-reporting situations according to DoD protocol and staff cases with the Regional Supervisor or Regional Director.
Communicate with Regional Supervisors and participate in individual and group supervision, including sharing relevant trends and issues.
Respond to critical incidents and special requests as directed by the POC and approved by the OSD program manager.
Participate in assigned in-services, training, Quality Improvement committees, and other contract activities.