Military & Family Life Counselor- Temporary Backfill

Magellan Health•Calcium, NY

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Assignment Ready Counselor (ARC) provides coverage in short-term, surge, and on-demand situations arising from military needs, including post-deployment events and coverage for counselors who are absent. The Summer ARC position covers assignments from May 15 through September 15, during the school summer break. With minimal guidance and oversight, the counselor provides adult or Child and Youth Behavioral (CYB) counseling services to service members and their families at military installations. Assignments may be at military community and readiness centers, DoDEA or community schools, youth programs, summer camps, and other locations as needed. School-based CYB assignments require experience working in a school setting. Services include non-medical, short-term, solution-focused counseling, assessment, brief counseling and consultation, action planning, referrals and follow-up as indicated. CYB counselors also support staff at child development centers, schools, youth programs and summer camps, and provide parent training and guidance. Counselors deliver health and wellness presentations, participate in health fairs and other installation activities, and consult with installation command on behavioral health issues affecting service members and their families. The counselor works closely with installation and military branch Points of Contact (POCs) to ensure services are within scope and meet installation needs. The role also requires daily entry of counselor activity data using a smartphone or web application while maintaining the confidentiality and anonymity of service members and families. Duties may include additional work aligned with the purpose of the role. This is a Service Contract Act-covered position; the pay rate and health and welfare allowance are specified in the applicable wage determination agreement.

Requirements

Master’s degree from an accredited graduate program in a mental health-related field or social work.
Current licensure meeting state, Commonwealth or customer-specific requirements; must be an independently licensed behavioral health clinician. Listed credentials include LPC.
Valid driver’s license.
Ability to prove U.S. citizenship and fluency in English.
Advanced knowledge of brief therapy and solution-focused counseling methods.
For CYB positions, meet Magellan MFLC CYB experience criteria for working with children and youth and have a specialty in child and adolescent development or psychology.
Ability to accept assignments with short notice and undefined durations, including weekends, and cover assignments ranging from a weekend to two weeks on a full-time basis.
Ability to build rapport quickly with service personnel, family members, students, parents and coworkers; adapt to new locations, rules and work environments; and work effectively with minimal guidance.
Ability to engage and communicate quickly with military members, spouses or children and respond to emergent situations across military installations or school settings.
Ability to traverse short or long distances, including rugged, outdoor or uneven areas such as inclines, stairs and grass, and to work outdoors in varying weather and other military-base conditions.
Ability to comply with site-specific requirements; some assignments may require current immunizations or vaccinations and documentation.
Ability to listen carefully to instructions and participate in required training, supervision and other contract activities.
Ability to comply with security responsibilities and controls, applicable legal, regulatory and contractual requirements, and internal policies and procedures.

Nice To Haves

Prior military service, military family-member experience, or strong familiarity with military culture.

Responsibilities

Provide non-medical, short-term, solution-focused counseling to adult service members, children, youth and their families.
Conduct assessments, brief counseling and consultations; develop action plans; refer clients to resources, confirm linkages as appropriate, and follow up as indicated.
Support staff and personnel at child development 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.
Enter counselor activity data daily through a smartphone or web application, ensuring accurate reporting while protecting service member and family confidentiality and anonymity.
Coordinate with installation and military branch POCs to provide services that address installation or facility needs and remain within program scope.
Build and maintain relationships with community resources and provide appropriate referrals and linkages.
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 information about trends and issues at assigned installations and facilities.
Respond to critical incidents and special requests as directed by the POC and approved by the OSD program manager.
Create an approachable presence on installations and, for CYB roles, in child and youth settings; follow line-of-sight protocol when working with children.
Accept short-notice coverage assignments of varying durations, including weekends, and participate in in-services, training, Quality Improvement committees and other assigned contract activities.