Military & Family Life Counselor, Surge and On-Demand

Magellan Health•Pensacola, FL

About The Position

The Assignment Ready Counselor (ARC) provides coverage for short-term, surge, and on-demand military needs, including post-deployment events and coverage for counselors who are absent. The Summer ARC counselor covers assignments between May 15 and September 15, coinciding with school summer break. Candidates must be local to the Pensacola, Florida area and independently licensed in a state as a mental health counselor, therapist, or social worker. With minimal guidance and oversight, the counselor provides adult or Child and Youth Behavioral (CYB) counseling services to military service members and their families at military installations. Assignments may include military community and readiness centers, DoDEA and community schools, youth programs, summer camps, and other on-demand or surge settings. CYB counselors provide support to children, youth, parents, and staff at child development centers, schools, youth programs, and camps. Counselors work with installation and military branch Points of Contact (POCs) to ensure services are within scope and meet installation needs. Services include non-medical, short-term, solution-focused counseling; assessment; brief counseling and consultation; action planning; referrals and linkage to resources; and follow-up as indicated. Counselors also provide training and health and wellness presentations, participate in health fairs and other installation activities, and enter activity data daily through a smartphone or web application while maintaining client confidentiality and anonymity. The role may involve assignments of undefined duration and varied length, from a weekend to two weeks, including full-time coverage. Counselors must adapt to different locations and working conditions, respond to emergent situations, and may need to meet site-specific requirements such as current immunizations or vaccinations. Duties listed are representative and not 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 behavioral health licensure that meets applicable state, commonwealth, or customer-specific requirements; the posting identifies LPC as a required credential.
Ability to accept assignments on short notice, including assignments of undefined duration and weekend work.
Ability to cover assignments full-time for varying periods ranging from a weekend to two weeks.
Ability to build rapport quickly with service personnel, family members, students, parents, and coworkers.
Adaptability to new working conditions, location rules, and differing work environments.
Ability to work effectively with minimal instruction and guidance and to listen carefully to instructions.
Ability to engage and communicate quickly with military members, spouses, and children, and respond to emergent situations.
Ability to traverse short or long distances on military installations and in 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.
Ability to meet site-specific requirements for designated locations, which may include current immunizations or vaccinations and providing proof of receipt.
Ability to prove U.S. citizenship and fluency in English.
Advanced knowledge of brief therapy and solution-focused counseling methods.
For CYB positions, experience meeting Magellan MFLC CYB criteria for working with children and youth and a specialty in child and adolescent development or psychology.
For ARC coverage of a school position, experience working in a school setting is required.
Valid in-state driver's license.

Nice To Haves

Prior military service, being a military family member, and/or strong familiarity with military culture.

Responsibilities

Provide non-medical, short-term, solution-focused counseling to service members, adults, children, and youth, including assessment, brief counseling, consultation, action planning, referrals, and follow-up as indicated.
Provide coverage for short-term, surge, on-demand, and backfill assignments, including post-deployment events and counselor absences.
Support children, youth, parents, and staff in child development centers, DoDEA and community schools, youth programs, and summer camps; provide parent training and guidance.
Provide 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 while maintaining confidentiality and anonymity.
Build a welcoming presence on installations and, for CYB assignments, in child and youth settings; follow line-of-sight protocol when working with children.
Establish and maintain working relationships with community resources and provide appropriate linkages.
Partner with installation or facility POCs to deliver services that address local needs and maintain strong working relationships with them.
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, 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.
Participate in in-services, training, Quality Improvement committees, or other contract activities as assigned.