Summary This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program , a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific eligibility requirements per VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) & eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply. Responsibilities This is an open continuous announcement and will remain open until April 28, 2025 or until all position have been filled. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be 8 days from opening of announcement, with subsequent cut-off dates. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled. James A Haley VAMC is looking to fill multiple positions through their facilities. Facilities include Tampa VAMC, and community based outpatient clinics in Port Richey, Lakeland, Brooksville, Zephyrhills, South Hillsborough, Lecanto, Hidden River, and Temple Terrace. The Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) for whom this functional statement applies is assigned as a member of the Mental Health/Behavioral Sciences Service (MHBSS) at the James A. Haley VA Medical Center. The GS-9 level is the entry performance level for MFT. At this level, may practice marriage and family therapy and provide mental health services within the ethics and guidelines of the professional standards set by AAMFT with appropriate supervision. He/she may be assigned to all program areas that provide mental health services, consulting with peers and supervisors as appropriate. LMFT at this level may also be involved in program evaluation and/or research activities. The GS-11 level is the full performance level for LMFT. At this level, LMFT is licensed to independently practice marriage and family therapy and to provide mental health services within the ethics and guidelines of the professional standards set by AAMFT. He/she may be assigned to all program areas that provide mental health services, consulting with peers and supervisors as appropriate. LMFT at this level may also be involved in program evaluation and/or research activities. Additional duties include but not limited to: Conducts clinical assessments under supervision with focus on identifying risk factors and the psychosocial needs of Veterans and their identified significant others. Provides education to patients, family members, and significant others. Provides evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions, including marital, couples, family, and group psychotherapy. Provides consultation under supervision to professional staff within the James A. Haley VA Medical Center and to community providers, concerning evaluation and appropriate treatment plans for patients with marital and family problems. Develops, implements, and documents the psychotherapeutic treatment plan for Veterans with marital and family problems in collaboration with the treatment team/supervisor. Provides crisis intervention protocol for addressing medical and/or psychiatric emergencies. Works collaboratively and cooperatively with an interdisciplinary treatment team/supervisor to provide services to Veterans with marital and family problems. Assists Veterans and families in connecting with appropriate and needed resources and services. Adheres to operational policies and procedures established by the VA, supervisors and program. Facilitates liaisons with other health care programs in order to effectively coordinate services. Complies with national and local performance measures, including timely health care screening and completion of clinical reminders for all patients. Complies with all CPRS documentation procedures and workload entry, including timeliness standards for documentation and proper patient check out procedures (e.g., entering diagnostic and procedure codes). Attends and participates in administrative and informational meetings held by supervisors and program treatment team. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, with rotating tours of duty as needed. Telework: This position is not eligible for Telework Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist FS# 71269F GS-09; FS # 71270F GS-11. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact V8_EDRP_Tampa@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, . Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Be a citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency: MFTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3j. Education: Candidates must meet ONE of the following: (1) Hold a master's degree or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy from a program/degree accredited by COAMFTE (2) Hold a master's degree or doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy from a MFT program from a regionally accredited institution, OR (3) Hold a master's degree or doctoral degree in a comparable mental health degree (Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, Social Work, Psychiatric Nursing, Psychology, and Psychiatry) that meets the current VA qualification standard of that profession. Licensure: Persons hired or reassigned to MFT positions in the GS-0182 series in VHA must hold a full, current, and unrestricted MFT license to independently practice marriage and family therapy in a State. GS-9 Exception: Pending completion of State prerequisites for licensure examinations for a period not to exceed three years from the date of employment on the condition that MFTs appointed on this basis provide care only under the supervision of a fully licensed MFT with an AAMFT approved license. Non-licensed MFTs who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements may be given an appointment as an MFT not to exceed 3 years under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7401(3). This exception only applies at the entry grade level (GS-9). For grades at or above the full performance level (GS-11), the candidate must be licensed. MFTs that are not licensed at the time of appointment must become licensed at the independent level (Journey level) within three years of their appointment as a MFT. Most States require two years of post-graduate MFT experience as a pre-requisite to taking the licensure examination; VHA allows MFTs one additional year to pass the licensure exam. It is VHA policy that a MFT who does not yet have a license that allows independent practice must be clinically supervised by an AAMFT approved licensed MFT at or above the journey level who is a VA staff member and who has access to the electronic health record. Failure to Obtain License. In all cases, unlicensed MFTs must actively pursue meeting State prerequisites for licensure starting from the date of their appointment. At the time of appointment, the Human Resource Officer will provide the unlicensed MFT with the written requirements for licensure, the date by which the license must be obtained, and the consequences for not becoming licensed by the deadline. Failure to obtain a license by the prescribed date will result in removal from the GS-0182 MFT series and may result in termination of employment. Once licensed, MFTs must maintain a full, current and unrestricted license to remain qualified for employment. Loss of licensure will result in removal from the GS-0182 MFT series and may result in termination of employment. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: In addition to meeting the basic requirements stated above, the following qualifications criteria must be met in determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates. GS-09 Marriage and Family Therapist (Entry Level) Experience, Education and Licensure: The entry level grade is used for non-licensed MFTs or for MFTs (master's or doctoral level) who are graduates not yet licensed at the independent practice (Journey) level. Unlicensed MFTs at the GS-9 grade level have completed the required education listed above, and are working toward completion of prerequisites for licensure. GS-11 Marriage and Family Therapist (Full Performance Level) Experience, Education and Licensure: In addition to the basic requirements, the GS-11 full performance level requires completion of a minimum of one year of post-master's degree experience in the field of marriage and family therapy work (VA or non-VA experience) and licensure in a State at the independent practice level. OR In addition to the basic requirements, a doctoral degree in marriage and family therapy or comparable degree in mental health that meets the current VA qualification standard of that profession (Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, Social Work, Psychiatric Nursing, Psychology, and Psychiatry) may be substituted for the required one year of marriage and family therapy experience in a clinical setting. AND the candidate must be licensed to practice at the independent practice level. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-9 to GS-11. Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary but also demands standing, walking, bending, twisting, and carrying light items. Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information This is a Bargaining unit position. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.