Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. This vacancy announcement is open to Department of Veterans Affairs employees, other Federal agency employees, current or former participants of the VA Health Professions Training (HPT) Program and U.S. Citizens.

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The Women's Mental Health Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist provides outpatient mental health services to women Veterans within the Health Psychology Section of the South Texas Veterans Health Care System. The position delivers individual, couple, family, and group psychotherapy using systemic and evidence-based approaches, with emphasis on gender- and age-related mental health concerns across the reproductive lifespan. At least 60% of the duties of this position include couples counseling.

Duties include assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, and delivery of psychotherapy for complex presentations involving comorbid medical and mental health conditions such as pregnancy-related complications, infertility, trauma, mood and anxiety disorders, and sexual dysfunction. The role requires close interdisciplinary collaboration with gynecology, primary care, maternity care coordinators, and other clinical services; participation in screening, consultation, education, program support, and limited administrative, teaching, and research activities; adherence to VA policies; and safeguarding of sensitive health information.

GS-9, Entry Level

• Practices under close clinical supervision and cannot practice independently.
• Emphasis on skill development, supervised clinical experience, and progression toward full licensure.
• Clinical decisions and treatment delivery occur with supervisory oversight and guidance.
• Primary focus is direct patient care rather than leadership, supervisory, or program ownership roles.
• Appointment is time-limited if unlicensed, with required progress toward independent licensure within prescribed timeframes.

GS-11, Full Performance Level

• Independently practices marriage and family therapy without routine clinical supervision.
• Serves as a clinical resource and consultant to other professional staff regarding service development and complex clinical issues.
• May assist with selection, training, and supervision of lower-graded staff.
• May hold greater responsibility for oversight of administrative and programmatic resources within specialized or complex clinical programs.
• Eligible to provide clinical supervision for licensure purposes if appropriately credentialed.
• Functions with broader autonomy in program coordination, evaluation, and interdisciplinary leadership activities.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm
Telework: Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive.Contact VISN17EDRP2@va.gov, the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.

Education - Master's or doctoral degree in one of the following:

• Marriage and Family Therapy from a program approved by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE), OR
• Marriage and Family Therapy from a MFT program from a regionally accredited institution, OR
• 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 - Must hold full, current, and unrestricted Marriage and Family Therapy license to independently practice marriage and family therapy in a state or pending completion of state prerequisites for licensure. GS-9 Only: VA may waive the requirement of licensure for a period not to exceed 3 years for a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) that provides care under the clinical supervision of a licensed MFT who is at or above the full performance level. Failure to become licensed within three years from date of appointment will result in removal from the GS-0182 MFT series and may result in termination of employment

Grandfather Provision - An MFT employed in VHA on the effective date of the qualification standard (4/18/2018) who did not meet all the basic requirements in this standard may not be promoted beyond the full performance level (GS-11) or be newly placed in supervisory or managerial positions until meeting all qualification requirements.

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements stated above, the following qualification criteria must be met for each grade. The candidate's qualifications must clearly demonstrate the level of competence required for the grade.

GS-09 MFT (Entry Level) Requirements: Along with meeting the basic education requirements for this position you must demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

1. Knowledge of human development throughout the lifespan, interventions based on research and family systems theory and therapy, formal diagnostic criteria, risk assessment, evidence-based practice and assessment tools.
2. Ability to assess, with supervision, the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members.
3. Knowledge to formulate, implement, and re-evaluate a treatment plan through continuous assessment identifying the Veteran's challenges, strengths, readiness to change, external influences and current events surrounding the origins and maintenance of the presenting issue, and interactional patterns within the client system.
4. Ability to provide counseling and, or psychotherapy services, under supervision, to individuals, groups, couples and families in a manner that facilitates change through restructuring and reorganizing of the client system.
5. Basic knowledge and understanding of existing relevant statutes, case law, ethical codes, and regulations affecting professional practice of marriage and family therapy.
6. Ability to draft documents, manage data, maintain accurate, timely and thorough clinical documentation, and track quality improvements.

GS-11 MFT (Full Performance Level) Requirements: In addition to meeting the basic requirements, to qualify for the GS-11 you must have at least one year of post-master's degree experience in the field marriage and family therapy work (VA or non-VA experience) OR 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) which may be substituted for the required one year of marriage and family therapy experience in a clinical setting that demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

1. Skill to independently assess the psychosocial functioning and needs of Veterans and their family members.
2. Ability to provide counseling and, or psychotherapy services to individuals, groups, couples and families that facilitates change through restructuring and reorganizing the client system.
3. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with Veterans and their families, colleagues, and other professionals in collaboration throughout treatment regarding clinical, ethical and legal issues and concerns.
4. Knowledge and understanding of existing relevant statutes, case law, ethical codes, regulations and VA policies affecting the practice of marriage and family therapy. This includes the ability to assist Veterans and their families in making informed decisions relevant to treatment to include limits of confidentiality.
5. Ability to provide orientation, training and consultation to new MFTs including clinical oversight of MFT graduate students, and/or provide clinical supervision to pre-licensure MFTs.
6. Skill in the use of computer software applications for drafting documents, data management, maintaining accurate, timely and thorough clinical documentation, and tracking quality improvements.

Preferred Experience (GS-09):

• Experience or training in an interdisciplinary mental health setting or clinic that serve adults, families and couples.
• Entry level experience or training working with a variety of mental health patients such as veterans and family members through family systems theories.
• Ability to perform intake evaluations, diagnose, create treatment plans with identifiable goals.
• Ability to provide wide range of psychotherapeutic treatments such as individual and groups therapies in a culturally competent manner.
• Experience with medical record documentation, tracking measures of care.
• Experience with crisis interventions, risk assessments.

Preferred Experience (GS-11):

• Minimum of 3 years' experience working in an interdisciplinary mental health setting or clinic that serve primarily families and couples.
• Experience consulting with colleagues on mental health issues in a team setting.
• Ability to provide wide range of psychotherapeutic treatments such as individual and groups therapies and utilize multicultural skills.
• Experience with medical record documentation and utilization of the DSM.
• Experience in providing complex crisis interventions, risk assessments and managing high risk populations.

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-09 to GS-11.

Physical Requirements:

• Light lifting, under 15 pounds
• Light carrying, under 15 pounds
• Use of fingers
• Both hands required
• Hearing (aid may be permitted)
• Ability to perform privileges
• Ability to independently perform physical exam
• Emotional & Mental stability

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.