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NON-MEDICAL CLINICAL COUNSELOR

Department of the Navy
Commander, Navy Installations
This job announcement has closed

Summary

You will serve as a NON-MEDICAL CLINICAL COUNSELOR in the Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) of NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY BETHESDA.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
08/08/2025 to 08/11/2025
Salary
$101,401 to - $131,826 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Bethesda, MD
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—This position is eligible for ad-hoc/situational telework at the discretion of management.
Travel Required
25% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Secret
Drug test
No
Financial disclosure
No
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
ST-12776618-25-SMM
Control number
842899400

Duties

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  • You will provide direct, short term, solution focused NMC counseling services using psychotherapeutic services, such as cognitive therapy, solution-focused brief therapy, family systems therapy, expressive therapies.
  • You will receive reports of problematic sexual behaviors in children and youth (PSB-CY) from military and civilian representatives and take appropriate action per FAP PSB-CY requirements.
  • You will develop and execute short-term, solution-focused counseling treatment plans for those individuals who request such services and who present with commonly occurring life circumstance issues or adjustment disorders.
  • You will liaison with cities, counties, states, federal, non-government agencies, and military agencies and commands to enhance Family Advocacy Programs prevention and response affecting the military community.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a US Citizen.
  • Must be determined suitable for federal employment.
  • Must participate in the direct deposit pay program.
  • New employees to the Department of the Navy will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov
  • Generally, current federal employees applying for GS jobs must serve at least one year at the next lower grade level. This requirement is called time-in-grade. Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
  • Within the Department of Defense (DoD), the appointment of retired military members within 180 days immediately following retirement date to a civilian position is subject to the provisions of 5 United States Code 3326.
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service.
  • You will be required to obtain and maintain a current valid United States driver’s license.
  • You will be required to obtain and maintain an interim and/or final security clearance prior to entrance on duty. Failure to obtain and maintain the required level of clearance may result in the withdrawal of a job offer or removal.
  • This position may require travel from normal duty station to CONUS and OCONUS and may include remote or isolated sites. You must be able to travel on military and commercial aircraft for extended periods of time.
  • You will be required to complete training, obtain, and maintain a government credit card for travel and travel-related purchases.
  • The incumbent must meet the qualification requirements for Tier II clinical providers described in SECNAVINST 1754.8, “Credentials Review and Clinical Privileging of Clinical Providers within Department of the Navy Family Readiness Program
  • This position requires regular contact with children under the age of 18 and a favorable determination of suitability to do so, and periodic re-verification check of multiple agency records.
  • The position may require working flexible hours, such as 0700-1500 or 0900-1800 to accommodate client’s needs to have after hour care, including weekend hours.

Qualifications

In addition to the Basic Requirements for this position, your resume must also demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-11 grade level or pay band in the Federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

1) Applying knowledge of military lifestyles including common stressors to effectively modify treatment programs to meet the needs of the military community;
2) Interpreting laws, rules, regulations, policies, procedures, directives and instructions governing child and spouse abuse and family violence issues and professional knowledge of family violence dynamics to identify situations of family violence, conduct risk assessments and coordinate safety planning;
3) Using knowledge of family systems related to patterns of abusive behavior, abuse response, substance abuse, human behavior, human sexuality, attention deficit disorder, and juvenile delinquency and skill in applying the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders to recognize, identify, and assess mental disorders and personal and social problems, reach accurate conclusions and provide appropriate solutions;
4) Employing various evidence-based and trauma-informed counseling approaches, clinical treatment principles and practices, research methods, group dynamics, motivational interviewing, developmental psychology, and family systems therapy to counsel individuals, couples, families and groups; 5) Applying various counseling approaches, including psychosocial, to assess, triage, refer and manage difficult and serious cases involving individuals and families who present at-risk behavior; and;
6) Using various verbal communication methods and techniques to effectively work with individuals and families from diverse racial, ethnic, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds; to present sensitive or controversial information to various groups; discuss cases; deliver presentations; and develop and maintain professional relationships with other treatment professionals.

Additional qualification information can be found from the following Office of Personnel Management website:
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=List-by-Occupational-Series

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0100/social-science-series-0101/

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0100/psychology-series-0180/

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/0100/social-work-series-0185/

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, 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.

This position is a TIER TWO clinical care practitioner. Applicants must meet all of the following requirements as outlined in SECNAVINST 1754.8:

1. Possess at least a masters or doctoral degree in one of the following disciplines:
a. Master's degree from a program accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP) or an equivalent degree, OR
b. Master's degree from a program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) or an equivalent degree, OR
c. Master's degree in Social Work from a graduate school accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) or an equivalent degree, OR
d. Doctoral degree in clinical or counseling psychology from an American Psychological Association (APA) accredited university or professional school and a one-year APA accredited clinical internship.

2. State or U.S. territory license or certification that provides legal authority to provide clinical services as an independent practitioner in the fields of Licensed Professional Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, Clinical Social Work, Clinical Psychology or Counseling Psychology.

3. When the state or U.S. territory licensing or certification requirements include a written examination, candidates for privileging, must have achieved a passing score on that examination.

4. Must have engaged in two years, full-time, post-masters supervised clinical experience.

Education

Applicants for the 0101 Social Science Series must meet the following basic education requirements of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualifications Standards Manual:
Degree: behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position.

OR

Combination of education and experience that provided the applicant with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.

OR

Four years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.


Applicants for the 0180 Psychology Series must meet the following basic education requirements of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualifications Standards Manual:
Degree: major or equivalent in psychology for all specializations except clinical psychology and counseling psychology. These two specializations have additional educational requirements, as stated below:
  • Clinical psychology: For positions at grades GS-11 and above, satisfactory completion of all the requirements for the doctoral degree (Ph.D. or equivalent) directly related to full professional work in clinical psychology is required.

Applicants for the 0185 Social Work Series must meet the following basic education requirements of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualifications Standards Manual:
Degree: social work. Must fulfill all of the requirements for the master's degree in social work in a school accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

Additional information

The position may require working flexible hours, such as 0700-1500 or 0900-1800 to accommodate client's needs to have after hours care, including weekend hours.

This position is subject to work an uncommon tour, including nights, weekends, and holidays to meet mission requirements. Overtime or night differential pay and/or unusual duty hours may be required.

This position is covered by the Department of Defense Priority Placement Program.

Additional vacancies may be filled by this announcement.

A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if the selectee fails to meet the pre-employment requirements, including failure to report to any of the scheduled appointments.

During the application process you will have the ability to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions in the local commuting area. Depending on the hiring organization and the position being filled, job requirements (e.g., security clearance, travel, drug testing, financial disclosure filing, bargaining unit status, etc.) may vary. Other hiring managers filling similar positions may offer relocation expense reimbursement and/or may offer recruitment incentives for new employees, depending on funding availability and in accordance with policy. If you opt-in and are referred on a certificate, your resume will be available to other hiring managers for 180-days from the date the job announcement closes. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

Federal annuitant information: The selection of an annuitant is subject to the Department of Defense and Department of the Navy policy on the employment of annuitants. Policy information may be found at: http://www.secnav.navy.mil/donhr/Documents/CivilianJobs/FedCivAnnuitants.pdf

ICTAP Applicants: To be considered well-qualified and exercise selection priority as an ICTAP candidate, displaced Federal employees must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a rating in the highly qualified category (score 85) or higher. ICTAP candidates must provide copies of all of the following documentation at the time of application: 1) agency notice; 2) most recent performance appraisal; and 3) most recent SF-50 or notification of personnel action that includes position, grade level, and duty location. Applicants who do not provide this documentation will not receive consideration as an ICTAP candidate. For more information about ICTAP eligibility please review the following link: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/federal-employees/career-transition/

Military Spouse Preference: Military Spouse Preference applicants will be placed at the highest grade for which they have applied and are determined Best Qualified (BQ). A BQ military spouse possesses knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies comparable to others who meet the competitive referral criteria for the specific position.

PPP Applicant: PPP applicants will be placed at the FPL, if determined Well Qualified (WQ). To receive priority consideration, the FPL must be the same grade level or equivalent of the retained grade or the grade held immediately prior to separation.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

In order to qualify for this position, your resume must provide sufficient experience and/or education, knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are being considered. Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to be clear and specific when describing your experience.

When the application process is complete, we will review your resume to ensure you meet the hiring eligibility and qualification requirements listed in this announcement. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume and responses to the Occupational Questionnaire, along with your supporting documentation to determine your ability to demonstrate the following competencies:

  • ACCOUNTABILITY
  • CASE MANAGEMENT
  • COUNSELING
  • FAMILY ADVOCACY AND SUPPORT
  • ORAL COMMUNICATION



You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.

If after reviewing your resume and supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and/or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities or you may be found ineligible/not qualified.

Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

All eligibility, qualifications, and time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

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