Marriage and Family Therapist (Advanced)

Summary The Fargo VA Health Care System is recruiting for a full-time Marriage and Family Therapist (Advanced) for the Mental Health Service Line. This position is eligible for Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. Responsibilities The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being. The Marriage and Family Therapist (Advanced) position is located within the Fargo VA Health Care System. The individual will be embedded within the Mental Health Integrated Care Community (MH ICC) with primary responsibility to provide direct patient care for Veterans in need. This may include couples, families, individuals and / or groups services utilizing family systems theory / therapy, consultation with other disciplines and providing education to staff and trainees. The incumbent has advanced knowledge of psychological diagnosis, intervention, and behavioral health that qualifies him / her to provide advice and consultation to professionals representing a variety of disciplines. Incumbents at this level may be responsible for clinical supervision for licensing purposes only, provided they have an AAMFT approved supervisor credential. Clinical Responsibilities : (100%) 1. Provides comprehensive, evidence-based psychotherapeutic interventions including individual, couples, and psychoeducational groups as the sole Marriage and Family Therapist throughout the Fargo VA Health Care System and assists with other duties to meet the needs of MH ICC as assigned. 2. Provides consultation to professional staff within the Fargo VA and to community providers, concerning appropriate treatment plans for patients. 3. Develops, implements, and documents the psychotherapeutic treatment plan for an assigned caseload of outpatient Veterans, including prompt completion of clinical reminders. 4. Functions independently as a member of the Fargo VA Medical Staff, with full clinical privileges. Assumes complete professional responsibility for his / her patient care decisions, and documentation. 5. Complies with all CPRS documentation procedures, including timeliness standards for documentation and proper patient check out procedures (e.g., entering diagnostic and procedure codes). 6. Attends and participates in administrative and informational meetings held by the Service Line Director (or designee) and facility Director. 7. Attends regular MH ICC staff meetings, Medical Staff meetings, and complies with MH ICC peer review procedures. Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) Authorized : This position is eligible for EDRP, a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of your start date. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application. Former EDRP Participants are ineligible to apply for the program. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov for questions / assistance. Work Schedule : Monday-Friday, 7 : 00 - 3 : 30 or 8 : 00 a.m. - 4 : 30 p.m. Telework : Available (Ad-hoc) Virtual : This is not a virtual position. EDRP : Authorized Learn more Relocation / Recruitment Incentives : Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS) : Not authorized Financial Disclosure Report : Not required 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. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (). 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). Qualifications 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. 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 approved 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. 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. 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 : GS-12 Marriage and Family Therapist (Advanced) Education, Experience and Licensure. Candidate must have successfully completed evidence based training in family therapy and must have graduated from a COAMFTE accredited program OR have passed the AMFTRE. Candidate must have at least five years of post-licensed clinical experience in delivery of family systems therapy including one-year equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. This experience must demonstrate the use of an evidence based family therapy model while exhibiting progressive professional competency and expertise. Assignments requiring responsibility for providing clinical supervision must have an AAMFT Approved Supervisor credential. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the professional KSAs listed below. Demonstrated KSAs : 1. Ability to provide specialized consultation for complex cases involving individuals, families and / or couples utilizing evidenced-based family systems theory / therapy. 2. Ability to provide crisis intervention which includes assessment, safety planning and complex treatment planning using independent clinical judgment utilizing family systems theory / therapy. 3. Ability to provide family systems therapy, which seeks to address Veterans and their family members on an individual level and deals with interpersonal interactions. 4. Ability to provide unlicensed MFT staff / trainees with systemic clinical supervision towards licensure from a family systems theory / therapy perspective. ' All qualifying experience you possess must be clearly described in your application package. We will not make assumptions when reviewing applications. Failure to demonstrate your experience in your resume may result in disqualification. It is strongly recommended that you write to each KSA in your application package. Reference : For more information on this qualification standard, please visit The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements : You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. Education IMPORTANT : A transcript must be submitted with your application. 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 : 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 : Additional Information This is an OPEN CONTINOUS ANNOUNCEMENT. Qualified applications will be referred every two weeks from the opening date of this announcement until the closing date, or until the position is filled, whichever is sooner. Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave : Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. 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. 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.