Military & Family Life Counselor- Temporary Backfill

Magellan Federal; Charleston (SC); On-site; USD 34,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Magellan Federal in Charleston, SC seeks a Summer Assignment Ready Counselor (ARC) to deliver non-medical counseling to military adults, children, and families. You will provide brief therapy, health and wellness briefings, and consultations to parents, daycare centers, and schools, often on DoDEA installations. Active SC licensure is required, with experience in school settings preferred.

Assignments are short-term, surge, or on-demand (May 15–Sept 15). You may work weekends.

Qualifications

• Master's Degree in a mental health-related field or social work.
• Willing to accept assignments on short notice including weekends.
• Coverage for varying lengths from weekend to two weeks.
• Ability to quickly build rapport with service members and families.
• Adaptable to different work environments and locations.
• Able to follow instructions and participate in routine trainings.
• Requires US citizenship and fluency in English.
• Advanced knowledge of brief therapy and solution-focused counseling.
• Prior military service or familiarity with military families.

Responsibilities

• Provide non-medical, short-term, solution-focused counseling to adults, children, and youth of service members.
• Deliver health and wellness presentations and trainings.
• Consult with parents, daycare centers, schools, and installation command on behavioral health issues.
• Enter counselor activity data daily and maintain confidentiality.

Skills

Rapport building

Brief therapy

Solution-focused

Military family counseling

Communication

Education

Master's degree

Job description

Candidates must reside near Joint Base Charleston, SC or be willing to make themselves local. Candidates must be independently licensed to practice as a mental health counselor, therapist, or social worker in the state of South Carolina. Candidates must be available Monday-Friday (and occasional weekend assignments) of varying durations, such as on-demands (1-2 days), or surges and backfills (ranging from one week to 30 days), with the possibility of longer assignments based on program needs.

The Assignment Ready Counselor (ARC) will provide coverage in short-term, surge and on demand situations resulting from the Military needs such as a post-deployment event or to cover an existing assignment for counselors who are absent. The Summer ARC counselor position covers assignments during the May 15th through September 15th time period, coinciding with the school summer break. With minimal guidance and oversight, provides the full breadth of Adult or Child and Youth Behavioral (CYB) counseling services to military service members and their families at military installations. These services may include non‑medical counseling, training/health and wellness presentations, consultation with parents, personnel at child daycare centers and schools, and consultation to installation command regarding behavioral health issues affecting military personnel and their family members. ARC CYB counselors may be assigned to DoDEA schools and community schools and will need to have experience working in a school setting to qualify for ARC role in backing up a school position. CYB counselors may also be assigned to youth programs, summer camps, and on demand assignments. ARC adult counselors may be assigned to support MFLC services in a variety of military community and readiness centers, as well as on‑demand and surge assignments. The counselors work closely with the installation and military branch Points of Contact (POC) to assure that the program is provided within scope and meets the needs of the installation. Provides non-medical, short term, solution focused, counseling directly to adults, children, and youth of service members. Services include assessment, brief counseling and consultation, action planning, referral to resources (assuring linkage as appropriate), and follow-up as indicated.

CYB counselors will also have a focus on supporting the staff and personnel of CDCs, DoDEA and community schools, youth programs and summer camps as well as providing parent training and guidance.

Provides training and health and wellness presentations, participate in health fairs and other base/installation activities.

Enters counselor activity data daily through smart phone or web application assure that reporting is accurate from assigned installation while maintaining confidentiality and anonymity of service / family member.

The job duties listed above are representative and not intended to be all-inclusive of what may be expected of an employee assigned to this job. A leader may assign additional or other duties which would align with the intent of this job, without revision to the job description.

Other Job Requirements

Responsibilities

• Master's Degree from an accredited graduate program in a mental health related field, or social work.
• With short notice, willing to accept assignments of undefined periods to include weekends.
• Can cover, on a full‑time basis, assignments of varying length from a weekend to two weeks.
• Quickly builds rapport with service personnel clients, family members, students, parents and co‑workers.
• Adaptable to new working conditions, varying location rules, etc.; adjusts working style to align with each work environment.
• Able to work effectively with minimal instruction and guidance.
• Listens carefully to instructions provided.
• With minimal notice, participates in regular in‑services/training, Quality Improvement committees or other contract activities as assigned.
• Requires ability to quickly engage and communicate with military members, spouses or children as assigned, in order to accomplish job functions, and to respond quickly to emergent situations in any physical location on a military installation and/or within a school setting, which includes the need to traverse short and/or long distances within the base to both indoor and outdoor locations, to maneuver through rugged, outdoor or uneven locations (e.g., steep inclines, stairs, grass), and work in outdoor weather and other military base conditions. Due to the nature of working on military installations or related worksites, counselors may need to comply with various site‑specific requirements to work at designated locations. For example, for some assignments, counselors will need to have certain current immunizations or vaccinations and provide record of receipt.
• Ability to prove US Citizenship and must be fluent in English.
• Advanced knowledge of brief therapy and solution‑focused counseling methods.
• Prior military service/military family membe