Marriage and family therapist [h1.location_city]

Summary

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) 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 $200000) & 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.

Duties

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT and will remain open until February 13 2026. The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be October 29 2025. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals until positions are filled.

Note : Closing date of the announcement has been extended from 12 / 16 / 2025 to 2 / 13 / 2025.

VA Central California Health Care System is recruiting for Marriage and Family Therapists at the Fresno VA Medical Center. The Marriage and Family Therapist conducts mental health assessments and treatment plans and provides consultations to Primary Care Mental Health Integration and Behavioral Health Providers to assess eligibility and appropriate level of care for Veterans in need of services. The Marriage and Family Therapist provides direct therapy to individuals families couples and groups in order to treat depression anxiety dual diagnosis disorders posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other serious psychiatric disorders. Incumbent will work with the Substance Use Disorder Program (SUDP) PCT Program Mental Health Clinic (MHC) and other Behavioral Health services to ensure a seamless transition to appropriate services for Veterans. The Marriage and Family Therapist provides crisis intervention as needed for Veterans in Behavioral Health in the outpatient setting.

Work Schedule : Monday - Friday 8 : 00am - 4 : 30pm

Telework : Ad hoc telework may be approved on a limited basis

Virtual : This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement # : 06505F and 06506F

Relocation / Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized

EDRP Authorized : Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact 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.
• 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 drivers 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 determining if your employment advances the public interest we may consider :

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 :

1. United States Citizenship : Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

2. 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

3. Education - Masters or doctoral degree in one of the following :

a. Marriage and Family Therapy from a program approved by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) OR

b. Marriage and Family Therapy from a MFT program from a regionally accredited institution OR

c. 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.

4. 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

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

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-masters 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 :

Reference : For more information on this qualification standard please visit 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 : See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. This position requires to undergo a TB test and may required other additional tests.

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 : 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

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 applicants 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.

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.

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window Learn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

Required Experience :

IC

Key Skills

Experience Working With Students,Time Management,Acute Care,HTTPS,Speech Therapy,Assistive Technologies,Autism Experience,Pediatrics Experience,Home Care,Interpretation,Patient Service Experience,Phone Etiquette

Employment Type : Full-Time

Experience : years

Vacancy : 1

Yearly Salary Salary : 61419 - 96600