(AFG-KABUL) Mental Health Counselor

Job Summary

Provide work with individuals and groups to address and treat emotional and mental disorders and to promote mental health. They are trained in a variety of therapeutic techniques used to address issues including depression, addiction and substance abuse, suicidal impulses, stress, problems with self-esteem, and grief services to staff stationed throughout Afghanistan.

Principal Accountabilities

• Provide day-to-day MHC consultation services to staff, medics, and where appropriate, U.S. Military hospitals and Coalition Combat Stress Centers staff, regarding psychological/psychiatric treatment of personnel.


• When appropriate, serve as Afghanistan-based field liaison to CONUS-based DI’s Employee Assistance Program (CEAP) for injured or psychologically distressed staff needing referrals for aftercare.


• When appropriate, serve as Afghanistan-based field liaison to CONUS-based MHC services subcontractor(s).


• Conducts orientation(s) of all incoming staff regarding pertinent topics related to individual adjustment to new culture, individual adjustment to war zone, individual adjustment to group living, and surviving critical incidents.


• Conducts individual MHC fitness-for-duty evaluations, when requested by the Program Manager in non-critical incident situations.


• Deploys to areas within Afghanistan where staff resides following critical incidents to provide counsel, support, and critical incident debriefings to survivors.


• Designs and conducts teaching seminars, as needed, regarding critical topic related to staff morale, leadership training, post adjustment individual reactions following return to the United States, and family and marital reactions related to adjustment at home.


• Provides policy guidance and recommendations in establishing policy regarding the MHC well-being and behavioral adjustment of staff to the Program Manager.


• Establishes and maintains effective lines of communication between Program Manager, Managers, and related others.


• Assesses and reports to Program Manager and appropriate others, matters concerning staff morale and recommendations for resolving these problems.


• Establish, cultivate, and maintain professional working relations with Department of Defense and other governmental agencies and their staff.


• Conducts exit debrief(s) of outgoing staff as necessary


• Performs other duties as assigned

Knowledge & Skills

• Knowledge of and experience with using post critical incident debriefing techniques.


• Knowledge of and experience with crisis management and skills in defusing difficult employee circumstances.


• Possess clinical skills applicable too and knowledge about the police-military culture.


• Possess skills to work cooperatively with varying levels of independency within a team concept.


• Possess excellent written and oral communication skills.


• “Big picture” thinking capacities in working with various government agencies concerning obtaining staff treatment (where indicated), coordination of care, and (where indicated) establishing referral contact with DI’s EAP for follow-up care.


• Possess tolerance for intermittent periods of high stress followed by routine or low stress periods

Experience & Education

• Applicant must have a MSW or MSC and U.S state license LPC, RSW, SWA, LSW.


• Applicant must have a minimum of 2-years clinical experience.


• MHCs increasingly utilize a psycho-educational model for counseling clients in conjunction with the more traditional medical/illness model for assessment and diagnosis. However, the main distinction from other mental health fields include its emphasis on prevention as well as an approach grounded Developmental Theory (not medical model) and its holistically focused approach.


• Preferred DSW or PhD and U.S state license LMSW/GSW


• Preferred clinical experience is with military veterans, active duty military, and or police.


• Overseas work experience is a plus but not required.

Physical Requirements/Working Environment

• Must pass all medical and fitness requirements directed by US Central Command (CENTCOM) in order to deploy


• Must be able to operate in harsh and austere conditions of Afghanistan

Travel

• Ability to travel domestically and internationally

Primary Location: AFGHANISTAN-OCONUS-KABUL

Job Posting: Dec 2, 2015, 10:00:16 AM

Unposting Date: Ongoing

Req ID: 1504633

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