Magellan Health logo
Magellan Health
Virginia Beach, Virginia

Assignment Readiness Counselor - short term and on demand

CounselorIncludes weekendsContract

Compensation

Pay not listed

The week · per this posting · weekdays assumed

Ask the employer about the pay range, the work setting, call expectations and time off.

Posted 3mo ago

Job Description

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 member and/or strong familiarity with military culture desired.

For CYB positions must meet the Magellan MFLC CYB criteria for experience with children and youth and specialty in child and adolescent development/psychology.

Creates a presence on the installation in which the service and family members feel comfortable approaching the counselor and recognize the program to be confidential; for CYB counselors -- creates a presence in child and youth settings, is available to children, youth, and staff.

When working with children, counselor must abide by line of site protocol. Establishes and maintains working relationships with community resources and provides appropriate linkages. Partners with POC to provide Adult and CYB services in a manner that addresses the needs of the installation/facility.

Develops an excellent working relationship with the installation/facility POC. Manages duty to warn and restricted reporting situations according to DoD protocol and staffs the cases with Regional Supervisor/Regional Director.

Communicates with Regional Supervisors and participate in regular individual and group supervision, sharing information regarding trends and issues on the installations and in facilities to which they are assigned for substitute or on call services.

Responds to critical incidents and special requests as directed by the POC and approved by the OSD program manager.

General Job Information Title Assignment Readiness Counselor - short term and on demand Grade MFLC ARC Work Experience - Required Clinical Work Experience - Preferred Education - Required Master's - Behavioral Health, Master's - Social Work Education - Preferred License and Certifications - Required Current licensure required for this position that meets State, Commonwealth or customer-specific requirements - Care MgmtCare Mgmt, DL - Driver License, Valid In State - OtherOther, LPC - Licensed Professional Counselor - Care MgmtCare Mgmt, Must be an independently licensed behavioral health clinician - Care MgmtCare Mgmt License and Certifications - Preferred This is a Service Contract Act (SCA) covered position.

The pay rate and health and welfare allowance are specified in the applicable wage determination agreement. Magellan Health, Inc. is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Tobacco-free workplace. EOE/M/F/Vet/Disabled.

Every employee must understand, comply with and attest to the security responsibilities and security controls unique to their position; and comply with all applicable legal, regulatory, and contractual requirements and internal policies and procedures.

Magellan is the employer of choice for hard working people interested in making a difference in the health care industry and in the communities where we work and live. Our strong culture of caring is the common thread in both our business strategy and our work environment.

We value professional growth and development, total health and wellness, rewards and recognition as well as employee unity. Magellan is a place where you can thrive.

Magellan is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, disabled veteran or veteran of the Vietnam Era status, or any other factors protected by law.

Magellan is committed to meeting applicable Federal labor and employment law posting requirements by providing necessary posters in a format which is easily accessible and conspicuous to all applicants. Copies of applicable posters are accessible by clicking here.

Warning: Employment Scam It has come to our attention that a false representative is contacting potential candidates and offering them work at home positions with Magellan Health.

“Interviews” are conducted completely through email and the false job offer includes the promise of a check to be issued to the candidate for the purposes of setting up a home office.

Please know that Magellan Health does not interview any candidate through email, nor do we issue checks to candidates to set up home offices. All of our available positions are posted on legitimate job boards and our recruitment team directly contacts candidates should there be a fit.

If you suspect you are being contacted by a false representative of Magellan Health, please call 410-953-2911

Key Responsibilities

Provide short-term, non-medical behavioral health counseling and wellness presentations to military service members and their families. Coordinate with installation points of contact to deliver surge and on-demand support in various military and school settings.

Requirements

Requires a Master's degree in a mental health related field or social work and current independent licensure. Must be a US citizen fluent in English with the ability to work flexible, short-term assignments on military bases.

Qualifications

Education
Master's degree (postgraduate degree)
Experience
2+ years of experience

Key Skills

Crisis InterventionBehavioral Health AssessmentCase ManagementClinical ConsultationMilitary Cultural CompetencyChild and Adolescent PsychologyRapport BuildingReferral Management

Counselor Career Context

The cost-of-living index for Virginia is 101.1 (US average = 100; BEA Regional Price Parities (2024)). 61.1% of Virginia clinicians report burnout symptoms in WeekdayDoc's Burnout Index (2026-01 data).

Of the 50 active Counseling listings this role was benchmarked against, 38% are remote, 34% have no call, 62% require no weekends.

Counseling pay on WeekdayDoc is up 18.8% vs. the prior quarter (through Sep 2026).

Top contract/1099 Counselor Jobs

43 matches · ranked by pay

Salary Distribution43 jobs · 35 employers

13
<$75k
16
$75k-95k
6
$95k-115k
7
$115k-135k
1
$135k

Annual compensation range

Benefits & Perks34 jobs

401k / retirement match
94%
CME allowance
47%
Loan repayment
32%
PSLF eligible
26%
Sign-on bonus
18%

Share of similar jobs offering each benefit

#1

Licensed Mental Health Counselor (Bilingual)Contract

Adelphi Staffing · White Plains, New York

$65/hr
#2

Behavioral Health Therapist 2 Community Behavioral Health

Inova · Leesburg, Virginia

$80k-$130k
#3

Behavioral Health Therapist 2 Mental Health Programs

$80k-$130k
#4

Clinical Supervisor & Therapist

+ 41 more · ranked by pay

Work-life snapshot

median 6.1this job 4.8
Better work-life than 40% of Counseling listings

Listing-based score, 0–10, across 519 comparable listings. Shaded area = the share scoring below this one.

  • Includes weekends

Living in Virginia Beach

Typical 3-bedroom home value
$379k
Typical market rent
$2,086/mo
Residents’ average commute
23 min
State income tax
Up to 5.8%
Sources & methodology

Sources: Zillow home values (Aug 2026), Zillow market rents (Aug 2026), U.S. Census ACS 2024 five-year.

City-level figures. Not a cost-of-living guarantee.