Associate Clinical Therapist

Interfaith Community Services INC•Escondido, CA

19d•$30 - $33•Onsite

About The Position

In the Associate Clinical Therapist role, you’ll provide comprehensive behavioral health services within a residential setting to individuals experiencing homelessness who have serious and complex behavioral health, physical health, and social service needs. This role supports clients in achieving and maintaining mental health stability through individual and group therapy, crisis intervention, assessment, advocacy, discharge planning, and collaboration with interdisciplinary teams and community partners. The Associate Clinical Therapist focuses on improving overall functioning, enhancing quality of life, and promoting long-term stability to reduce the risk of return to homelessness by developing and implementing individualized behavioral health support plans for an assigned caseload. All services are delivered in accordance with Interfaith Community Services policies, ethical standards, and Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) regulations.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree, required
Must be currently registered with the State of California as an Associate Clinical Social Worker (ACSW), Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) or Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC)
2+ years of clinical behavioral health support related experience, preferred
Experience working with severely mentally ill, elderly, medically fragile, and homeless populations, required
Must have completed a minimum of 500 qualifying hours under a licensed supervisor
Strong clinical judgment and ability to manage high-acuity cases
Ability to manage multiple priorities in fast-paced environments
Ability to establish and maintain professional boundaries with clients
Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team
Working knowledge and skills in mental health, co-occurring disorders, substance abuse treatment models, and crisis intervention
Ability to react calmly and professionally to emergency situations
Ability to identify problems, and research and recommend resolutions
Knowledge of community and social service agencies
Knowledge of adult development
Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills
Must be highly organized and demonstrate attention to detail
Demonstrated experience managing multiple deadlines and working effectively under pressure, using independent judgment to produce quality work under time constraints
Demonstrated experience working with a collaborative team
Working knowledge of MS Office (Word, Excel, and Outlook)
Ability to communicate effectively among a diverse workforce population and maintain sound working relations with all levels within the organization
Work with spirit of teamwork, cooperation and a sense of urgency
Maintain a high degree of confidentiality over all matters in the course of business operations including client and employee information
Ability to work on tasks in an efficient, thorough, and prioritized manner
Ability to work quickly, accurately and independently

Nice To Haves

Ability to obtain BBS licensure within 6 months of hire, preferred
Ability to supervise interns, preferred
Bilingual (English/Spanish), preferred

Responsibilities

Conduct initial behavioral health intake assessments for all individuals upon enrollment into the program
Complete a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment and develop a detailed behavioral health treatment plan for each individual
Provide individual therapy, group, and milieu psychosocial behavior health services and activities for clients within scope of practice
Provide short term crisis intervention, risk assessment and counseling for clients with Serious Mental Illness (SMI)
Provide on-site clinical assessment and intervention during mental health crises, utilizing de-escalation and crisis stabilization techniques to ensure client and staff safety.
Utilize motivational interviewing techniques to understand, assess, and shift individual’s stage of change
Ensure that clients with ongoing treatment needs are successfully connected with appropriate community-based behavioral health programs
Facilitate acceptance of placement or other services that support and stabilize individuals moving from street to services
Engage and develop trusting relationships with individuals, family and other identified support systems
Support, develop, implement and regularly collaborate in care management and housing support plans which support individuals’ needs in the areas of physical health, mental health, substance use disorders, community-based services support, social supports, and social determinants of health
Support treatment team meetings for clinical and/or paraprofessional staff to ensure compliance, best practices and offer clinical guidance to staff working with challenging clients
Assist clients with discharge planning and conduct care coordination. Working closely with various providers in the region or system to facilitate access to services
Consult and coordinate with family and/or support systems regarding client care and discharge planning
Provide comprehensive clinical case management services to individuals who have serious behavioral health conditions, including substance use disorder and experiencing homelessness utilizing trauma informed and harm reduction principles and practices as needed
Engage in frequent client contact through scheduled or unscheduled visits, within program outreach, and telephonic support—at minimum once per week.
Advocate for clients to reduce barriers to housing and overall stability
Support clients with life skills development, scheduling, and transportation coordination.
Monitor and document client progress, including changes in clinical status and service needs.
Maintain accurate, timely, confidential documentation in compliance with agency and regulatory standards.
Collaborate and communicate effectively with an interdisciplinary and external care team as often as needed
Coordinate care with managed care plans (MCP), community providers, other referral sources and caregiver/authorized support person(s)
Participate in weekly case conferencing, team meetings, and quality improvement initiatives.
Maintain accurate, timely, and confidential documentation in compliance with agency and regulatory standards.
Maintain a flexible schedule according to client needs and in communication with program leadership
Participate in all staff meetings and trainings as requested
Perform additional duties as assigned