Behavioral Clinical Therapist: Marshall I. Pickens, PRN, Days
About The Position
The Behavioral Clinical Therapist provides psychosocial evaluations, psychotherapeutic interventions, case management, and discharge planning, with a focus on transitions in care for assigned patient populations. The role provides screening, assessment, planning, problem resolution, resource management, social work services, therapy, and crisis management related to behavioral health and discharge planning needs. It serves as a liaison among physicians, patients and families, community agencies and facilities, and other entities involved in the patient's care. The therapist develops individualized treatment plans and discharge plans, conducts intake and psychosocial assessments, provides individual and group therapies, and coordinates referrals and follow-up services. The role documents interventions, monitors caseloads and quality requirements, supports payer authorization and utilization review, and participates in program evaluation and continuous quality improvement. Additional duties include designated examiner responsibilities, student supervision, community resource coordination, professional development, and participation in a weekend on-call rotation.
Requirements
- Master's degree in Social Work, Counseling Psychology, or a related field.
- One year of inpatient psychiatric hospital experience and/or experience in clinical assessments and case management.
- A state-granted credential: Licensed Master's Level Social Worker (LMSW), Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW-CP), Licensed Social Worker (LISW-AP), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), or Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC).
Nice To Haves
- Behavioral health or counseling psychology experience preferred.
Responsibilities
- Develop individualized treatment plans that include discharge planning and follow-up, such as alternative placement, medical equipment coordination, and collaboration with referral resources.
- Prepare case histories documenting patients' personal, social, and emotional development.
- Help patients evaluate their strengths and symptoms and incorporate them into personalized treatment goals.
- Provide individual, marital, parental, family, and group therapeutic interventions with patients and families.
- Educate patients about their diagnoses.
- Communicate patient and family issues to the treatment team and liaise with services involved in the discharge plan.
- Help patients locate and use community resources, including legal, financial assistance, and referral services.
- Integrate community-based programs to expand home- and community-based treatment options.
- Provide clinical updates and advocate with third-party payers when required.
- Document social service interventions and maintain patient and program records according to applicable standards and regulations.
- Monitor caseloads and quality to ensure compliance with third-party payer and regulatory requirements, including documentation, chart review, and prior requests and authorizations.
- Ensure individualized treatment plans are implemented with patients and families.
- Apply knowledge of psychological, behavioral, physical, health, and medical effects of disabilities to treatment planning.
- Use knowledge of supportive, vocational, and community resources that support recovery.
- Apply age-appropriate interventions and account for cultural differences in the recovery process.
- Coordinate outpatient scheduling, including initiating service recertification.
- Apply Mental Health First Aid during patient crises.
- Pursue professional growth through affiliations, educational programs, in-service meetings, workshops, and current literature.
- Participate in planning conferences and peer supervision while adhering to a professional code of ethics.
- Identify and work with community support systems to assist patient transitions and discharge planning.
- Perform designated examiner duties, including the commitment process, designated examinations, and testimony for probate courts.
- Provide oversight and supervision to students and assist interns from affiliated schools in developing clinical skills.
- Collaborate with department leadership to assess needs and design systems supporting department and organizational initiatives.
- Coordinate with utilization review to determine authorization needs for active or post-acute services.
- Maintain program statistics and conduct internal audits for evaluation and research.
- Participate in the weekend on-call rotation.
- Provide intake and psychosocial assessments in accordance with hospital and departmental policies, procedures, and regulations.
- Assess immediate discharge planning needs and develop and coordinate plans based on mental status, independence, functional capacity, support systems, and financial resources.
- Assess preadmission resources, services, and support systems.
- Determine follow-up and referral services identified by the interdisciplinary team.
- Monitor compliance with corporate standards.
- Participate in program evaluation, continuous quality improvement studies, and performance improvement measures.
- Provide input on the formulation or revision of departmental policies and procedures.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
