Behavioral Health Counselor - MS Licensed

IU Health•Hudsonville, MI

14h•Remote

About The Position

The Behavioral Health Counselor facilitates patient engagement in treatment and education within a therapeutic milieu. The role conducts individual, group, and family counseling; performs utilization review; and coordinates discharge planning. The Counselor collaborates with the healthcare team to provide timely, safe, effective, and resource-informed care, interprets complex patient and family needs, models caring and professional practices, and provides leadership in crisis intervention and safety management. The Counselor assesses psychosocial risk factors, including prior functioning, support systems, reactions to illness, and coping skills. They counsel patients and families about the emotional, social, and financial impacts of illness or disability, and access family and community resources to address identified needs. Upon physician referral, the Counselor conducts mental health assessments and provides therapeutic intervention for complex discharge planning. The role serves as the primary contact in cases involving child, adult, elderly, or institutional abuse or neglect, and domestic violence. The Counselor liaises between IU Health and state or county child and adult protective teams and intervenes in matters involving temporary or permanent guardianship, foster care, adoption, and mental health Level II placements. The position is full-time days in a virtual behavioral health department at Gateway Plaza.

Requirements

Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in a mental health field such as Social Work, Counseling, Psychology, or a related discipline.
3–5 years of relevant clinical or community-based experience.
Current Indiana licensure as an LCSW, LMHC, LMFT, LCAC, or HSPP.
Knowledge of disease processes and human behavior sufficient to perform psychosocial assessments, therapeutic counseling, and crisis intervention.
Knowledge of state and county legal mandates related to child and adult protective services.
Understanding of growth and development principles across the lifespan.
Ability to maintain and apply crisis intervention and de-escalation principles, practices, and techniques.
Ability to provide a safe, therapeutic environment and instruct patients in daily activities and programming.
Basic proficiency with Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and MS Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
Strong ability to develop and maintain collaborative relationships with community agencies, law enforcement, medical teams, schools, probation, and protective services.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with Evidence-Based Practices, including CBT, MI, and DBT.
Certification in crisis intervention may be required.
BLS certification may be required.

Responsibilities

Facilitate patient involvement in treatment plans and educational activities.
Conduct individual, group, and family counseling sessions.
Perform utilization reviews and coordinate discharge planning to support optimal care transitions.
Collaborate with healthcare team members to deliver safe, timely, and effective services, and provide resources and education to patients and families.
Interpret and communicate complex patient and family needs, modeling caring and professional practices for team members.
Assess psychosocial risk factors by evaluating prior functioning, support systems, reactions to illness, and coping skills.
Counsel patients and families on the emotional, social, and financial impacts of illness or disability.
Access and mobilize family and community resources to meet identified needs.
Conduct mental health assessments upon physician referral and provide therapeutic intervention for complex discharge planning.
Serve as the primary contact for cases involving child, adult, or elderly abuse or neglect, institutional abuse, and domestic violence.
Act as a liaison between IU Health and state or county child and adult protective teams.
Provide intervention in temporary or permanent guardianship, foster care, adoption, and mental health Level II placements.
Provide crisis intervention and support safety management.