Counselor II - Bilingual

Interim•Salinas, CA

About The Position

The Counselor II (ACT) provides crisis care, case management, individual rehabilitation, skills building, transportation, counseling, and related services to adults and families in Salinas and South Monterey County. The role serves people with serious mental illness and significant functional impairments who are new to services, not engaged with services, or face psychosocial or other barriers to connecting with services. The Counselor supports clients and families through recovery-oriented, culturally and linguistically appropriate services, helps clients set and achieve rehabilitation goals, and connects them with social, health, and mental health services. The position also maintains accurate, secure client records and works at assigned program locations. The Counselor II provides community-based outreach, assessment and counseling, crisis response, family engagement, psychoeducation, and coordination with a multidisciplinary team. The role includes travel among program locations in Salinas, Marina, Monterey, and South County. This is a full-time, 40-hour-per-week, non-exempt position eligible for overtime, reporting to the Program Director. Services are performed under the supervision of the Clinical Specialist.

Requirements

Bilingual in Spanish.
Bachelor’s degree in mental health or a related field.
One to two years of experience in a mental health field.
Driver’s license held for at least two years and a driving record acceptable to the insurance carrier.
Valid California driver’s license, an automobile in safe operating condition, auto liability insurance, and a good driving record.
Criminal record clearance.
Proof of authorization to work in the United States as required by the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
Ability to operate a motor vehicle and travel among program locations.
Ability to climb stairs and perform the mobility, vision, hearing, and dexterity functions appropriate to the duties.
Good communication skills.
Ability to walk, stand, sit, stoop, and climb stairs for extended activities.
Ability to stoop, kneel, lift up to 25 pounds or more, and bend intermittently for infrequently performed office duties.

Nice To Haves

Proficiency in Outlook email correspondence and computer software.
Knowledge of community resources.
Ability to work as a member of a team and accept supervision.
Ability to maintain appropriate boundaries in close interpersonal relationships.
Ability to learn and apply principles of social rehabilitation.
Organized and responsible approach to work.
Flexibility and empathy, with the ability to relate effectively to clients, staff, professionals, and community members.

Responsibilities

Provide on-call services.
Deliver case management and individual rehabilitation activities to clients, families, and other support team members identified by the client.
Provide culturally and linguistically appropriate, recovery-oriented, trauma-informed, wellness-centered services.
Help clients attain community stability and achieve recovery and rehabilitation goals, including finding and keeping employment.
Support efforts to reduce mental health and substance abuse symptoms and reduce use of involuntary care and emergency rooms for mental health and non-acute physical health problems.
Assist clients with mental health recovery and development of skills for independent or interdependent, healthy, meaningful community living.
Engage and support clients’ family members and provide mental health information to increase natural supports.
Conduct community-based outreach and engagement in homes and other environments.
Provide assessment and counseling, including Motivational Interviewing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Harm Reduction, and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.
Conduct and use client needs assessments to develop and track client-centered treatment plans.
Facilitate evidence-based psychotherapeutic techniques that build skills in basic living, substance use recovery, and interpersonal relationships and communication.
Counsel clients individually to set, track, and achieve rehabilitation and recovery goals.
Listen, respond empathically, engage in problem solving, identify symptoms, and help clients develop self-management skills for mental illness and substance use.
Establish and maintain linkages with social service, health, and mental health agencies, including the county psychiatrist and case coordinator.
Maintain legible, accurate, and timely treatment-plan and client documentation, including documentation required for Medi-Cal standards.
Maintain accurate and secure client information in computer files and databases and follow HIPAA Privacy Rules for protecting medical records.
Identify, assess, and respond to crisis situations; set clear limits and help ensure client and facility safety.
Meet and record program productivity and outcome standards.
Travel and work at various program locations in Salinas, Marina, Monterey, and South County.
Collaborate and coordinate services with multidisciplinary staff, including the Psychiatrist, Nurses, Family Partner, Peer, and other staff.
Provide individual and group psychoeducation for families and other support team members.
Perform other duties as assigned.