Crisis Counselor - Active Associate License

YMCA Of Greater Seattle • Seattle, WA

15d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Crisis Counselor provides comprehensive, short-term crisis outreach services to youth, young adults, and families in King County experiencing a mental health or behavioral emergency. The Crisis Counselor supports clients through a team approach. The teams are made up of case managers, Parent Partners, and Youth Peers and collaborate to successfully stabilizes the initial crisis, provide intensive support, and link the client and families to ongoing formal and informal support systems.
This position is at the Social Impact Center Y, the social services branch of YMCA of Greater Seattle (YGS). The mission of the Social Impact Center Y is to accelerate young people’s ability to build safe, successful, and happy lives. Every year, we serve 5,000 children, youth, young adults, and families across King County with programs that aim to strengthen young people’s ability to develop to their fullest potential through four strategies: reducing risk factors; navigating systems towards successful life transition; ensuring stability, safety and wellness in times of crisis; and building competencies and social capital. The Social Impact Center Y’s programs include housing, behavioral health, foster care licensing, violence prevention, education, and employment. Many of the young people we serve have had involvement in the foster care, criminal justice system, and/or homelessness systems.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in social work, counseling, or related field, WA State Licensed Mental Health Counselor Affiliated (LMHCA), Licensed Social Work Associate Independent Clinical (LSWAIC), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFTA). License must be active (not pending with the state).
• One or more years post-graduate experience providing short-term mental health services to youth and families from a broad range of cultures and social needs.
• Registered counselor in Washington.
• Training and experience in individual, family, and group treatment modalities.
• Strong engagement and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to work in a team management approach.
• Strong organizational skills with an attention to details, timelines, and follow-through.
• Ability to meet with clients at home and in the community.
• Proof of adequate vehicle insurance coverage is required, or ability to travel to areas without public transportation.
• Ability to maintain a flexible schedule and work evenings and weekends.
• Must be 21+ to be an authorized driver.
• Must have possessed a driver's license for at least 3 years.
• Must pass a drug screen that will test for impairing substances (including marijuana) in addition to meeting the driving record standards.
• No more than two (2) vehicle related suspension(s) and/or reinstatement(s) within the last three (3) years.
• No more than two (2) moving violations and/or accidents within the last three (3) years.
• No Major Violations (DUI, DWI, OUI, OWI, BUI, Administrative Per Se, or Refusing to Test, Driving with an open container of alcohol, Reckless Driving, Hit and Run – property damage only, Racing, Driving with a suspended/revoked license/insurance, Speeding over 20 mph, Fleeing and/or eluding police, Any other felony driving conviction(s)) within the last five (5) years.
• No more than 3 DUI, DWI, OUI, OWI, BUI, Administrative Per Se, or Refusing to Test for entirety of driving history.
• No more than 3 Driving with a suspended/revoked license.
• No Hit and Run resulting in bodily injury or death.
• No Manslaughter/felony death by motor vehicle.
• Must have access to reliable transportation to be able to meet clients out in the community, including locations that may not be easily accessible by public transportation.

Nice To Haves

• Prefer knowledge of, and previous experience with, diverse populations (language, culture, race, physical activity, sexual orientation, etc.).
• Ability to speak any language in addition to English may be helpful.

Responsibilities

• Works as part of a team to provides immediate, short term, acute crisis intervention services to families in King County to prevent out of home care and psychiatric hospitalization for children and youth.
• This position provides services in homes, schools and other community locations allowing for flexibility and creativity in the work.
• Provides short-term individual and family stabilization services and resource linkage, including risk assessments, safety planning, parenting skills training, behavior management, de-escalation training and brief counseling.
• Develops Action Plans to address priority needs and makes treatment recommendations that are sensitive to the family's cultural, social, and mental health needs.
• Works with families to help them advocate with systems, access community resources, identify and utilize natural support and use effective problem-solving techniques.
• All employees and volunteers are responsible for adhering to abuse prevention policies, maintaining appropriate boundaries, completing required training, reporting suspicious or inappropriate behavior, and complying with mandated reporting requirements.
• Responsible for ensuring staff are properly screened, trained, supervised and held accountable to the organization’s abuse risk management standards.

Benefits

• Membership to the YMCA of Greater Seattle for you and your household
• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life insurance
• Retirement with 12% employer contributions after 2 years of services
• Other Savings plans available upon hire.
• Free access to mental health resources
• Rapidly accruing paid time off (PTO)
• Discounts on qualifying YMCA of Greater Seattle childcare, day camp, overnight camp and outdoor leadership programs.
• Direct care staff in the Social Impact Center receive monthly personal Wellness days in addition to existing PTO and Paid Holiday benefits

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level