Group Life Counselor II

Sea Mar Community Health Centers•Seattle, WA

17h•Onsite

About The Position

The Group Life Counselor II is a mid-level Human Service position that is part of the multi-disciplinary treatment team providing direct services to patients in a residential setting. Direct services may include a combination or all of the following: group care, intake procedures, evaluation, individual and group counseling, milieu management, evaluation, and supervision of patients. Services are provided to adults and out-of-control, high-risk, chronic runaway youth and their families. These adults and youths have a primary diagnosis of chemical dependency and may also have mental health problems. A mid-level person is expected to have a, “moderate to complete” understanding of how to provide the direct services listed above. This job description does not suggest or imply that these are the only duties to be performed by this employee. The person in this position will be required to follow other instructions and to perform other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Requirements

Must be of good character and able to maintain the understanding, physical health, emotional stability, and personality suited to meet the physical, mental, emotional, and social needs of the adolescent and adult populations served.
Must have good organizational, communication skills, and legible hand writing.
Must understand that chemical dependency is a public health problem and a treatable illness.
Must complete an annual clinical competency test.
Demonstrates professionalism and appropriate boundaries in all interactions.
Shall have no history or evidence of alcohol or other drug misuse for a period of two (2) years prior to the date of employment at the facility, and no misuse of alcohol or other drugs while employed at this facility.
Cannot be a person who has been convicted of a felony within the last seven years or ever been convicted of child abuse and / or any crime involving physical harm to another person nor be a perpetrator of substantiated child abuse.
Shall have a desire to work with behaviorally difficult youth or adults.
Must sign an oath of permanent confidentiality covering all patient-related information.
Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of the organization.
Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
Must either hold an Associate’s degree, OR have a high school diploma with at least two years of experience that is relevant to the primary responsibilities of this position.
A Bachelor’s degree may replace years of experience with high-risk youth and adults.
Must possess a current First Aid Certificate.
Pre-hire and annual employee health screening is required.
Must pass a TB test at time of hire, and annually thereafter.
Annual influenza vaccine required. Only exception is for employees with a medical or religious exemption approved by Administration. Employees with an approved medical or religious exemption must wear a mask at all times during the flu season.
Must have a valid Washington State driver's license.
Must receive a satisfactory background check.
Must pass required BH EHR system trainings.
Must hold and maintain an active Washington State Agency Affiliated Counselor License within 90 days of hire date.
Must obtain a CPR certificate within 90 days of the hire date and is required to maintain a current CPR certificate throughout employment.

Responsibilities

Maintains professional standards and follows the treatment policies and procedures of the agency, as well as applicable federal, state, and local regulations, especially WAC 8-388-877 requirements.
Gains a thorough working knowledge of appropriate WAC's, WIG's, and RCW's.
Attends regular staff meetings and in-service training for clinical personnel.
Completes all staff responsibilities as required, with emphasis on timeliness and accuracy.
Supports the Chemical Dependency Professional/Trainee with the patient's individualized treatment plan as designed and implemented by the treatment team.
Supports the Chemical Dependency Professional/Trainee in providing clear and accurate behavioral observations of clients, screening and evaluation of psychological, social, and emotional problems and works under their supervision to refer clients to other treatment / service programs in the facility and in the community as needed.
Provides group counseling for persons in the process of discovering and dealing with emotional, social and behavioral problems with attentions on building self-esteem, problem solving skills, healthy communication habits and tools needed to develop a positive peer culture.
Demonstrates clear and concise written and verbal communication.
Demonstrates knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age, gender, and sexual preference of the patients served.
Demonstrates knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span.
Able to identify and categorize each patient’s age-specific grouping of needs, such as those for infant, adolescent, or geriatric patients.
Completes daily record keeping as directed by the Program Manager, following the structure of the problem - oriented patient records system.
Completes daily logging, Extraordinary Incident Reports (EIR's), medication logging, etc. on time and accurately.
Prepares current patient progress reports and completion notices and provides them to the courts, probation departments and referral sources when appropriate.
Completes on time all of the required Federal, State, County and Local forms for each patient.
Provides all physical care of patients required to meet their physical and emotional needs, consistent with agency policy and applicable licensing WAC's.
Gains an accurate knowledge of available community and statewide referral resources.
Maintains consistent and positive relationships with all collateral contacts.
Provides training and oversight to patients in the area of housekeeping, meal service and various daily activities.
Performs related work as assigned, including assisting staff and patients with laundry, dishes, housekeeping, and garbage.
A mid-level GLC is expected to provide the above services independently and with minimal supervision the Clinical Director.