Intake Clinician – Child, Youth & Young Adult

Fraser Health•Hope / Agassiz / Harrison Hot Springs / Kent, British Columbia

About The Position

Supporting the Vision, Values, Purpose and Commitments of Fraser Health including service delivery that is centered around clients and families, working within the context of a strengths-based and family-centered care model and within a framework of cultural safety and humility, trauma informed practice, and using best practices and research evidence, the Intake Clinician provides intake services for children and youth with mental health and substance use disorders. The Intake Clinician assesses referrals for eligibility for mental health and substance use services/programs, and collaboratively develops individualized resource plans. Emphasis is on reducing barriers and facilitating timely access to clinical and non-clinical service where appropriate and feasible through collaborative, respectful relationships with community professionals. Services may be provided on an outreach basis when required to assess and/or engage with clients within their own environment and community. The Intake Clinician provides supportive brief intervention counselling, group therapy services and service navigation, using a concurrent capable lens. Provides support and community presentations regarding applicable services to service providers, parents and other relevant caregivers. Offers input into program planning and development of services for youth, participates in meetings and committees, participates in quality improvement activities, and promotes awareness of mental health and substance use programs and services.

Requirements

Master’s Degree in an applicable social or health sciences program such as Counselling Psychology or Social Work.
Eligible for registration or membership with applicable professional association or regulatory body.
Two (2) years' recent related experience working with clients and families with, or affected by, mental illness and substance use disorders, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
Valid B.C. Driver’s License and access to a personal vehicle for work-related purposes.
Demonstrated knowledge of harm reduction, trauma-informed, cultural safety and humility, recovery-oriented approach; concurrent disorders; addictions and addictions counselling.
Demonstrated comprehensive knowledge of relevant Acts such as Mental Health Act, Freedom of Information Act, Child, Family and Community Service Act, pertinent regulations, policies and procedures, and other statutory duties.
Knowledge of the principles, practices and theories of clinical counselling.
Demonstrated ability to develop consultative relationships with health professionals & counsellors.
In-depth knowledge of community resources and strong collaborative skills in working with other community partners to inform the referral process.
Comprehensive knowledge of psychiatric diagnosis and professional practice guidelines for the treatment of various disorders.
Demonstrated ability in utilizing mental health and addictions standardized tools for client assessments.
Demonstrated therapeutic skills in the areas of case management, individual and group therapy with youth with various mental health disorders including concurrent disorders.
Comprehensive knowledge of the broad range of issues pertaining to adolescent mental health problems.
Comprehensive knowledge of the developmental stages of the individual including related family life cycle and psychosocial issues.
Ability to work effectively with individuals, groups, and interdisciplinary professionals through understanding the frameworks of other disciplines.
Demonstrated ability to assess, plan, organize, implement, evaluate and problem-solve, organize and prioritize workload in a complex environment.
Ability to effectively develop, coordinate and deliver in-services, training, presentations, psycho-educational and support groups and consultation to clients, families, and healthcare professionals.
Proficiency in the use of personal computers, including related word processing and database management software applications.
Physical ability to carry out the duties of the position.

Responsibilities

Performs initial screening of referrals for children, youth and families within the community from other health care providers, community partners, family members and caregivers of children/youth with mental health disorders and addictions issues, Providers, and other sources to determine appropriate support based on client needs, urgency of request and best practices.
Establishes/evaluates risk indicators to determine the need for referral following statutory requirements and clinically sound assessment procedures to determine client needs and problems, relevant to the context of everyday living experiences.
Maintains relevant data and statistics on information such as intakes, requests, referrals in/out, priority, sources, and nature of requests, and provides input to ICY Program Lead or Manager.
Completes referrals to external agencies, internal services, and other relevant resources. Assists clients in accessing cultural, therapeutic, health, social, and educational supports. Facilitates appointments, recovery groups, and social programs; offers mental health, substance misuse and wellness information and assists with applicable paperwork.
Provides direct clinical services for mental health and substance use such as intake, assessment, treatment, suicide risk assessments and crisis intervention; case management, consultation/liaison with community agencies, schools, hospitals, and other programs. Provides first level intervention and support such as short-term brief interventions, follow-up, monitoring, and evaluating treatment outcomes.
Provides supportive counselling and brief intervention support to clients and families by interacting regularly with client to elicit concerns, identifies goals, expectations, and support resources; reviews client and family learning needs by assisting with understanding of substance use and the recovery process, suggesting positive behaviour modifications and examining motivations for change; teaches relapse prevention strategies.
Participates in program development with consideration to child, youth and family needs. Plans, initiates, implements, and facilitates therapeutic and recreational group programming in a manner that is trauma informed and fosters healing, and continued growth and development.
Provides comprehensive case consultation and support to interprofessional team(s) and other professionals from community services, withdrawal management, residential treatment contract providers, and other referral sources to support capacity-building, program development and continuity of care, based on evidence-informed best practice, regarding topics such as substance use treatment decisions, transition planning, crisis and safety issues. Supports the completion of pre-admission packages from referral sources.
Follows FHA policies on access to and disclosure of information and records and in accordance with relevant Acts, regulations, policies, procedures and statutes.
Ensures accurate and comprehensive client record-keeping by documenting assessments, interventions, evaluations, goals, referrals, contacts, and progress notes in accordance with established policies, regulatory standards, and the Freedom of Information Act. Utilizes PARIS and other clinical information systems for precise charting and reporting. Oversees waitlist management and prepares required statistical data, correspondence, and reports.
Participates in relevant MHSU meetings, committee's community team meetings, continuing education, and conferences by methods such as gathering relevant information, providing input from a clinical perspective, presenting relevant material, and preparing program summary reports.
Participates actively and collaboratively in ICY team planning, team meetings, committees, and/or corporate initiatives through discussions, presenting relevant material, acting as an advocate for the goals and objectives of the program, and promoting optimal support for clients, families, and caregivers. Promotes quality improvement through recommendations on policies, processes and procedures that streamline and provide for more efficient and effective client/family centred practices; develops and evaluates clinical protocols, identifies service needs, and provides input and recommendations to the ICY Program Lead and Manager.
Maintains current knowledge of relevant mental health and substance disorder practices through methods such as reviewing literature and research, consulting with clinical and community experts within the field, evaluating clinical practice and participating in professional development.
Provides orientation, guidance, and collegial information or demonstration of equipment or work methods and processes to others including peers, new staff, and students. Provides instruction and/or supervision to students; evaluates and provides feedback on student progress. May provide work direction to support staff.
Performs other related duties as assigned.