Mental Health Therapist Licensed

Sea Mar Community Health Centers•Federal Way, WA

About The Position

The Licensed Mental Health Therapist provides diagnostic assessments, referrals for psychiatric services, case management, individual counseling, crisis stabilization, suicide risk assessment, treatment planning, and group leadership. The role serves chronically ill patients, patients in the Intensive Outpatient Program, high utilizers, and managed-care patients authorized to receive mental health treatment. The therapist coordinates with other care teams and providers, including CDMHPs and inpatient facilities, and supports hospitalization authorization and discharge planning. The role also provides clinical supervision to clinicians pursuing licensure, assists with clinical chart reviews, and supports compliance with applicable WACs, RCWs, laws, regulations, and clinical contracts. Administrative and clinical responsibilities include maintaining a caseload that meets agency productivity requirements; documenting health services and maintaining patient charts; assisting with policies and procedures; educating staff on referrals and psychoeducational topics; conducting and documenting diagnostic assessments; coordinating care with primary care providers, psychiatric prescribers, chemical dependency counselors, and outside service providers; monitoring medication effects and reporting feedback to psychiatrists; and developing treatment plans and community support. The productivity standard is at least four treatment encounters per day and 920 clinical encounters per year. The position requires a master’s degree in psychology, counseling, or social work from an accredited institution, including coursework in psychological diagnostics, at least four years of clinical experience, and an active qualifying Washington State license. Additional requirements include annual TB testing, a background check, annual clinical competency testing, an annual influenza vaccine subject to approved medical or religious exemptions, and ongoing continuing education and licensing fees. Additional evening or weekend hours may be required.

Requirements

Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in psychology, counseling, or social work, including coursework in psychological diagnostics.
Four or more years of clinical experience in the field.
Active, approved Washington State Department of Health license at all times; must maintain an active Washington State Mental Health Counselor, Marriage and Family Therapist, or Independent Clinical Social Worker license.
Must meet the criteria of a Mental Health Professional (MHP).
Must understand BHO contract requirements, enrollment, crisis requirements, 180-review requirements, and discharge planning.
Ability to work effectively with people and groups while demonstrating openness to cultural differences and knowledge of cultures.
Ability to work effectively in an integrated care team, including clinical supervisors, psychiatric prescribers, case managers, financial case managers, and primary care providers.
Ability to accurately diagnose mental health issues and develop diagnosis-based treatment plans.
Understanding of chemical dependency as it relates to behavioral health clients and ability to coordinate with chemical dependency treatment providers for clients with co-occurring conditions.
Must sign a permanent oath of confidentiality covering patient-related information.
Ability to read and interpret documents, write routine reports and correspondence, and speak effectively before groups.
Ability to perform basic arithmetic and compute rates, ratios, and percentages, and create and interpret bar graphs.
Ability to solve practical problems, manage concrete variables in situations with limited standardization, and interpret written, oral, diagrammatic, or scheduled instructions.
Must complete annual TB testing and pass a background check.
Must complete an annual clinical competency test as a mental health therapist.
Annual influenza vaccine required, unless an approved medical or religious exemption applies; employees with an approved exemption must wear a mask throughout flu season.
Responsible for individual continuing education hours and licensing fees.

Responsibilities

Provide diagnostic assessments, document outcomes, justify diagnoses, and communicate with members of the patient’s clinical care team.
Provide referrals for psychiatric services, coordinate with psychiatric providers, and monitor medication effects and side effects.
Provide case management, individual counseling, crisis stabilization, suicide risk assessment, and treatment planning.
Work with CDMHPs and inpatient facilities, including Western State Hospital, and follow protocols for hospitalization authorization and discharge planning.
Provide therapy to managed-care patients who are pre-authorized to receive mental health treatment.
Provide clinical supervision to clinicians pursuing licensing requirements.
Assist the Program Manager and clinical supervisor with clinical chart reviews.
Maintain a caseload in compliance with agency caseload and productivity requirements.
Maintain documentation and patient charts, including intakes, assessments, treatment plans, crisis plans, clinical encounters, reviews, and consultations.
Assist with agency compliance with WACs, RCWs, laws, regulations, and contracts.
Assist with developing and implementing policies and procedures as directed.
Educate staff about health service referrals and psychoeducational topics, including suicide risk assessment, behavior modification, and evidence-based practices.
Consult with Sea Mar staff about health and behavioral issues and develop treatment plans addressing patients’ emotional needs and behavioral problems.
Gather health-service records and background information for treatment planning, and coordinate referrals and information exchange with outside providers.
Meet a productivity standard of at least four treatment encounters per day and 920 clinical encounters per year.