MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIAN - PIR/PIRM

Neighborhood House Association•San Diego, CA

31d

About The Position

The Mental Health Clinician provides clinical care coordination to incarcerated individuals age 18+ with serious mental illness or co-occurring disorders 10-180 days pre-release and 120 days post-release as they prepare to exit detention facilities. This includes providing mental health and substance use assessments, individual/group counseling, clinical case management and care coordination, researching and organizing the necessary community resources in order to support client’s transition to the community; and related work as required.

Requirements

Registered MFT or Registered Social Worker Intern through California Board of Psychology or with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences;
Criminogenic risks and needs;
Cultural and socio-economic issues relevant to providing appropriate case management services to special population groups, including Latino, African-American, and Transition Age Youth;
Legal and ethical issues pertaining to delivery of professional services;
Human behavior theory and CBT;
Local community and mental health resources available to assist incarcerated clients;
Group dynamic theories and facilitation methods;
Diagnostic categories (DSM V);
Social, psychological and physical factors of mental, emotional, and substance abuse disorders;
Types of illicit drugs and behavior patterns associated with them;
Addictive behavior treatment methods; and Community resources.
Assess for the purpose of acquiring diagnostic information and developing case management treatment plans;
Work with the incarcerated population and correctional staff;
Facilitate psychoeducation/skill building groups;
Work within a multi-disciplinary team;
Maintain detailed client documentation;
Exercise tact, objectivity, sensitivity, strategy and judgment in dealing with a variety of people with mental illnesses;
Organize, set priorities and exercise sound independent judgment within areas of responsibility;
Establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, correctional staff, other professional staff and the public;
Operate a computer using word processing, spreadsheet and database software applications, and operate other standard office equipment;
Understand, interpret, explain and apply local, state and federal law and regulations governing mental health programs and correctional facilities;
Analyze complex mental health and substance abuse program issues and problems, evaluate alternative solutions and develop sound conclusions, recommendations and courses of action;
Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing;
Successfully perform duties in a field-based setting.
Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, and memos in English; ability to write simple correspondence in English; ability to effectively communicate and present information in one-on-one and small group situations to customers, clients, and other employees of the organization.
Ability to add and subtract two-digit numbers and to multiply and divide with 10’s and 100’s; ability to perform these operations using units of American money and weight measurement, volume, and distance.
Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions. Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables, in standardized situations.
A typical way of obtaining the necessary experience and training is by obtaining a Master’s Degree from an accredited university, plus license or registration with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences in one of the following: Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT); or Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW); Marriage and Family Therapist Interns or Associate Social Workers are also acceptable.
A valid California driver's license with current, valid California automobile insurance is required; CPR/First Aid Certified; TB test required upon hire and must be maintained every four (4) years. On occasion may require transportation of clients in personal vehicle.

Nice To Haves

Graduate-level internship experience working with a population with co-occurring disorders is preferred.
A minimum of two years of progressively responsible experience in a substance use/mental health setting, experience with motivational interviewing and different therapeutic approaches, experience with mental health diagnoses, experience working with Latino and African-American and the incarcerated population is highly desirable.
Bilingual preferred. Bilingual candidates will be required to pass a bilingual competency test prior to their hire date.

Responsibilities

Conduct/Provides co-occurring assessments, clinical case management, and individual counseling pre and post release including client intakes and discharges;
Provides group counseling such as psycho education groups, job readiness, relapse prevention, etc.
Provides employment preparation services such as resume writing, interview skills, application assistance, etc.
Performs crisis intervention as needed; assesses and identifies clients’ needs for supportive services, acts as a partner and resource, performing case management services and client advocacy by obtaining appropriate linkages for necessary or requested services (e.g., mental health, housing, vocational, employment, food, etc.) and following through to ensure service efficacy;
Refers clients to clinical services which are provided pre- and post-release;
Collaborates with other service team members on client concerns;
Requests assistance and guidance from management and professional staff when necessary to address client issues and problems; establishes and maintains contact with community resources to ensure continuity of care;
Creates detailed documentation of client progress and performs various other administrative functions associated with the program; maintains client charts;
Updates assigned clients’ progress notes, maintains daily log of clients seen and writes necessary communication;
Transports clients to their needed linkage resource(s);
Completes intake assessments, updated assessments, and other necessary paperwork, including service plans and service plan reviews; enters necessary data and information;
Provides information, presentations and outreach to the community as needed;
Upholds all Program Safety Policies/ Procedures and ensure that clients, staff and program facility are safe at all times;
Other duties as assigned;

Benefits

15 Holidays Days
401(K) Retirement 6% Match
Paid Vacation and Sick Leave
Tuition Reimbursement up $2,500
2 Personal Days
Group Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance Agency-Paid Life Insurance and Long-Term Disability Insurance
Live Well Program
4 Paid Days Annual Bereavement (Note Total of 5 days of bereavement leave per loss)
Health and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSAs)
Voluntary Benefits: Life and AD&D Accident, Short-Term Disability, and Critical Illness Insurance
Free Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Medical and dental benefits are provided to regular employees who work a minimum of 30 hours per week.