Mental Health Counselor, MHU

Heywood Hospital•Gardner, MA

About The Position

The Mental Health Counselor provides psychiatric services to clients in cooperation with other healthcare disciplines. The position includes admission intakes and individual and group therapy, and participates in planning, implementing, and evaluating the Patient Therapy program. The counselor also provides case management, coordinates patient care with providers and services, and contributes to multidisciplinary treatment planning and disposition. This is a per-diem position with hours that vary based on unit needs. The listed pay range is $26.66–$34.82. Heywood Healthcare describes its compensation as equitable and transparent and states that final compensation depends on relevant experience, skills, qualifications, and internal equity.

Requirements

Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Human Services, or a related field.
At least one year of clinical experience in the Human Services field.
Evidence of effective interactions with a wide range of patients and caregivers.
Physical and mental health sufficient to meet the demands of the position.
AHA BLS certification required, or must be obtained within 90 days of hire.
Ability to meet the stated physical demands, including exertion of 20–50 pounds occasionally and 10–25 pounds frequently; frequent reaching, handling, and feeling; and potentially rapid movement and lifting or holding patients’ extremities during behavioral emergencies.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.

Responsibilities

Gather and evaluate relevant information from patient interviews and other patient information sources.
Ensure patient exams, tests, and procedures are consistent with the nature of the patient’s needs and orders; identify variations from expected findings or test values and inform the charge nurse.
Plan and provide patient education, involving family members, significant others, or friends when appropriate.
Prioritize requests based on their nature and the patient’s condition or situation; assess and reassess patient conditions.
Coordinate and communicate with healthcare professionals to provide comprehensive patient services and care, and delegate when appropriate.
Work with departmental and healthcare team members to complete assignments and support comprehensive case management.
Collect patient information from available resources to formulate a comprehensive database and initial treatment plan.
Coordinate care with the patient care provider, outpatient providers, and other services.
Participate in multidisciplinary treatment planning to ensure care matches identified patient needs.
Respond to assigned Heywood Hospital case management needs, including differential diagnostics, treatment planning, and disposition.
Identify insurance requirements and obtain approval or referrals for services provided.
Provide individual and group therapies according to Mental Health Unit standards and identified patient needs.
Document interventions and patient responses according to established policies and procedures.
Support Mental Health Unit staff in supervising students and interns to help meet performance standards and documentation requirements.
Seek professional growth experiences and share learned knowledge and skills with team members.