Mental Health Professional I - ACT Berkeley

State of South Carolina•Berkeley County, SC

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Mental Health Professional I - ACT serves on the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team at the Berkeley Community Mental Health Center, part of the South Carolina Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities’ Office of Mental Health. The position provides evidence-based, safe, effective, and measurable services to support recovery for people with mental illness, including a population with serious and persistent mental illness. Services are delivered in the community and patients’ homes, and the role requires a flexible schedule. The position is located at 403 Stony Landing Road, Moncks Corner, SC 29461. The role provides mental health counseling and other services to ACT beneficiaries, contributes to treatment planning and progress monitoring, and collaborates with patients, families, the ACT team, and community partners. The employee is expected to maintain appropriate documentation, confidentiality, ethical and lawful practice, professional development, required licensure or certificates, and compliance with training and supervision requirements. The position supports patient-care quality and the Center’s CARF accreditation. It is considered essential and may be called back during crises, disasters, or emergencies. After hire, employees must demonstrate practical therapeutic knowledge of counseling principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosing and treating substance use and mental health disorders; skills in comprehensive mental health assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, and therapeutic services; ability to function in a community mental health setting and on a multidisciplinary team; and effective oral and written communication.

Requirements

Master’s degree in guidance, counseling, social sciences, or a related field that qualifies for licensure as an LPC or LISW.
Must meet the ACT fidelity requirement for a Mental Health Professional.
Must be able to lift 5 pounds.
Must be able to operate a state vehicle.
Must have practical therapeutic knowledge of counseling principles, methods, and practices for diagnosis and treatment of substance use and mental health disorders (post-hire requirement).
Must have knowledge and skills to conduct comprehensive mental health assessments, formulate diagnoses, initiate treatment plans, and deliver therapeutic services (post-hire requirement).
Must be able to function in a community mental health setting, work with a multidisciplinary team, and liaise with the community (post-hire requirements).
Must communicate effectively, orally and in writing (post-hire requirement).
Must work a flexible schedule and provide services in community settings and patients’ homes.
Must attend scheduled supervision, treatment-team, and other assigned meetings and comply with professional development, licensing, certification, and training requirements.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual ability in English and Spanish or another language.
Potential eligibility for SCOMH Student Loan Repayment for some outstanding loans associated with completing a healthcare degree relevant to the position.

Responsibilities

Provide mental health counseling and services to ACT beneficiaries with serious and persistent mental illness in the community.
Deliver services in patients’ homes and other community settings.
Maintain the daily schedule, ensure patients are seen according to level-of-care guidelines, address barriers to services, and complete engagement according to procedure.
Ensure crises are staffed and cooperate with community partners to support customer satisfaction.
Meet patient-care-hours standards and ACT fidelity requirements for the Mental Health Professional role.
Use evidence-based practices and document patient outcomes and progress, including treatment-plan goals written in the patient’s own words and specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-limited objectives and interventions addressing patients’ SNAPs.
Develop Personal Safety Plans and protect patient confidentiality.
Write notes collaboratively, complete documentation according to quality-improvement policies, complete outcome measures according to procedures, document services and patient contacts, and minimize billing disallowances.
Adhere to Center, Office of Mental Health, and State corporate compliance policies, procedures, and responsibilities; make a good-faith effort to report violations; comply with laws regulating health care and the Code of Conduct.
Participate in ongoing professional development, maintain licenses and certificates, comply with training requirements, attend scheduled supervision, treatment-team, and other assigned meetings, use leave according to procedure, and follow the chain of command.
Help ensure the patient-care area and Center maintain CARF accreditation.
Operate a state vehicle and be available for call-back during crises, disasters, or emergencies.

Benefits

Health insurance for employees, spouse, and children.
Dental insurance for employees, spouse, and children.
Vision insurance for employees, spouse, and children.
Long-term disability insurance.
Life insurance for employees, spouse, and children.
15 days of annual (vacation) leave per year.
15 days of sick leave per year.
13 paid holidays.
Paid parental leave.
S.C. Deferred Compensation Program available.
Retirement benefit choice between the State Retirement Plan (SCRS) and the State Optional Retirement Program (State ORP); enrollment in one is required for FTE employees.