Mental Health Therapist III

Sea Mar Community Health Centers•Vancouver, WA

11d

About The Position

Sea Mar Community Health Centers, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) founded in 1978, is a community-based organization committed to providing quality, comprehensive health, human, housing, educational and cultural services to diverse communities, specializing in service to Latinos in Washington State. Sea Mar proudly serves all persons without regard to race, ethnicity, immigration status, gender, or sexual orientation, and regardless of ability to pay for services. Sea Mar's network of services includes more than 90 medical, dental, and behavioral health clinics and a wide variety of nutritional, social, and educational services. We are recruiting for the following position: Sea Mar is a mandatory COVID-19 and flu vaccine organization Full-time Mental Health Therapist position available for ourBehavioral Health Program in Vancouver, WA. This position supports theAdult Mobile Crisis unit, a community-based service. The MH Therapistprovides assessments, referrals for psychiatric services, casemanagement in coordination with other teams or parties involved withtreatment. In addition, the therapist will provide individualcounseling, crisis stabilization, suicide risk assessment andtreatment plans, and lead therapy groups. This position uses a patient registry to track and measure patientgoals and clinical outcomes, and facilitate treatment adjustment if apatient is not improving as expected. The person in this positionwill utilize pay-for-performance mechanisms to support model fidelityand prioritize patient outcomes.DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:As a Sea Mar employee, the individual in this position commits toadherence to these values to their utmost ability and endeavors tostrengthen and embody this mission daily.ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Otherduties may be assigned.

Requirements

Master's degree from an accredited college or university inpsychology or social work, which includes course work in psychologicaldiagnostics, is required.
Applicants must qualify as an MHP in accordance with state WACs.
Good oral and written skills a must.
Experience with the MHIP model of care, patient registries, andcollaborative care required.
Four or more years' experience in the field.
Must meet criteria of a Mental Health Professional (MHP).
Must hold and maintain an active Washington State Agency AffiliatedCounselor License (may be pending for up to 60 days if applied forwithin 7 days of being offered employment) or mental health AssociateLicense (includes Marriage and Family Therapist, Mental HealthCounselor, and Clinical Social Worker).

Nice To Haves

Bilingual English/Spanish preferred but not required.

Responsibilities

Assists in insuring agency compliance with WAC's, RCW's, and otherpertinent laws, regulations, and contracts.
Assists in developing and implementing policies and procedures asdirected by the Program Manager.
Educates staff regarding the process for mental health servicereferrals and regarding "psycho educational topics (suicide riskassessment, behavior modification, etc.) as directed by the ProgramManager.
Maintains documentation of mental health services, and followthrough in patient charts.
Provides diagnostic assessments for each patient during theprogram. Documents outcomes, justifies diagnoses, and communicateswith the primary Chemical Dependency Counselor regarding outcomes andrecommendations.
Demonstrates knowledge and skills necessary to provide careappropriate to the age of the patients served.
Demonstrates knowledge of the principles of growth and developmentover the life span.
Able to identify and categorize each patient's age-specificgrouping of needs, such as those for infant, adolescent, or geriatricpatients.
Refers patients to psychiatric services as appropriate. Gathersrecord materials and background information as needed by the communitymental health center (See Policies and Procedures). Attends sessionwith the psychiatric service provider to insure accuracy ofpresentation and that identified needs are addressed. Providesmonitoring regarding the effects of medications, and feedback to thepsychiatrist regarding effects/side effects.
Provides consultation to Sea Mar staff regarding mental health andbehavioral issues; and develops treatment plans with staff to addressemotional needs and behavioral problems identified for patients.
Provides individual counseling, in coordination with other systemas needed.
Provides suicide risk assessment and develop treatment plans toaddress suicidal ideation or gestures. Uses case management asneeded to provide follow through and build community support as followthrough. Provides other crisis stabilization as needed.
Gathers information regarding past mental health services to beused in the individual's treatment plan development. Providesmental health services referrals to patients prior to or followingadmission, and exchanges information with outside service providers.
Supports other staff regarding mental health needs of staff orpatients. Maintains confidentiality, prevent splitting between staffand patients, and offer concrete ideas on handling challengingsituations.
Performs a minimum of 80 hours of face-to-face contact and 80encounters each month.