Mental Health Therapist III

Sea Mar Community Health Centers•Tacoma, WA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Sea Mar Community Health Centers is seeking a Mental Health Therapist III to provide diagnostic assessments, referrals for psychiatric services, and case management. This role involves individual counseling, crisis stabilization, suicide risk assessment, and treatment plan development. The therapist will also lead groups and assist the Program Manager with program development, policy implementation, and ensuring compliance with WACs and RCWs. The position requires adherence to Sea Mar's core values of respect, dignity, integrity, compassion, social justice, and continuous learning. The therapist will be responsible for maintaining patient charts, documenting outcomes, and communicating with other healthcare providers. This role also involves providing consultation to staff on mental health and behavioral issues, and developing treatment plans to address patient needs. The therapist must maintain confidentiality and support colleagues in handling challenging situations. A productivity standard of 80 hours of face-to-face contact and 80 encounters per month is required.

Requirements

Must hold a Master’s degree from an accredited college or university in psychology, counseling, or social work which includes course-work in psychological diagnostics.
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 Affiliated Counselor License (may be pending for up to 90 days if applied for within 7 days of being offered employment) or mental health Associate License (includes Marriage and Family Therapist, Mental Health Counselor, and Clinical Social Worker).
Must have and maintain a current TB test.
Minority mental health therapist as required by WAC.
Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.
Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret bar graphs.
Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
An understanding of the Behavioral Health Organization requirements.
The ability to work effectively with all persons and groups with an open mind towards cultural differences and knowledge of cultures.
The ability to accurately diagnose mental health issues and develop treatment plans based upon diagnoses.
The ability to NOT diagnose behavioral problems as mental illnesses unless appropriate.
An understanding of chemical dependency treatment and an ability to coordinate mental health services with chemical dependency treatment providers.
Must complete an annual clinical competency test as a mental health therapist.
The Mental Health Therapist must sign a permanent oath of confidentiality covering all patient related information.
This person must pass a Washington State Patrol background check.

Responsibilities

Provides diagnostic assessments for each patient during the program.
Documents outcomes, justifies diagnoses, and communicates with the primary Chemical Dependency Counselor regarding outcomes and recommendations.
Demonstrates knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served.
Demonstrates knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span.
Able to identify and categorize each patient’s age-specific grouping of needs, such as those for infant, adolescent, or geriatric patients.
Refers patients to psychiatric services as appropriate.
Gathers record materials and background information as needed by the community mental health center.
Attends session with the psychiatric service provider to insure accuracy of presentation and that identified needs are addressed.
Provides monitoring regarding the effects of medications, and feedback to the psychiatrist regarding effects/side effects.
Provides consultation to Sea Mar staff regarding mental health and behavioral issues; and develops treatment plans with staff to address emotional needs and behavioral problems identified for patients.
Provides individual counseling, in coordination with other system as needed.
Provides suicide risk assessment and develop treatment plans to address suicidal ideation or gestures.
Uses case management as needed to provide follow through and build community support as follow through.
Provides other crisis stabilization as needed.
Gathers information regarding past mental health services to be used in the individual’s treatment plan development.
Provides mental health services referrals to patients prior to or following admission, and exchanges information with outside service providers.
Supports other staff regarding mental health needs of staff or patients.
Maintains confidentiality, prevent splitting between staff and patients, and offer concrete ideas on handling challenging situations.
Assists in insuring agency compliance with WAC's, RCW's, and other pertinent laws, regulations, and contracts.
Assists in developing and implementing policies and procedures as directed by the Program Manager.
Educates staff regarding the process for mental health service referrals and regarding "psycho educational topics (suicide risk assessment, behavior modification, etc.) as directed by the Program Manager.
Maintains documentation of mental health services, and follow through in patient charts.