Outpatient Psych Therapist-Partial Hospitalization Full Time Days

Northwestern Memorial Healthcare • Orland Park, IL

8d • $35 - $47

About The Position

The Outpatient Psych Therapist provides outpatient psychiatric treatment services to people experiencing psychiatric or chemical dependency difficulties and to their families or significant others. The therapist conducts assessment, counseling, therapy, relapse prevention, referral, and recovery services while considering age-specific needs and behaviors. The role establishes a therapeutic alliance with patients and advocates for them, while adhering to Northwestern Medicine’s mission, values, policies, ethical standards, and applicable regulatory and accreditation requirements.

The therapist assesses patients’ psychological and emotional needs, collaborates with patients and the care team on problem lists and phased treatment plans, and begins discharge planning at admission. The role delivers individual, family, marital, and group psychotherapy, as well as educational sessions, using evidence-based interventions. The therapist documents care, evaluates progress and treatment effectiveness, coordinates with psychiatrists and the multidisciplinary team, and connects patients with appropriate referrals and levels of care.

The position also includes communication, patient confidentiality and advocacy, department administration, safety and infection-control practices, ongoing education, CPR certification maintenance, and participation in performance improvement and competency validation activities. For LCSWs, the role additionally provides direct supervision of care and clinical consultation and supervision to specified practitioners.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work, Clinical Psychology, or another related discipline.
• Appropriate current licensure in the State of Illinois.
• Three to five years of experience treating patients with psychiatric and substance use problems.
• Extensive experience working with families and/or individuals in psychiatric or substance use settings involving crisis or problematic situations.
• CPR certified.

Responsibilities

• Assess and document patients’ psychological and emotional needs, including those of family and support systems; organize assessment information and collaborate on the Comprehensive Problem List.
• Use motivational interviewing principles and attend to the dimensions of recovery: Health, Home, Purpose, and Community.
• Collaborate with registered nurses to ensure patients’ nursing and medical needs are addressed.
• Assess discharge planning needs, identify referrals, and initiate discharge planning, beginning at admission.
• Complete intake assessments and assess treatment needs of callers seeking psychiatric or chemical dependency treatment.
• Develop and update Phased Treatment Plans, collaborate with patients on goals and methods, and incorporate age-specific care principles.
• Identify patient and family teaching needs and arrange care-planning conferences when indicated.
• Provide group therapy and educational seminars for psychiatric and chemically dependent patients and their families.
• Provide individual and family counseling and outpatient psychotherapy in individual, family/marital, and group modalities.
• Use evidence-based interventions and self-report or behavioral measures to evaluate progress toward goals.
• Document assessments, interventions, patient responses, and clinical records according to department policy.
• Refer intake patients to the appropriate level of care.
• Participate in annual screening events or community education presentations.
• Evaluate care each session, revise treatment plans as needed, communicate changes to the multidisciplinary team, and reassess intervention effectiveness.
• Consult with attending psychiatrists and other physicians about patient progress and treatment issues; discuss patients at multidisciplinary conferences.
• Seek patient feedback on therapy sessions and the therapeutic relationship; transition patients between treatment phases based on response and policy time frames.
• Communicate effectively with patients, families, the public, coworkers, psychiatrists, and the outpatient psychiatry director; provide appropriate input to the director and hospital committees.
• Maintain patient confidentiality, advocate for patients, and seek resolutions to identified problems.
• Follow the dress code, help keep the department neat and organized, work scheduled days, and maintain an organized unit when relieving the Director or Charge Therapist.
• For LCSWs, provide direct supervision of care at all levels of care and clinical consultation and supervision to non-LCSW and non-APN practitioners.
• Attend annual safety, infection control, and blood-borne pathogen exposure-control training; report unsafe situations and use proper body mechanics.
• Expand knowledge of available mental health and chemical dependency resources, attend seminars and in-services, learn new therapy skills, maintain CPR certification, participate in performance improvement activities, and keep abreast of psychiatric social work trends.
• Maintain competency in required skills and demonstrate performance at the acceptable standard.

Benefits

• Northwestern Medicine describes its benefits as including tuition reimbursement, loan forgiveness, and 401(k) matching, along with lifecycle benefits. It directs applicants to its benefits information for full details.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level