School Based Licensed Counselor / Therapist

Connecticut Institute For Communities, Inc. (Cifc) - Danbury, CT

Full-time

Hybrid - Danbury, CT

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development

About the position

CT Institute For Communities, Inc. / CIFC Health is seeking to hire a licensed behavioral health clinician (LCSW, LPC, LMFT) to provide school-based therapy to CIFC Health patients. This position is a full-time role during the school year (44 weeks), with typical hours from 7:00 AM until 3:00 PM. The clinician will perform diagnostic psychosocial evaluations, develop care plans with clients and their families, and offer individual, family, or group therapy as appropriate. Additionally, the clinician will conduct care coordination and document all clinical interventions in accordance with CIFC Health policy and state regulatory expectations. The role involves completing initial behavioral health evaluations and providing psychotherapy to children in an outpatient clinic within a school setting. The clinician will conduct outreach within the school to identify students who would benefit from in-school mental health therapy. They will consult with providers both within and outside the agency regarding treatment plans and patient progress, and coordinate with psychiatric consultants for diagnostic and consultative needs, referring patients for medication management as necessary. The clinician will attend clinical team meetings as assigned and is expected to meet productivity standards outlined during annual performance appraisals, with a focus on delivering quality clinical care. They will encourage clients to express their feelings and discuss their life situations, helping them develop insight into themselves and their relationships. Crisis interventions will be performed as needed, assessing for immediate safety concerns, including high-risk patients who may be at risk for homicide, suicide, or domestic violence. The clinician will guide clients in developing skills or strategies to address identified goals and will create and implement treatment plans based on clinical experience and knowledge, adhering to state regulatory and joint commission standards. Ongoing evaluation of treatment effectiveness will be necessary, with modifications made to treatment activities or approaches as clients' statuses change. The clinician will also work with and support family members to help them understand and assist clients. Maintaining awareness of new developments in the field and gathering information about community mental health needs or resources will be essential for enhancing therapy effectiveness.

Responsibilities

• Completes initial behavioral health evaluations; individual, group and family psychotherapy with children in an outpatient clinic within a school.
• Conduct outreach within the school to identify students who would benefit from in-school mental health therapy.
• Consults with providers within and outside the agency regarding the treatment plan and progress of the patients.
• Coordinates as needed with psychiatric consultants for diagnostic and consultative needs; refers as necessary for medication management.
• Attends clinical Team Meetings as assigned.
• Meets productivity standards as outlined annually during employee's performance appraisal review with a focus on quality clinical care.
• Encourages clients to express their feelings and discuss what is happening in their lives, helping them to develop insight into themselves or their relationships.
• Perform crisis interventions with clients.
• Assess for immediate safety concerns, including: high risk patients/clients who may be at risk for homicide, suicide and domestic violence.
• Guide clients in the development of skills or strategies for dealing with identified goals.
• Develop and implement treatment plans based on clinical experience and knowledge according to state regulatory and joint commission standards.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of ongoing treatment on clients' progress in resolving identified problems and moving towards defined objectives.
• Modify treatment activities or approaches, as needed, to comply with changes in clients' status.
• Work with and Support family members to assist them in understanding, dealing with, or supporting clients or patients.
• Maintain awareness within discipline about new developments in the field.
• Gather information about community mental health needs or resources that could be used in conjunction with therapy.
• Completes all documentation required by state regulations, and CIFC Behavioral Health department by laws in a timely manner, included by not limited to intake, prior authorization request, progress notes, treatment plan documentation, and discharge.
• Completes and locks all treatment notes no later than 72 hours following visit.
• Completes reports as required for outside agencies such as DCF, Family Relations, probation, and others with appropriate releases signed by clients.
• Participates as a member of agency wide committees as assigned.

Requirements

• Must hold current CT LCSW, LPC, or LMFT License issued by DPH.
• Bilingual candidates strongly encouraged to apply.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation.
• Eligible for loan forgiveness applications as GDCHC / CIFC Health is a NACHC approved site.