Therapist, LMFT

San Ysidro Health•San Diego, CA

18d

About The Position

The Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist provides psychological assessments and brief, evidence-based treatment to adults, older adults, children, and families in a primary care setting using the Primary Care Behavioral Health model. Under the direction of the Chief Behavioral Health Officer, the clinician works closely with primary care providers to develop and implement treatment plans, provide consultation, and coordinate integrated care. Experience with children ages 5–12 is highly desired. The position may provide services at school campuses and satellite primary care clinics, and its location is determined upon interview. The therapist provides triage, assessment, brief interventions, crisis response, and stabilization for patients with physical health, mental health, and/or substance-use diagnoses. The role includes documentation in electronic medical records, communicating recommendations and progress to care teams, coordinating with community resources, and supporting program and contract goals. The clinician also participates in meetings, may provide supervision to interns or unlicensed staff as permitted by licensure, and may deliver presentations and training to healthcare providers and community members. Services must be culturally appropriate and consistent with California laws and regulations, professional standards, agency guidelines, and ethical requirements. The position requires collaboration with multidisciplinary teams and work with underserved communities. The general work environment is an office or clinic setting, with possible travel around San Diego County for meetings and trainings.

Requirements

A master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from an accredited school, or equivalent terminal graduate training in a psychotherapy-related field from an accredited school.
A current Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) license issued by the State of California.
Sensitivity to multicultural concerns and the psychotherapeutic process.
Knowledge of rehabilitation and recovery treatment modalities and integrated treatment and care for individuals with co-occurring disorders.
Ability to be culturally sensitive and appropriate when working with minority and underserved communities, and to demonstrate respect for diversity.
Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, orally and in writing.
Ability to organize, set priorities, and exercise sound independent judgment within areas of responsibility.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, family members, professional staff, and the public.
Computer literacy and proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
Ability to meet pre-employment requirements, including I-9, physical, background and reference checks, completed application, new-hire orientation, and pre-employment PPDs.
Compliance with mandated vaccinations and boosters as a condition of employment.
Ability to travel around San Diego County for meetings and trainings, as needed.
Ability to perform the physical activities described, including frequent sitting and occasional standing, walking, lifting, pushing, and pulling up to 10 pounds.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with children ages 5–12 is highly desired.
Two years of experience in a community health or mental health setting is preferred.
Experience in behavioral medicine or health psychology is preferred or helpful.
Bilingual English/Spanish skills are preferred.
Knowledge of behavioral medicine, health psychology, and substance-use interventions, including IMPACT and/or SBIRT, is strongly recommended.

Responsibilities

Evaluate, triage, and provide brief evidence-based psychological and behavioral health interventions to patients with physical health, mental health, and/or substance-use diagnoses.
Provide consultation to clinical staff and primary care providers, including timely treatment recommendations, feedback, and progress updates through records and verbal communication.
Assess patient needs and collaborate with patients and primary care clinicians to develop negotiated care plans.
Maintain timely and accurate electronic medical records and prepare evaluation or treatment reports as required.
Review and revise care plans as indicated, document progress, and communicate updates to relevant multidisciplinary team members.
Provide crisis interventions, including suicide assessments and recommendations to medical providers and patients, and determine whether crisis response services are appropriate for patient safety.
Perform telephone, mobile-crisis, and clinic-based triage, assessment, and stabilization in a crisis-stabilization facility.
Coordinate with behavioral health leadership to inform healthcare providers about mental illness in medical settings.
Assist with implementation and administration of the ESBIRT program model for substance-use prevention and/or treatment.
Attend required meetings, including multidisciplinary or case conferences, pod care team meetings, case reviews, and chart reviews; participate on committees as directed.
Meet productivity expectations and monitor progress toward contract goals and objectives to support contract compliance.
Maintain effective relationships with clients, family members, professional staff, community resources, and the public to support continuity of care.
Provide outpatient services on school campuses and satellite primary care clinics as requested by behavioral health leadership.
Assist with supervision of interns and/or unlicensed staff within the specifications of the license held, as requested.
Collaborate with providers to support integrated, team-based care.
Conduct presentations, trainings, or lectures on behavioral health issues and services for primary care teams, medical residents, and/or the community as requested.
Assist with development of a train-the-trainer SBIRT model for primary care teams.
Comply with departmental and health-center policies, quality assurance, safety, environmental, and infection-control standards.
Pursue professional development through educational programs, current literature, in-service meetings, and workshops.
Perform other related duties as assigned or requested by the supervisor.