Therapist

Samuel U Rodgers Health Center•Blue Springs, MO

About The Position

The Behavioral Health Therapist provides high-quality, trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate behavioral health services to children, adolescents, and families in a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) setting. Most clinical time is spent providing care through the organization’s school-based services community-based location. Services include behavioral health assessment, diagnosis when permitted within professional scope, individual and family therapy, crisis assessment and intervention, care coordination, consultation, and referrals. The therapist collaborates with youth, caregivers, schools, primary care providers, behavioral health professionals, and community partners to reduce barriers to care and support continuity of treatment. The therapist is an active member of an interdisciplinary healthcare team and supports integration of physical, behavioral, and social healthcare. The role includes coordinating care, maintaining accurate and timely clinical records, complying with applicable professional and legal requirements, and participating in supervision, consultation, quality improvement, peer review, case conferences, staff meetings, and required training.

Requirements

Master’s or doctoral degree from an appropriately accredited program in social work, counseling, clinical or counseling psychology, marriage and family therapy, or another behavioral health discipline meeting Missouri requirements for the assigned clinical services.
Current, unrestricted Missouri licensure authorizing independent provision of the required services, such as LCSW, LPC, LMFT, Licensed Psychologist, or another qualifying Missouri behavioral health license approved by the organization. Final eligibility is subject to HR, credentialing, payer, and scope-of-practice review.
Clinical experience providing behavioral health services to children and adolescents is required or strongly preferred, consistent with organizational hiring standards.
Experience engaging parents, guardians, caregivers, and family systems.
Knowledge of child and adolescent development, family systems, behavioral health assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, and therapeutic intervention.
Competence in evidence-informed and trauma-informed interventions appropriate for youth and families.
Ability to assess suicide, self-harm, abuse or neglect, violence, and other safety concerns and implement appropriate safety interventions.
Strong clinical judgment, therapeutic rapport, cultural humility, professional boundaries, and collaborative communication.
Ability to work effectively and independently in a mobile clinical environment and adapt to changing schedules or locations.
Proficiency with electronic health records, telecommunication technologies, and timely clinical documentation.

Nice To Haves

School-based, community-based, mobile, integrated primary care, FQHC, or underserved-population experience.
Two or more years of post-graduate clinical experience with children, adolescents, and families.
Experience in schools, an FQHC or Community Health Center, integrated primary care, community behavioral health, or mobile/community-based care.
Training or experience in youth-appropriate evidence-informed approaches such as CBT, TF-CBT, Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, or family-based interventions.
Experience serving families affected by healthcare access barriers or significant social determinants of health.
Bilingual or multilingual abilities relevant to the populations served.

Responsibilities

Conduct comprehensive behavioral health assessments and develop individualized, strengths-based treatment plans suited to each patient’s development, clinical needs, culture, family system, and environment.
Provide evidence-informed individual, family, and group interventions within the clinician’s education, training, competence, and Missouri scope of practice.
Treat common child and adolescent behavioral health needs, including anxiety, depression, trauma-related symptoms, emotional or behavioral dysregulation, adjustment concerns, grief, family stress, and school-related concerns.
Complete age-appropriate suicide and safety risk assessments and provide crisis assessment, stabilization, safety planning, referral, or escalation according to organizational protocols.
Engage parents, guardians, and caregivers appropriately while maintaining the youth’s therapeutic alliance, privacy, confidentiality, and applicable legal and ethical requirements.
Facilitate referrals to psychiatry, primary care, substance use treatment, higher levels of behavioral healthcare, community resources, and social services when clinically indicated.
Use developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed approaches to establish therapeutic relationships with youth and families.
Collaborate with parents and caregivers to strengthen protective factors and support progress toward treatment goals.
With appropriate authorization and in accordance with privacy requirements, coordinate with school personnel, counselors, nurses, social workers, case managers, healthcare providers, and other professionals involved in patient care.
Participate in interdisciplinary consultation and coordinated treatment planning for youth with complex behavioral health, medical, developmental, family, or social needs.
Recognize the impact of social determinants of health and connect families with appropriate organizational and community resources.
Provide warm handoffs, brief consultation, care coordination, and other integrated behavioral health interventions when appropriate.
Complete assessments, treatment plans, progress notes, risk assessments, safety plans, care coordination, discharge documentation, and other required records accurately and within organizational timeframes.
Maintain documentation that supports medical necessity, continuity of care, quality review, and billing requirements.
Follow applicable professional, organizational, state, and federal requirements related to privacy, informed consent, mandated reporting, professional boundaries, credentialing, and clinical practice.
Participate in clinical supervision or consultation, peer review, quality-improvement activities, case conferences, staff meetings, and required training.
Maintain professional licensure and complete applicable continuing education, competency, and training requirements.
Complete applicable background checks, exclusion screenings, health screenings, credentialing, privileging, and onboarding requirements.