Mental Health Specialist

Description

POSITION SUMMARY:

Provides clinical services to include assessment, screening, brief therapy and community referrals to patients. Master Degree requird

PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS: 

1.  Conducts emergency clinical assessments on individuals referred because of emotional distress
2. Reviews and co-signs all mental health screening intakes done by nursing staff on new arrivals to facility.
3. Develops treatment plans, based on individual need, to include, but no limited to housing location; medication referral; brief counseling and referrals for ongoing mental health or substance abuse treatment
4. Conducts an initial clinical assessment within ten (10 )days on all individuals who are identified as “high-risk”  (I think 10 days is too long for “high risk”…how about 3 days?)
5. Provides brief individual or group counseling when clinically appropriate
6. Perform assessments on individuals with suicide precautions, and with input from appropriate mental health professional, make decisions about continuing, modifying, or discontinuing suicide precautions.
7. Assists mentally ill individuals in accessing services at the time of release
8. Completes psychosocial assessments as required by the judicial system (How about: Cooperates with requests for information by the judicial system, with appropriate HIPAA considerations).
9. Maintains daily and monthly statistics on client contacts and demographic data  
10. Attends bi-monthly staff meetings and any other meeting required by CFG or the facility administration
11. Participates in site CQI meeting and performs CQI studies to improve the quality of service at the facility.
12. Assists in any training of custody staff on mental health topics, as requested or expected by the facility.
13. Completes all necessary documentation and paperwork on a daily basis
14. All other duties as assigned

POSITION REQUIREMENTS: 

• Master’s degree preferred.  Professional certification required, a license preferred.   
• Must possess knowledge of: the judicial, correctional and mental health systems; clinical theory and practice with emphasis on crisis intervention; community resources and how to access them. 
• Should have basic skills in assessment, interviewing, and counseling techniques. 
• Should have basic knowledge in the recognition and treatment of serious and persistent mental illness, and an awareness of interventions to manage behaviorally disordered individuals.  
• Should have basic knowledge and awareness of information about suicide prevention.  
• Have the professional skills to work in the context of a multi-disciplinary team, and work cooperatively with medical and custody staff. 
• Should be available for on-call support to facility during off-hours.
• Must be skilled in communicating both verbally and in writing.    

Qualifications

POSITION REQUIRMENTS: 

Master’s degree preferred.  Professional certification required, license preferred. Must possess knowledge of: the judicial, correctional and mental health systems; clinical theory and practice with emphasis on crisis intervention; community resources and how to access them.  Should have basic skills in assessment, interviewing, and counseling techniques.  Should have basic knowledge in the recognition and treatment of serious and persistent mental illness, and an awareness of interventions to manage behaviorally disordered individuals.  Should have basic knowledge and awareness of information about suicide prevention.  Have the professional skills to work in the context of a multi-disciplinary team, and work cooperatively with medical and custody staff.  Should be available for on-call support to facility during off-hours. Must be skilled in communicating both verbally and in writing.    

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:  

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the

essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the

essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand, walk, and talk or hear. The employee

frequently is required to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; and climb or

balance. The employee is occasionally required to sit and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or

move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision,

peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.