Mental Health Specialist

Description

POSITION SUMMARY

The Mental Health Counselor provides quality mental health and substance abuse treatment services to inmate patients in accordance with all established philosophy.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

Minimum Education

• Graduate from an accredited school facility with a Bachelor’s Degree in psychology, social work, or related mental health field.
• Master’s Degree preferred.
• Current, unrestricted license to practice as Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Master’s Social Worker (LMSW) or Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state the facility is located (maintain a current copy of license on file at the facility at all times).

Minimum Work Experience

• At least one year of professional experience, in-group and individual therapy, crisis intervention and psychological evaluation and substance abuse treatment experience.
• Previous correctional health care environment preferred.

Required Skills

• Strong critical thinking and assessment skills.
• Ability to make decisions independently.
• Assertive, empathetic and able to provide care objectively.
• Strong interpersonal communication and customer service skills.
• Basic computer skills.
• Ability to function independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to command the respect and confidence of inmates and staff; and philosophically committed to the objectives of the facility.
• Maintains an active Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.

ORGANIZATIONAL EXPECTATIONS

• Provides a positive and professional representation of CFG Health Systems, LLC.
• Keeps patient information confidential and respects patient’s right to privacy.
• Promotes culture of safety for patients and employees through proper identification, reporting documentation, and prevention.
• Maintains competency and knowledge of current standards of practice, trends, and developments in related scope of job role or practice.
• Adheres to infection control policies and protocols.
• Participates in ongoing quality improvement activities.
• Completes required orientation and trainings directed by facility.
• Follows facility and OSHA safety rules and procedures while on assignment.
• Follows facility and CFG Health Systems Occurrence Protocol.
• Adheres to PREA regulations.
• Punctual and dependent for assigned/confirmed shifts.
• Maintains security clearance for the assigned facility.
• Identifies and utilized appropriate channels of communication with supervising staff.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

• Performs and documents mental health and substance abuse evaluations on inmate patients of the assigned correctional facility consistent with the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC) standards of care, American Psychology Association (APA), NJ 10-A, American Correctional Association (ACA) and Performance Based National Detention Standards (PBNDS) as appropriate.
• Develops treatment plans based on individual need to include, but not limited to housing location, medication referral, brief counseling, and referrals for ongoing mental health or substance abuse treatment.
• Conducts an initial clinical assessment within ten (10) days on all individuals who are identified as “high-risk”.
• Reports reactions to treatments and medications, as well as changes in the inmates’ emotional or physical condition.
• Provides brief individual or group counseling when clinically appropriate.
• Collaborates with the Multidisciplinary Mental Health Treatment Team in order to determine a patient's appropriate level of mental health care to include discharge planning.
• Assists mentally ill individuals in accessing services at the time of release.
• Records all care information concisely, accurately and completely, in a timely manner, in the appropriate format and on the appropriate forms.
• Maintains daily and monthly statistics in collecting documentation of services for audits and participates in the Continuous Quality Improvement process (CQI).
• Promotes a therapeutic environment to ensure inmates are treated in a professional, ethical and tactful manner.
• Performs other position-related duties as assigned, depending on assignment setting.
• Attends scheduled in-service programs and staff meetings as scheduled.

Qualifications