Childrens NOVA Outpatient Therapist

Description

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Classification:  NOVA Outpatient Therapist

This position is a responsible clinical position for the NOVA/First Episode Psychosis Program.  NOVA will provide treatment for individuals ages 15-25 who are experiencing a first episode of psychosis. This clinical position is an essential part of the transdisciplinary team and facilitates access to and provision of the following services for youth/young adults and their family members: Outreach and engagement, screening, assessment, diagnosis and strengths-based treatment planning, education and support for individuals and families/primary support systems, crisis support and relapse prevention planning, individual, group, and family counseling, independent living skills development, benefits planning, support for educational and vocational settings, medication support, and opportunities for self-advocacy, mentorship, and socialization.

Supervised by:                             NOVA Program Coordinator

 Division:                                      Children’s Services

Normal Work Hours/Days:        8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday – Friday. Flexibility in hours, on-call as needed to meet client/family needs.

PRIMARY JOB FUNCTIONS:

The therapist will be responsible for meeting with First Episode of Psychosis (FEP) consumers regularly to provide individual and family counseling.

Therapist will be tasked with creating individualized treatment plans based on their assessment of the consumer’s needs and selected treatment course.

The FEP therapist will be responsible for conducting ongoing assessments and tracking in the areas of Occupational therapy, Trauma, Grief, and Substance use.

The therapist will work to ensure that service provided is meaningful, respectful and promotes self-determination.

The therapist will have a working knowledge of current principles, evidence-based practice, and service provision within Early Interventions in Psychosis.

The therapist will provide Cognitive Behavior Therapy, brief therapy and other psychosocial interventions and techniques to participants and their families that are relevant to the FEP diagnosis. 

The therapist will assess levels of clinical risk, initiate and review risk management plans with consumers and family.

The therapist will create strategies to locate or access appropriate services to meet the client needs and advocate for their services.

The therapist will also educate the community on the needs of transitional-age youth and young adults, as a part of their outreach education and engagement presentations.

The therapist will assess for, plan, implement and evaluate care and support for youth/young adults, making use of validated assessment tools and outcome measures.

The therapist will provide daily accurate documentation of charts, to include clinical assessment, and data collection. 

It is expected that the therapist ensures services delivered address the diverse social, cultural, gender, and economic needs of population.  

Therapist should adhere to early psychosis intervention practice guidelines while engaging with consumers.

The therapist is expected to be proficient in using electronic medical record system.

The therapist will be expected to perform all administrative duties as required.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Master’s degree in social work, counseling, or psychology, who by education and training, is qualified to perform diagnostic assessments.  Minimum of two years clinical experience working with youth/young adults that present with psychosis and their families. 

At least two years of experience working with seriously emotionally/behaviorally disturbed youth and their families in a community setting.

Valid Alabama driver’s license and driving record acceptable to agency automobile insurance carrier for inclusion on agency policy.  Suitable automobile to permit the required travel. 

Must become certified as a case manager (adults and children) by completing DMH-approved trainings.

Must understand and endorse a recovery-oriented approach to providing clinical services

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

Experience of working with people who experience serious ongoing mental health problems, to include those with severe emotional disturbance or serious mental illness.

Knowledge of Cognitive Behavior Therapy, brief therapy and other psychosocial interventions and techniques.

Knowledge of the guiding principles and elements of a Recovery-Oriented System of Care.

Ability to engage with vulnerable and hard to reach young people.

Ability to work with young people and their care takers/family in an educational and therapeutic way.

Ability to promote recovery in young people with psychosis.

Experience assessing and managing crises for people with severe mental health problems.

Ability to make clinical decisions/recommendations in crisis situations.

Knowledge of the community and available community resources.

Knowledge of psychotropic medications, including their use and side effects.

Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, with a multi-disciplinary team and other stakeholders.

Qualifications