ACT Team Counselor

LINES OF AUTHORITY:  This position is supervised by the SMI Clinical Site Supervisor and/or Clinical Director.  This position does not supervise any personnel; however, the position requires participation in peer review activities.

POSITION SUMMARY:  The Counselor may provide multiple services to clients and families, including, but not limited to Adult and Family Team facilitation, Case Management, Life Skills Training, Family Support, Health Education and Counseling.  The Counselor may be assigned as a Managing Clinician to enrolled members on their caseload. This position will be expected to maintain an acceptable level of service provision as measured by billable hours/service value. If counseling services are to be provided, they must be done under the direct clinical oversight of a Behavioral Health Professional.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. The primary responsibility of the managing clinician is to provide clinical expertise and oversight of the person's care, ensure the clinical soundness of the assessment/treatment process, and serves as the point of contact, coordinating and communicating with ACT team members and other system where clinical knowledge of the care is important.
2. Assesses clients through ongoing processes such as the strengths-based assessment, activities assessment, co-occurring/substance use assessments, risk assessments and annual assessments to monitor the progress of the client and family toward his/her goals.
3. Engages with the client, family and other involved parties through face-to-face and phone interactions and works with the client and family to build trust, encourage hope, and ensure ongoing engagement in behavioral health services.
4. Assist the client and family in development of Adult Treatment Team and works positively as a member of the treatment team. When necessary, coordinates care as evidenced by progress notes, Behavioral Health Service Plan Review of Progress (BHSP-ROP) and the distribution of information. May provide direct services to a client or family member several hours a week.
5. Completes additional and ongoing assessments as needed to assess needs/monitor progress of the client and family as evidenced by record review, supervision and observation.
6. Assists the client/family in creating a safety/crisis plan and provides crisis intervention services to individuals in emergency situations, as evidenced by the written safety crisis plan in the record and overall record review.
7. Participates in the development and monitoring of Behavioral Health Service Plans (BHSP's), as evidenced by the service plan and service plan updates.
8. Participates in coordination of care activities and regular staffings with ACT team staff to prioritize and organize care for the ACT clients.
9. Communicates and coordinates client care with family members and other ACT team members, behavioral and medical health providers and community resources evidenced by documentation, release of information and reports to state agencies.
10. Provides primarily counseling and other services to clients when medically necessary and appropriate, meeting the agency's direct service standard of 1248 hours annually.
11. Completes all required documentation related to individual and group service delivery, including necessary enrollment, ongoing assessment, and discharge processes.
12. Provides customer service to internal and external stakeholders.
13. Participates in the Performance Improvement processes in the Clinic.
14. This employee must work well under pressure meeting multiple and sometimes multiples and sometimes conflicting deadlines.  The employee shall at all times demonstrate cooperative behavior with colleagues and supervisors. 
15. Performs other duties as assigned.  
16. Able to effectively de-escalate clients using techniques as trained and outlined in approved crisis intervention models.

PRIMARY CONTACTS:

• Frequent interaction with clients and their family /support.
• Interfaces with peers, clinical team members and managers, and internal /external customers and stakeholders.
• Collaborates with community resources/referral agencies.

POSITION REQUISITES:

Qualifications and Experience

Required:

• Master's degree in a behavioral health related field,  
• Valid AZ driver's license and proof of insurance
• Arizona fingerprint clearance or ability to obtain
• 21 yrs. of age or older
• Ability to be certified in CPR and First Aid

Preferred:

• Prior experience providing behavioral health services to individuals with mental health and substance abuse disorders in a variety of settings.
• Experience working with clients with complex emotional needs
• Knowledge of community resources available, including benefits and entitlement process, as well as an understanding of managed care.
• Understanding of client/family-centered care and ACT models of care.

Skills/Abilities:

Required:

• Basic skills: strong written and verbal communication skills
• Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to facilitate a team or group
• Complex problem-solving skills including conflict resolution skills.
• Technical skills including windows computer program, copier, fax
• Resource management skills

REQUIREMENTS FOR SPECIAL POPULATIONS

Persons conducting assessments and/or providing treatment to special populations are able, through training and experience as well as through agency-specific observation or testing of performance to demonstrate competency in the following areas:

SUBSTANCE USE Staff responsible for providing services to substance using members have appropriate training, education, and experience, and demonstrate competency.

Staff must be able to gather and assess information about:

• The relationship of each member's physical status to the substance use
• The nature of the emotional compulsion to use alcohol and/or other drugs
• The intensity of the member's preoccupation with using alcohol/and/or other drugs

Staff must also demonstrate competency in their ability to:

• Interpret information about a member's use of alcohol and/or other drugs
• Develop a written summary and/or treatment plan based on member's problems and needs;
• Provide appropriate services

CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

Staff responsible for providing services to child and adolescent members have appropriate training, education, and experience, and demonstrate competency.

• Staff demonstrates knowledge of growth and development of children and adolescents.
• Staff demonstrates their ability to develop treatment plans and services based on member's problem and needs.
• Staff demonstrates knowledge and skill in working with family systems.

SERIOUSLY MENTALLY ILL

Staff responsible for providing services to seriously mentally ill members have appropriate training, education, and experience, and demonstrate competency.

• Staff has knowledge and ability to gather and interpret information about seriously mentally ill people.
• Staff understands the member's needs and the range, intensity, and duration of care, habilitation and rehabilitation required.

INTELLECTUALLY DISABLED

Staff responsible for providing services to members with intellectual disabilities have appropriate training, education, and experience, and demonstrate competency.

• Staff has knowledge and ability to gather and interpret information about a member with an intellectual disability.
• Staff understands the member's needs and the range, intensity, and duration of care, habilitation or rehabilitation required.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Physical Requirements:

• Able to cope with emotional demands as they arise.
• Able to sit for extended periods of time.
• Able to hear ordinary conversation and phone communications.

Equipment:

• Computer, typewriter, printer, fax, copy machine and company vehicles.

Environmental Conditions:

• Air conditioned and/or heated office settings and client's home.

ACCOMMODATIONS:

Mohave Mental Health Clinic, Inc., will provide reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities, unless it would cause undue hardship.  We define reasonable accommodation as any change in the work environment or in the way a job is performed that enables a person with a disability to enjoy equal employment opportunities.  We will make a good faith effort to list any special requirements in our job descriptions.