What are the responsibilities and job description for the Professional Counselor (40 Hour) (Office/On-site) position at State of Connecticut - Department of Mental Health...?
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Join our team today to make a significant impact in mental healthcare and lead with excellence!
THE POSITION
The State of Connecticut, Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) is now hiring for a Professional Counselor to join their team! This position will provide individual and group therapy to individuals diagnosed with chronic mental health and/or substance use disorders.
HIGHLIGHTS
- FACILITY: Western Connecticut Mental Health Network (WCMHN)
- ADDRESS: 78 Triangle Street, Danbury, CT
- UNIT: Young Adult Services
- SCHEDULE: Full-Time, 40 Hours per Week, First Shift, Monday through Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm
- POSITION NUMBER: 26690
WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU
- Visit our new State Employee Benefits Overview page!
- Work at a Forbes-recognized company! Connecticut is proud to be featured on both America's Best Employers by State and Best Employers for New Grads in 2024. With our dynamic job market and commitment to fostering a thriving workforce, Connecticut stands out as a top destination for both seasoned professionals and fresh graduates seeking to launch their careers.
- Professional growth and development opportunities
- A health work/life balance to all employees
DISCOVER THE OPPPORTUNITY TO
- Develop and provide case management, conduct needs assessments, and offer supportive counseling to address clients' strengths, weaknesses, and needs;
- Conduct psychosocial assessments through clinical interviews with assigned clients and their families, considering developmental, social, cultural, substance abuse, psychological, environmental, and medical issues;
- Create treatment plans with measurable goals and objectives, as well as monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of these plans;
- Document treatment in clinical records and utilize electronic health records, computer technology, and data;
- Provide clinical treatment services, which include individual, group, and family therapy, as well as crisis intervention and risk assessment;
- Advocate and develop networks for social and clinical services to assist clients in meeting their identified needs;
- Complete reports in accordance with agency and accrediting body requirements;
- Consult with other behavioral health providers to enhance service delivery to clients;
ABOUT US
DMHAS is a health care agency whose mission is to promote the overall health and wellness of persons with behavioral health needs through an integrated network of holistic, comprehensive, effective, and efficient services and supports that foster dignity, respect, and self-sufficiency in those we serve.
WCMHN was formed in 1996 in order to coordinate clinical, fiscal and administrative oversight of Region 5 contracted and state-operated mental health services. Their mission is to provide a comprehensive and effective recovery-oriented system of mental health and addiction services that promotes self-sufficiency, dignity, cultural sensitivity and respect.
Within this service system, there are three state-operated Local Mental Health Authorities, which are located in Waterbury, Danbury and Torrington. In partnership with WCMHN, they provide and coordinate local clinical services. Over 200 staff including psychiatrists, nurses, social workers, rehabilitation and mental health workers provide services for persons with a long-term mental illness. Approximately 7,000 clients receive services in a variety of programs, including peer support programs, recovery services, supported employment, homeless services, residential, crisis services, jail diversion, outpatient, case management, Assertive Community Treatment Teams (ACTT) and young adult services.
PLEASE NOTE
- A comprehensive medical examination, including a drug screening, will be required of all applicants upon a conditional offer of employment.
- All state employees must adhere to Connecticut's Policy for a Drug Free Workplace.
Selection Plan
FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING:
Please read or watch our Applicant Tips on How to Apply!
Please Note: For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from one of the three branches of state government (i.e., Executive, Legislative, Judicial) to the other.
TO APPLY
- The only way to apply to this posting is via the ‘Apply’ or ‘Apply Online’ buttons on the official State of Connecticut Online Employment Center job posting.
- In order to be considered for this job opening, you must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening. The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
- In order to receive educational credits toward qualification for this job posting, the institution must be accredited. If the institution of higher learning is located outside of the U.S., you are responsible for providing documentation from a recognized USA accrediting service which specializes in determining foreign education equivalencies to the recruiter listed on this job posting.
- You must specify your qualifications on your application. You will be unable to make revisions once you submit your application for this posting to the JobAps system.
- In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process.
- All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period. It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception. Requests should be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.
- This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules.
AFTER YOU APPLY
- Although applicants will receive correspondence via email and/or phone, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process.
- This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the question's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam.
- NOTE: At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position. These documents may include: a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.
- The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
- Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience and training most closely meet the requirements of the position. Read through this helpful link to prepare for your interview.
- Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State Employees which is available at www.ct.gov/ethics.
CONNECT WITH US
- Due to the large volume of applications received, we are unable to provide confirmation of receipt or status during the recruitment process.
- Updates will be available through your JobAps portal account. If you have any questions pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Jensine Tran at Jensine.Tran@ct.gov.
PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)
In a state agency behavioral health program as part of a multi-disciplinary team at one or more locations this class is accountable for independently providing clinical counseling services.
EXAMPLES OF DUTIES
- As a member of a multi-disciplinary clinical team or within a network of community based behavioral health services, provides case management, needs assessment and supportive counseling in addressing client strengths, weaknesses and needs;
- Develops, implements and maintains individualized treatment and rehabilitation plans for clients;
- Works with treatment teams to assist individual patients in achieving social and emotional stability;
- Develops psychosocial assessments through clinical interviews;
- Provides clinical treatment services such as: triage, crisis intervention, individual and/or group counseling, screening and planning;
- Makes use of available community services and facilities to assist clients in meeting identified needs;
- Interprets and synthesizes client information, professional observations and evaluation reports in order to form professional judgments about services;
- Monitors and evaluates effectiveness of treatment plans, documents treatment in clinical records;
- Completes reports in accordance with agency and accrediting bodies;
- Consults and collaborates with other behavioral health providers to improve delivery of services to clients;
- Maintains counseling treatment and standards as required;
- Performs related duties as required.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY
- Knowledge of
- principles, methodology, casework and techniques of counseling, interviewing and psychosocial assessment;
- family and interpersonal relationship dynamics;
- values, sanctions, purposes and ethics of professional counseling work;
- community resources;
- Considerable
- interpersonal skills;
- oral and written communication skills;
- Ability to devise and implement a treatment plan with measurable goals that address client needs.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE
Licensure as a professional counselor in the State of Connecticut.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience working in a community-based outpatient mental health and substance abuse treatment facility
- Experience with principles, methodology, casework, and techniques of counseling, interviewing, psychosocial and risk assessment
- Experience working with community providers, local hospitals, Police Departments, and outpatient clinical teams
- Experience with evidence-based practices
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
- Incumbents in this class must possess and retain a license to practice professional counselor work pursuant to Sec. 20-195 (a-f) of the Connecticut General Statutes.
- Incumbents in this class may be required to have knowledge of sign language and communication ability with the deaf and hearing impaired in certain designated positions.
- Incumbents in this class may be required to have ability in Spanish oral and written communication in certain designated positions.
- Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.
WORKING CONDITIONS
Incumbents in this class may be exposed to some risk of injury from assaultive and/or abusive clients.
